During the annual meeting of the American Society of Association Executives, I sat in on an excellent panel led by author and consultant Jamie Notter, whose work I have grown to respect greatly. He defines culture as "the collection of words, actions, thoughts and ‘stuff' that clarify and reinforce what is truly valued inside an organization." He also made these points, both of which resonated with me:
1) Your culture can be by design or by default — it's up to the leaders of an organization to make that choice. It's obvious to me which is more beneficial.
2) Culture is defined by the worst behavior the leader is willing to tolerate. Wow! If this doesn't put us all on notice, I don't know what does. If you don't like your school's culture, then think about how you contribute to it by tolerating what perhaps should be intolerable.
But how can leaders go about "designing" their organization's culture, or changing it for the better? How can they intervene when certain behaviors become intolerable? Recently I read a blog post by NBOA's friend and colleague Ian Symmonds, who offers three tips.
First, he encourages all of us to LISTEN. This is something I'm constantly checking myself on. Recently a respected independent school leader shared with me a term called "reloading." Reloading occurs when you're ostensibly listening to someone else, but in reality you're thinking about what you're going to say next. This isn't listening but rather taking a brief pause from talking. It's amazing the impact leaders can have on others when those you are trying to lead feel truly heard. Beware of reloading.
Symmonds urges leaders to get the FACTS. Within our schools it is very easy for individuals to unwittingly perpetuate a leader's perception. Ideas and opinions get ingrained: "Mary has never been supportive of any changes at the school," or "John complains about everything we try to do." Ensure that your culture values facts more than judgments.
Finally, Symmonds reminds us that INCLUSIVE leadership, which allows everyone to have a say and to play a role in a school's culture, is more effective than top-down leadership. Just as our schools are inclusive environments for students, they should be inclusive for all who work there and contribute to their future success.
If positive change isn't taking root at your school, pause before strategizing. Consider what kind of culture will best advance the mission of your school into the future. The goals and tactics should follow. How will you know when an unproductive culture is corrected? As Jamie Notter says, "A strong culture aligns what is valued with what drives the success of the enterprise." A strong culture enables great strategy to deliver even greater results.
