Engaging Support Staff in Manatee County Public Schools

One of my favorite days of the school year is F-DOS, or First Day of School, when the students excitedly return to class after the summer break!

What those exuberant students may not realize when they step off the sparkling bus and enter the building with polished floors, fresh paint, and classrooms full of restocked textbooks and materials is that someone was working all summer! Without the dedication of the educational support force, the school year could not open so smoothly nor continue to operate until L-DOS! (LAST Day of School--my second most favorite day of the school year.) Every responsibility, every task completed, and every decision made by support employees filters down and impacts the education of the students in the classroom.

Manatee County Public Schools in Florida certainly embraces that concept. Their Human Resources department includes this core value: Our district employees are our most valuable asset to empower our students in reaching their goals. Manatee County knows that all district employees, not just those employees in the classroom, contribute to the educational success of the students.

Sam and I were invited to present our Building Better Schools seminar to the Manatee County’s central support staff as part of the district’s Leadership Academy 2008. Assistant Superintendent Herb Tschappat opened the session by sharing his favorite points from our book, Building Better Schools by Engaging Support Staff, and reinforcing our shared belief that support staff are professionals and are important ambassadors for the school district.

Now if you have heard Sam Bartlett speak, you know what an inspirational and motivational presenter he is! (And if you haven’t heard him speak, contact the office and get him scheduled for your district right away! www.engageinstitute.com ) Sam not only encourages audience members to become engaged ambassadors for their district, but he also gives them specific strategies and tools to make a difference. His life goal is to Liberate Greatness in others, and the principles that he shares transfer to all areas of life. Part of the seminar includes small group interactions where key points can be applied to the participants’ specific job needs. This is one of my favorite parts, since Sam and I get to interact with the groups and hear the wonderful things that they are already doing in their work and their new ideas for doing just a little bit more.

At the end of the day, the seminar participants expressed appreciation that their district had an in-service specifically geared to their needs and their responsibilities as part of the educational mission of Manatee County Public Schools.And Sam and I left Florida greatly impressed with the value that Manatee County Public Schools places on each of their employees. They have dedicated support employees who are, indeed, making positive contributions to the educational mission of the district! Have a great school year, Manatee!

Algebra is Optional

In the last decade, there have been more than 20 studies of engagement undertaken by organizations like Gallup, Towers Perrin, Blessing White, and others. There seems to be fairly universal agreement that our society is not engaged. Gallup, for example, in its survey of 3 million American workers, found that only 28% were engaged, 54% were putting in time for a paycheck, and 18% were completely disengaged, spreading their unhappiness in the workplace, actively looking for other employment, or in the worst cases, actually working against the interests of the organization.

The education division of The Engage Institute has polled more than a quarter of a million families of school aged children across the United States. The results aren't much different. The overall level of family engagement in the educational life of children looks a lot like the profile of American workers. And yet twenty years of research has shown that family engagement is the most reliable predictor of student success. Legislative initiatives like No Child Left Behind will never have their intended effect by pushing test scores as "performance indicators" unless we first find ways to re-engage families as partners in helping students succeed.

Families don't have to volunteer in a classroom, tutor Algebra, speak English, or even know how to spell chemistry to be engaged in their child's education. Research shows that if families and caregivers will do three things, they can help their child do better in school and make enormous strides toward reaching their maximum potential. Families need to (1) set high (but not unreasonable) expectations, (2) help children take responsibility for their education and take advantage of all opportunities to learn (and model this behavior in their own lives), and (3) talk to their children often about their goals and help them plan for the future.

Dancing with Deadlines

Have you ever wondered about the origin of the word deadline? According to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary 2008 (Accessed 13 June 2008), the word can be traced back to 1864, and referred to "a line drawn within or around a prison that a prisoner passes at the risk of being shot.” The word is used now to signify a time that something is due, and in the publishing world, the deadline is that last date that an article or manuscript can be received to make a certain publication issue.

As a writer, I need deadlines. They motivate me. What I don’t like is how they sneak up on me and then woo me into dancing late into the night. Like tonight—writing this article that I’d planned to post on Friday.

Sometimes the deadline dance occurs when I don’t plan ahead, but usually my dance is the result of my unrealistic estimate of the time needed to complete a project. Can you relate? Oh sure, I can do that for you! Nah, it won’t take much time at all. Piece of cake.

Hints for Dealing with Deadlines

1. Plan ahead!
2. Write due dates in your planner.
3. What is the first step you must take to complete the project? Write it down.
4. Break the entire project into small steps, and
5. Give yourself intermediate deadlines to complete the steps.
6. Be realistic about the amount of time needed to complete the project.
7. Trick yourself into finishing the project early by creating a due date that is several days earlier than the real deadline.
8. Expect the unexpected: there is always something else vying for your attention when you have a deadline. If you don’t wait until the last minute to finish the project, you have wiggle-room to deal with the unexpected.
9. When all else fails, join me in the Midnight Deadline Dance!

Do you have hints for dealing with deadlines? We’d love to have you share them in the comment section!

Vie Herlocker

Recognizing Treasures...

Yahoo’s Offbeat News from AFP reports that John Webber, a seventy-year old Brit, decided to get an appraisal on an ornate brass cup that he’d had since childhood. His grandfather, a scrap metal dealer, gave it to him as a cast-off, and Webber even used it as a target for his air gun in the 1940s.

The “brass” cup turned out to be a Persian artifact, hammered from one sheet of pure gold centuries before the birth of Christ. This treasure goes to auction in England on June 5—and is expected to bring close to a million dollars!

WOW!

Pack-rat that I am, I don’t believe any of the “treasures” I’ve tucked away from my grandmother’s attic have great monetary value. However, sometimes the treasures that we overlook are not material things. Granny’s gifts of love and encouragement were priceless treasures that I didn’t appreciate until many years later.

Through the years, other adults believed in me and told me so. After I joined the work-force, more mature adults mentored me and opened doors of opportunity for me. All of these persons were encouragers, treasures of great value, although I often didn’t realize it at the time.

Perhaps you now recognize a treasure from your past: a family member, a co-worker, a friend, or even a stranger who shared a kind word. If possible, contact them and let them know they touched your life in a positive way. We'd be honored if you would leave a tribute to them in our comment section as well!

In our book, Building Better Schools by Engaging Support Staff, Sam reminds readers that their words and interactions with students are powerful. You may feel that the encouragement you give students is unimportant, but the words you speak today may be the foundation for a positive and productive adulthood.

Be an encourager for those young people you deal with. Maybe one of your nuggets of encouragement will become a treasure of great value.

Vie Herlocker

Remarkable!

I settled into a corner chair at my new doctor’s office and prepared for a long wait—especially since I was early for my appointment. I’d barely opened my notebook and started writing the next great American novel when my name was called.

Imagine my surprise when I turned to see Dr. Amy Butler—not the nurse or receptionist—waving me back.

“Good afternoon! Let’s get you weighed and check your blood pressure.” I guess the shocked look on my face must have registered with the doctor as she adjusted the pressure cuff around my arm. She chuckled and said, “I’m short a nurse today, so I’m doing this myself. Now relax and think happy thoughts!”

Then she ushered me into the examination room and chatted with me about my blood pressure and recent cholesterol tests. I felt like I was the only patient this popular doctor had. Although I know she was busy, she took the time to show interest in me as a person. I was important to her.

I left the office just a-sparkling! I skipped to my car! (Okay, I imagined skipping to my car. I also imagined that I was young and blithe rather than retired and fluffy.) Sure, I was thrilled that a change in diet had brought my cholesterol levels into the normal range and my blood pressure was responding to mild medication. But my exhilaration was because of the remarkable way I was treated. It was so remarkable that I’ve “remarked” about the experience to all of my friends.

I'd like for all of my interactions with co-workers, friends, parents, acquaintances, store clerks, service providers, and my readers to be remarkable, also. My greatest desire is that those I encounter—even momentarily—will know that I value them and that they are important.

Vie Herlocker

How to Lead the Overly Engaged

It seems as if everyone is talking about engagement these days, including Family Friendly Schools. We are now a division of the Engage Institute and for the last several years have been helping school districts break down barriers and create cultures that engage staff, students, and families. We now know that presenteeism (being on the job but not fully engaged) is as big a problem as absenteeism. Jessica Hagy is a popular blogger/artist who communicates with diagrams sketched on index cards. One of her recent posts boils down all the wordy definitions of engagement into a simple drawing.

In past articles and webinars, we have offered insights on how to turn clock-watchers into ambassadors. In this writing I would like to address a small, yet often abused group found in every organization - the overly engaged. You know the type. They are so "tuned-in" and dedicated to their work that they neglect family, friends, fitness, faith, and fun. They are the first to arrive and the last to leave. They take work home and miraculously end up with jobs no one else wants to do.

You are thinking, "So what's the issue? I would love to have a few 'problem' team members like this." I understand. As leaders we have all had days (or weeks) where we are tired of casting vision and rallying troops. We long for a few more employees like Susan, Jim, and Veronica who not only have embraced the vision, they work tirelessly to implement it.

The problem is that engagement is about valuing and respecting individuals for who they are, not just what they do for our organization. It is about authenticity and integrity. If I communicate to employees that they are valuable, yet allow (even encourage) an overly engaged employee to neglect health and relationships outside of work, what message am I really communicating to the team? This approach generates short-term success, but also long-term burnout and disillusionment.

Try the following strategies and watch what happens. Not only will you prevent the sudden departure of a worn-out worker, your actions will begin to break down barriers with your harshest critics. They may still have a problem with the direction you are leading the organization, but they will see you as one who truly values human resources. Leadership 101 states that people buy into the leader, before they buy into the leader's vision.

Strategies for Leading the Overly Engaged

1. Spread the praise. Recognize contributors who work to fulfill your mission, even though other priorities or their current “life-stage” prevents them from being the first to arrive and the last to leave. When a leader only rewards those with kamikaze-type dedication, others slowly resign themselves to being second-tier players who can’t compete with “whatever-it-takes-super-heroes.” Vary the praise you give the overly engaged by acknowledging other qualities besides time at work or managing multiple priorities. Say things like, “I really like the way you listened non-defensively to Jack’s feedback.” By spreading the praise in this manner, you send a powerful message to both those who need an extra push and those who need perspective. To one you offer hope that full engagement is simply giving discretionary effort to accomplish common goals and is possible for everyone. To the overly engaged, you offer a reminder that their value is multi-dimensional.

2. Encourage Diversity of Passionate Pursuits. Sometimes as leaders we just have to lead. I am not talking about a “you have worked so hard this week, take the afternoon off” kind of conversation. Why not include the following question in your annual review: “What is a personal goal that you would like to pursue this year?” Now when you interact with team members during the year you have more to discuss than work. “How are your Spanish lessons progressing?” “What book are you reading this month?” Many organizations encourage and allow time off for volunteer work in the community. Make sure your “leave it up to me” employee does not skip his or her rotation. Helping to build a home with Habit for Humanity or serving food at the local homeless shelter has a way of generating reflection, balance, and perspective.

3. Stay true to your own personal value system. Sometimes an overly engaged employee will attempt to make you feel guilty that you are not putting in the hours or energy that they expend day in and day out. Leadership is demanding and often does require long hours. Furthermore, setting boundaries is difficult, especially for those who have a hard time saying no. In spite of these challenges, do not allow others to hijack your deepest values and your commitment to family, friends, fitness, faith, and fun. Surprise your daughter or son by skipping an “important” meeting at work and joining them for their favorite activity without a cell phone. Call that old high school friend who you promised a cup a coffee and tell faded stories of youth and heroism. Inform everyone (including family) that you have an early morning meeting three days a week and go to the gym without guilt. Appointments with “you” are valid and crucial calendar items. Awaken your spiritual side and read a devotional that causes you to think about realities beyond the material. The results? Your productivity will soar instead of suffer. Others will see your authenticity and follow not because they have to, but because they want to. This is engagement at its best.

Little by Little

This morning I turned my calendar to May and wondered where the year had gone. Then I walked into my bedroom and read the yellowed slip of paper, which I’d cut from a church bulletin and tucked in the frame of my mirror many years ago. Here is what it says:
I need this reminder regularly. I may not have achieved everything I hoped to in the first four months of 2008, but today is a new day! I have a choice, I can moan over the undone, or I can regroup and get to work on my goals.

What is your passion? What do you really want to do with your life? Maybe it is an old dream that you have hidden in your heart. Whatever it is, write it down. Then write down one thing that you can do today to take the first step towards that goal. Remember, it is the “little by little” that either moves you toward your dream or lets it slip away.