Values, Decision-Making and Employee Feedback
Our school systems, leaders and educators have role-modeled tremendous resiliency since March of 2020. Despite the challenges the pandemic has brought, there have also been bright spots and bold leaders encouraging their teams to thrive. Today, we revisit a conversation with Tea Area Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Lowery, to highlight the difference their district makes by leaning on its values and focusing on its entire community.
This episode addresses questions, such as:
- Why is it so important to have values and principles as an organization?
- How can schools and businesses work together for the good of the community?
- What can bold leaders do to have confidence in their decisions at the end of the day?
Featured Episode Resources
9P | WALKING THE HALLS
While value statements and standards of behavior might live on the walls in an organization, it is up to leaders to demonstrate what is expected as they walk the halls. Making values come alive in an organization includes intentional steps of keeping them at the forefront of communications and actions. This can be accomplished through communication channels and systems of reward and recognition.
SE | REMAIN CONFIDENT DESPITE AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE
Anticipating and leading change isn’t a new concept for most leaders. For decades now, John Kotter’s work has encouraged leaders to lead organizations through increasingly rapid changes. We know it’s our role as leaders to anticipate the future and help our teams navigate through change. However, if we’ve learned anything from 2020, we know that anticipating change can feel nearly impossible at times.
9P | CULTIVATING A CULTURE OF RESILIENCE
SE | PROVIDE FEEDBACK THAT INSPIRES
When we highlight the shortcomings of others, they tend to react defensively. Negative feedback is often received as a threat, which can lead to depression and anxiety. We set out to inspire improvement. Instead, our peers begin to avoid us, gravitating toward peers that provide a judgment-free safety net.