PARTIAL SAMPLE
CHAPTERS…
Chapter Four
(pages
1-8 of 14)
The Perfect
Principal
Max
McGee
The perfect school must have the perfect principal,
or at least the “practically perfect principal” because no
principal can be or should be everything to everyone. The practically perfect
principal (1) builds a perfect school around a shared vision, (2) is a terrific
communicator, (3) is highly resourceful, (4) compiles and analyzes data to
share with his or her staff, and (5) leads a balanced life which includes
having fun at work.
Diogenes’
search for the honest man is quite literally legendary. His quest, however, is
arguably less daunting than our search for the perfect principal. In fact, the perfect
principal is a paradox, for the leader who is perfect for parents is frequently
far from perfect to most of the staff. Principals who are perfect for the staff
by definition cannot always be perfect for all students. And a perfect
principal to one teacher can easily be a lousy principal to another. Like
beauty, as the following examples illustrate, perfection is very much in the
eye of the beholder.
Overbearing parents believe the
perfect principal is one who does their bidding, like acceding to demands to
change a class placement, intervening in a minor classroom disciplinary
incident, or absolving their child when he bullies another. This principal is
likely to be perceived as a less than perfect “soft touch” by his
teachers. Likewise, the perfect principal to one teacher may be one who is
working hard to remove an incompetent colleague, yet to that colleague, his
group of friends, and most likely the teachers’ union, the principal is a
rat. To an insecure teacher, the perfect principal backs every disciplinary
decision, right or wrong. That principal, however, would undoubtedly be labeled
as “unfair” or, more accurately, “wimpy and clueless”
by the students in that teacher’s class.
One of my favorite memories as a
principal was when a rascally fifth grader was sent to me for, in the words of
the teacher, “serious disciplinary action.” My secretary told me
that the teacher sent him to be disciplined because he had been
“mouthy” with her and should have a detention. Though Jim was full
of personality, I didn’t picture him as one to get into a confrontation
with a teacher. Arming myself with my sternest principal face, I sat him in
front of my long desk. Trying to appear as tall and imposing as possible, I
peered over it and gruffly asked, “What are you doing here, young
man?”
“I got in trouble,” he
answered.
“Yes, you did. What did you do
wrong?”
“Nothing really.”
“Nothing? Mrs. Dour said that
you were rude to her and mouthy. Just what happened?”
“I asked if I could go to the
washroom, and she said in front of everyone, ‘What’s the magic
word?’ So I said, ‘Abracadabra’ and everyone started
laughing.”
I tried to keep up my game face, but
then I cracked up. “That really is
funny,” I chuckled. So much for “serious disciplinary
action.”
And so much for being the perfect
principal. Taking a student’s side rarely wins points with teachers,
especially ones who cannot laugh at themselves. I decided that Jim did not
deserve a detention but rather an audition as a stand-up comic for our next
talent show. He went back to class, and Mrs. Dour got mad at me and complained
to her friends. Though most of the others in the school would have handled the
matter exactly as I did, they naturally clucked and shook their heads to her
face. Then they went on about their business as did I, the less-than-perfect
principal.
A serious hunt for perfection among
principals depends so much upon perception that it is fruitless. That said,
there are some distinguishing characteristics, behaviors, knowledge, skills,
and attitudes/dispositions that are possessed by better principals—which
we define as those who have a sustained positive impact on teaching and
learning. They aren’t perfect, so for our purposes in this book
let’s call them “practically perfect principals.” Those we
can find.
What, then, are the qualities of a
practically perfect principal? Are they innate or learned? What does the
practically perfect principal do differently from other principals? What can we
learn from practically perfect principals? Great principals have many wonderful
qualities and characteristics, and other books have been written about them.
Using this research, but more importantly, quite literally a century of
experience, we have selected a few that distinguish the practically perfect
from the simply great.
Practically perfect principals have vision and are driven by
mission. Neither the vision nor mission belongs exclusively to the school or
the principal. It comes from and belongs to everyone in the school. In Fierce
Conversations, Susan Scott writes, “Few, if any, forces in human
affairs are as powerful as a fierce vision.” The practically perfect
principal is the rare individual who creates this shared vision. How does he do
it? He begins by building relationships with teachers, staff, and parents. He
doesn’t begin by writing something about “lifelong learning”
and “responsible global citizens.” As relationships develop through
conversations, the principal develops a profound understanding of the potential
his school has, of what it can be for students, for teachers, for parents, for
the community, for the district, and beyond. It takes many “fierce
conversations” to uncover the essence of the school, to realize its
potential, to imagine its possibility.
The shared vision, then, does not
spring from the head of Aphrodite or the cerebrum of the practically perfect
principal; rather, it emerges through informal conversation and formal
dialogue. It is forged in discussions about the hopes and dreams for individual
students, in taking new parents around the school, in visiting classes, and
actively participating in formal meetings; it’s done one-on-one and with
small groups, departments, and staff.
Once the practically perfect
principal finds the vision, the mission statement almost writes itself, absent
of jargon but dense with aspiration. Inspirational, aspirational, and perspirational,
the shared vision gets people thinking, working, and believing together. Here
are two exceptional examples and one that will be forgotten as soon as it is
read:
What happens when there is a shared
vision is that the impossible becomes achievable. The practically perfect
principal’s school with 75% low-income students has 80% of them meeting
state standards year after year. Awards are won and recognition is achieved,
i.e., in
Getting
“Out and About”
The practically perfect principal doesn’t spend a lot
of time in her office. She is in classrooms every day and learns the names of
students and staff. More importantly, she learns who they are and what matters
to them. She appreciates their unique personalities and knows what they like to
do for fun as well as their professional goals and special strengths. From
being out and about, she learns how to communicate with each one and thus
informs, guides, directs, cajoles, or even confronts them to help them excel.
When the practically perfect
principal visits classrooms, she may pop in and out or stay for an extended
time. In all cases, she is always there, in the present, with nothing more
important to do. Like all great leaders, the practically perfect principal has
a quality of making every individual feel like the most important person in the
room when she talks to them. When she converses with someone, she talks with
them (not at them), listens closely, and interacts with head and heart. Many
practically perfect principals also follow up their visits with short
handwritten notes complimenting teachers on what they have seen.
The practically perfect principal is
also out in the community. She gets to know parents as people and makes
contributions to the neighborhood. She has the courage to conduct home visits
and meet individuals where they work. Residents recognize her on the street and
the backyard buzzword is positive because being visible demonstrates that she
truly cares and understands the importance of the school to the community. She
generally joins a service or community organization, such as Optimist, Rotary,
Lions, or Kiwanis, but more important than just joining, she becomes active in
their work. She may chair a committee, hold an office, sit on the Board of
Directors, serve as the master of ceremonies at a dinner, or make some
occasional presentations about her school. She truly “walks the talk”
of community partnership.
The practically perfect principal is resourceful. He is
creative at getting what the school needs for teaching and for learning to
flourish. Practically perfect principals with whom we have worked have been
able to:
Many of these took extra money and
all took extra time. What the practically perfect principals did, though, was identify
the problem; work with staff, parents and administrators to craft creative
solutions, and stay on the issue until it was resolved. After the initial idea,
then, the practically perfect principal follows through with relentless
persistence. Their hard work recalls Thomas Edison’s words, “Genius
is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”
In fact, getting the job done is
what drives the practically perfect principal. Although there are many sound
reasons for not being able to find a solution to a difficult problem, there is always one that works. The practically
perfect principal finds it. In the words of my mentor, Dr. Mark DeLay,
“Don’t tell me why it can’t be done, find a way to get it
done.”
Let’s study an example. A
common complaint from a teacher or parent is that a talented child is not being
challenged. The less than practically perfect principal generally responds with
one or a litany of obstacles or excuses:
The “solutions” never
address the problems. Here are some particularly ineffective ones that we have
heard:
As a result, the child is not
challenged and both the student and parent get the message that being smart has
negative consequences and excellence really doesn’t matter.
Solutions that practically perfect
principals develop look much different. Consider these:
The bottom line is that the
practically perfect principal is resourceful and finds a way to get things done
for his school, his staff, and for himself rather than having things done to
him, his teachers, or his school….
(Footnotes deleted in this sample.)
Chapter
Five
(pages 1-8 of 16)
Service Makes or
Breaks
the
Jim Burgett
The perfect school (1) understands the difference between
ordinary and quality service, (2) develops and implements a set of basic
service guidelines, (3) doesn’t leave service to chance, but provides
extensive training for all employees, and (4) promotes an organizational
ownership of service through empowerment, a common language, and a clear and
meaningful mission.
Nothing can break a school system,
deflate morale, or diffuse the excitement of learning as much as poor service or
a general lack of character. With all the right ingredients you will be on the
road of excellence to a perfect school, but even if you have the best staff,
the most effective processes, and great facilities, if you lack the desire to
serve, you will be average at best. This section looks at the two critical
pillars of a strong educational climate: serving others and exercising strong
values.
Service
In this chapter we will compare the
schoolhouse to any company, business, or organization known to provide service,
and then we will follow an example of one of the leading service providers in
the world. Since we know that schools can (and should) be outstanding
service-providing institutions, let’s also consider ten doable steps to
becoming a service model that others will envy.
Big Buns Sets the Stage
Why not begin our service journey at the
fictitious yet easily imagined epitome of hot
cuisine, Big Buns, a fast food restaurant chain. Everybody knows Big Buns.
You probably dined there this past week. Drive up or walk in, it makes no
difference. All you want is to place an order, get what you request, eat it
there or take it with you, and end up gustatorily satisfied. It may not be
lobster, but it should still be a good experience. There are some pluses to the
Big Buns visit that you can count on. The bill won’t break the bank. No
tipping is expected. Parking is free. The quality of the food should adhere to
an expected standard (the Big Buns triple whammy in Houston should have exactly
the same 12,450 calories as it does in Wheeling, West Virginia). The lady or
man behind the counter will be clearly labeled as a Big Buns Host, and the ice
in your soda will be frozen. That’s a lot, but not enough. The variables
can make or break the experience.
Service Should Be Standard,
Not a Surprise
Some things you can’t be sure of
when you visit Big Buns. Will the bathroom be clean? Will the item in your bag
be the same thing you asked for? Will you be treated like a burden, an escapee,
an alien, or a customer? Will anyone at Big Buns smile? If they forget your
corkscrewed fries, will you have to argue with the Host about who is at fault?
Will they know the magic words?
Depending on
the training, leadership, expectations, environment, and the personality of the
“team” on hand, your experience may vary from an F to an A+, to put
it in educational terms. Too bad; it should be an A every time. If the product
is good and the service is great, the business should be exceptional. If the
product is good and the service stinks, you might give it a chance or two
before driving past Big Buns and heading the extra blocks to
You know how
true the example is. When you walk up to the counter at Big Buns what you
really want is a smile, a pleasant greeting, a question, a repeat of the order,
a cordial exchange of money, an assurance that your food is coming, and a few
pleasantries along the way. When the order is handed to you, you also want
another nice smile, a thank you, and—icing on the cake—maybe even a
pleasant comment. The script is short and sweet and it can make all the
difference in the world.
Personally,
I love it when the Big Buns Host double checks my order as he/she fills the
bag, when I’m thanked for my money, and when I get a smile and pleasant
comment as I leave. Even “Have a nice day” is nice, if they seem to
mean it. It would take only a creative second longer to say something like
“Enjoy your burger and come back and see us soon.”
Don’t Forget to Say You
Are Welcome!
Am I being sarcastic? Nope. Realistic.
I’m passionate about good service. I expect it. I even help with it. When
the Big Buns folk forget to thank me, I never forget to say, “You are welcome.”
A lonely “You are welcome” might sound a bit strange—but soon
enough it might not be so lonely. When they are unpleasant, I try to be
compassionate. But if they frown, say nothing positive, and forget to ask about
my order, I usually ask, “Are you having a bad day? Is the Big Buns stock
down? Have you forgotten your lines?” Unfortunately, it doesn’t always
register, but sometimes the Host does get the idea.
Good Service is Not Hard to
Provide
Recently four of us were at a fancier
place to eat. Not a Big Buns—a place with a menu, a waiter, and a nice
black leather folder for the check. The waiter came over to us, two adult
couples, and said, “Hi, kids! On vacation?” We were on vacation and between the four of us we have a plethora of
kids and grandkids. The waiter was clean cut, well groomed, and smiling; he
made us feel very comfortable. He never called us “you guys,” he
got the order right, and he even said things like “Good choice,”
“That’s one of our best items,” “Do you like hot spice?
That one is kind of hot,” and “I’ll be back in a flash with
your salad, but you take as long as you want eating it.” He made it fun,
not routine. He knew when to talk and when to listen. He was confirming,
pleasant, and positive. When it came time for the black leather folder, he had
earned a nice tip. The service was great. We will eat there again.
The Top Ten of Service
David Letterman started the reverse top
ten craze so let me thank him for the format that follows. Alas, this top ten
isn’t really ranked in any particular order nor did I create or invent
any of them. All ten are stolen, though from whom I have no idea. (Over the
years I have attended so many workshops and read so many books about service
that the sources of these ideas are long gone. How’s that for a
disclaimer?)
A last point:
I’m passionate about providing good service. If I get carried away, I
apologize.
Here we go.
If you want to travel down the road of excellence toward that apex called
perfection, you better equip yourselves with the skill of a service leader and
provider, and be a living example of quality
service.
Ten: There is no such thing as Selective Service.
OK, there is a Selective Service operated
by the United State Government. But there shouldn’t be “selective
service” when it comes to being a service provider. I learned this
quickly when I visited the Ritz-Carlton, the most highly acclaimed and awarded
service-provider for hospitality in the world. I had a chance to go through
third-party training at a Ritz-Carlton facility for several days, studying their
model of service, the same model that won them the famed Malcolm Baldridge
Award.
One of the
most striking things I witnessed was the lack of “selective”
service. What I mean by this is that they didn’t provide a different
level of service for different people. Granted, you are among the more
financially blessed if you stay at a Ritz. They are anything but inexpensive.
But the same level of service was given to visitors, people just looking
around, those who came just for a drink or a meal, guests, parkers in the Ritz
lots, and, most impressive of all, employees by other employees.
Over several
days I saw it time and again. They exercised the same “basics,”
spoke the same language, and treated each other the same as they treated the
paying gentry. In fact, most of the employees are just “regular
Joes” and probably couldn’t afford a night at the Ritz any more
than most of us can, but when at work, they were treated the same as the most
influential guest. That impressed me as much as anything I witnessed. It was
real. It was part of their culture. It’s why the Ritz-Carlton is the best
in the world.
So, if a
school wants to travel on the road to perfection, they have to learn the
secrets of providing non-selective service. The same high service to all
parties, all employees, all students, all visitors, and to each other. After
all, schools are service organizations, and learning to serve without false
pretense is the best way to serve anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Oh yes, one
more thing. Schools are not like the Ritz or Big Buns. Most (but not all) of
the people who come to the school have no other choice. Most can’t afford
an alternative private school and in most communities you have one school that
you are assigned to and that is where you go. So, in a certain way, the
audience is captured and contained. Even if you mess up, they seldom leave.
Which means you have to work twice as hard in a school to provide quality
service since lousy service alone won’t cost you customers.
Nine: Service is Governed by the
How can a school system, or school
building, operate without a mission? Even if it is a short, concise, simple
statement, if it is owned by the members of the organization, the mission
should be the central focus of everything you do. Everything the Ritz-Carlton
does to train and promote quality service is a direct reflection of their
stated mission. The parallel is obvious.
Let’s
say that the
Eight: Create a Service Motto.
One of my favorite mottos is from the
same Ritz-Carlton. “We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and
Gentlemen.” They follow the motto with this statement, “As service
professionals, we treat our guests and each other with respect and
dignity.”
In the
workshops and administrative academies I offer I frequently refer to the Ritz
and its service program. Often I‘m asked why I compare a school district
to the classiest and one of the most expensive hotel chains in the world. My
response is simple: I want my school district to be considered the best of the
best. Maybe not in terms of dollars spent per student or by the number of
swimming pools or handball courts or the quantity of Advanced Placement courses
offered, but certainly in the way we prepare students, provide an outstanding
learning opportunity, are an integral part of the community, and how we respect
our staff of educators. We can be the Ritz-Carlton (RC) of schools by the way
we treat each other and, as their motto says, by the way we treat our guests
(students, taxpayers, families) with respect and dignity. That is the essence
of service.
In the
programs I mentioned I also take the liberty of slightly modifying the RC motto
and the 20 “basics” into language appropriate for schools. For
example, I change the RC motto to read, “We are Ladies and Gentlemen
serving Ladies and Gentlemen of all ages.” That covers preschoolers to
senior citizens.
There are
several other components of the RC motto that I really like. First of all, they
put the employees first by setting expectations as high for them as for the
guests. “We are Ladies and Gentlemen...” Then they emphasize the
focus with the word “serving.” Finally, they classify their guests
as “ladies and gentlemen.” What a statement! It sets the standard
for everyone in the system, and focuses on the number one activity, providing
service. The follow-up statement is also well crafted: “As service
professionals...”—not as blue collar workers, cooks, housekeepers,
lawn mowers, or bellmen, but as “service professionals.” In other
words, in whatever we do we are indeed professionals, the best, the top of the
ladder. And then it says, “...we treat our guests AND EACH OTHER with
respect and dignity.” There is no selective service at the RC! Everyone
gets treated the right way and the same way. Everybody.
When I
converted the RC Motto to a template for schools, I made only a few adjustments
to the second sentence. “As educational professionals, we must treat all
our students, guests, citizens, and each other with respect and dignity.”
A little tweaking to make it more comprehensive and inclusive for school folks.
Each
district needs a motto to hang its service hat on. Not a cute little saying to
memorize, but a motto to live by. At the RC every employee carries a card at
all times that lists all the fundamentals, starting with the Credo and Motto.
They talk about it. They live it. They expect others to honor it. If you want
to raise the level of service and respect at your school, you have to take the
service component seriously. It has to be there 24/7. It can’t be a fad,
a short-time professional development gimmick, or just another “new
thing” to do. It has to be a way of life. Mottos may seem lame and
useless, but if one is a benchmark for real action and behavior it can make a
huge difference in developing morale, setting expectations, and building a
strong foundation.
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