Timeout for Leadership-your one-minute leadership idea

The Principal Coaching Clinic #25

Your new teachers and new staff have started their jobs.  Now what?

Your school year has started and your students have been in school now for at least several weeks.  You had a pretty good start.  Of course, there were some busing issues and new students arrived that you were not prepared for.  You and your team handled it.  Your new staff is here and they have started.   You can now relax with your new staff.  WRONG!  Take my word for this. It took me many years to figure out the importance of on-boarding your new people.  Your job with these important team members is really just beginning.

Ensure that all new people have been through orientation.  Probably over the course of several days, during the summer, your staff was bombarded with information from the Business Office, Technology Center, Health Benefits Office and their direct supervisor.  Did any late hires miss this?  And I can almost guarantee that each person when asked, told you that “they got it.”  They smiled and shook their heads in affirmation.  But if you think that this is true you are kidding yourself. 

Now is the time that you must shift gears and really bring them on board.  Make them truly part of your team.  Help make them a high functioning member of your team.  This process must be ongoing and may truly take several years to do it right.  What is your on-boarding plan?  Do you even have one?   If you do not, it is not too late to get going.  Listed below are several items that I would like you to consider.  Namely:

  • Does each person have a true mentor?  This must be someone that can really help them.  Help them solve the little problems that will arise on a daily basis.  This person must be someone that they can laugh with and unfortunately cry with.  These mentors must be trained by you and must be able to deliver the “team’s” message.  Never assign a toxic person to mentor someone else.  You are likely to create another toxic person.
  • Sit with your new person and truly listen to them.  This cannot be a lecture by you.  Now is not the time for war stories of your glory.  Now is the time to find out what might be bothering them.  Now is the time to sit with him or her to review each form and important piece of paper and actually help him or her figure it out.  Help each person manage the paperwork.  In all likelihood the paperwork has been managing them.  You have to slow down the process.  When a college athlete moves to the professional ranks one of the biggest obstacles for them is the speed of the game.  Things happen much quicker at this level.  Your new teacher will need time so that everything has a chance to slow down for them.  They will eventually get it but it takes some time.  Support them in this process.  Be patient.
  • Please make sure that each person has the tools needed to do his or her job.  I personally know of a situation currently where a teacher still does not have a computer or a printer needed to do his or her job.  Likewise, his or her e mail may not be working and passwords are a mess.  Yet you as the principal expects this person to function on a high level.  You are kidding yourself and I bet this staff member is seriously looking for a new job.  Shame on you.  Solve this at once.
  • Take some time to review the person’s job description.  Are you sure that he or she knows what is expected?  It is essential that you are clear and tell people what you want.  It is hard enough starting a new job.  You cannot ask them to be a mind reader in addition to all other tasks.
  • Now is a good time to monitor the new person’s social interactions.  Although everyone must find out for themselves, you know the toxic places and of course the toxic people.  You must be able to effectively steer your new hires away from these people and these places.  You know the complaining and whining posts in your building.  If you see that person heading toward these people and places, you must really coach them up because if not you will lose them.
  • It is now time to talk about the culture of your school and how this new person fits in. Take time to clarify values and talk about them.  What’s important to you?  What is important to your school?

I could go on and on talking about the on-boarding process.  Don’t blow it.  How a person enters into your school’s or organization’s culture will go a long way in determining the success of this new hire.  You must figure out a way to do this right.  Juggle your priorities.  This is important and must move up on your list.  It ultimately is up to you.  Be like Nike and JUST DO IT!