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CASE STUDY QN 1:  What are Ms Yen’s mental models on assessment and academic grades? Suggest ways to help Ms Yen’s re-frame her mental models on assessment.

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CASE STUDY QN 1:  What are Ms Yen’s mental models on assessment and academic grades? Suggest ways to help Ms Yen’s re-frame her mental models on assessment.

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How do I re-examine my own leadership beliefs and improve my own leadership practices so that I can be a better leader?

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When we make leadership mistakes along the way, how do we recover others’ confidence in us?

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How do I manage [these] polarities?

How to deal with creative tension?

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CASE STUDY QN 2:  If you were Ms Yen, what would you keep doing, start doing and stop doing in an attempt to better balance effective change management and positive culture building? What are some key principles that could guide one to balance between effective change management and positive culture building.

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CASE STUDY QN 2:  If you were Ms Yen, what would you keep doing, start doing and stop doing in an attempt to better balance effective change management and positive culture building? What are some key principles that could guide one to balance between effective change management and positive culture building.

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CASE STUDY *BONUS* QN:  If you were the P, what other approaches would you consider using to effectively guide Ms Yen? Why?

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CASE STUDY *BONUS* QN:  If you were the P, what other approaches would you consider using to effectively guide Ms Yen? Why?

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Drop your lingering thoughts and/or burning questions here. Let's reflect on them, and revisit in our next session.

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Focus on using analytical skills to value-add to the school

Tap on strong curriculum knowledge to value add to school

Share her experiences with others, to generate discussions

Work alongside and role model to her staff

Show appreciation to staff

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Reframing mental models: (a) Her approach in engaging staff (e.g. observe the ground, communicate with people and work with them)

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Stop bulldozing her ideas

Stop making assumptions about situations and coworkers

Stop making decisions for others

Stop springing surprises at people

Stop being too focused on results

Stop shouting at people

Stop being insecure / fear of failure

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Mental Modes: (a) Given her experience and background and similar profiles of the schools, she would want to replicate the success to this new school. (b) She is eager to push her way through and implement changes within 3 months. (c) She would work with staff who are like-mindedness.

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Seek first to understand, be a listener

Start understanding the school context and history

Know her people

Build relationships

Involve staff in the planning

Consult staff on what success looks like for the school

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Having crucial conversation with the KPs on a one-to-one basis to better understand the concern of the department and also to provide a platform for them to hear the VP's heartbeat. Maybe sharing common goals.

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Could engage Ms Yen in a dialogue on what she perceive would be most important in her role as VP - could be a driver of change or supporter or cheer-leader?

Will ask Ms Yen how her SLs used to engage/excite/motivate her when she was a HOD.

"What if an older family member starts rearranging the furniture in your house because the layout is not the most 'practical'/'efficient'?"

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Too much emphasis on creating an impact (fast)

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Too much emphasis on creating an impact (fast)

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As leaders, there seems to be an eagerness is "making an impact", "making a difference". And often, it is about trying to be fast and be seen in making changes to create that impact.

I have had SLs who had doubts on their lack of impact on others in school as there was not much that they perceive to be able to contribute.

Perhaps they need not be too quick to contribute but to be there to lend their presence/support when the MMs and staff seek their help/advice. That would be more meaningful an impact than simply to suggest changes for changing's sake.

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Suggestion: Work with affected person(s) to resolve

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Suggestion: Work with affected person(s) to resolve

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Apologise and explain rationale behind initial decision that led to the leadership mistake.

Consider the possible ways to rectify.

Ask affected person(s) on what they consider could be possible ways to rectify (and hope that some of these methods are similar to earlier considerations)

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Understand what's at stake and be the political leader

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Understand what's at stake and be the political leader

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Speak to each side individually and ask them to consider the viewpoints of the other party.

Determine an acceptable bottom-line or least objectionable outcome/method. Might have to tap on other available resources if there is a gap to bridge.

Arrange for both sides to meet and facilitate towards an outcome acceptable to both sides.

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Authentic Leaders must embrace their weakness(es) as an unfortunate, but unavoidable pitfall of being human. In other words, recognising you are not perfect. That's okay. At the end of the day, everyone- whether you realise it or not- already knows about your weakness. And, if they don't know, they will.

Authentic Leadership, How to lead with nothing to hid, nothing to prove & nothing to lose- Dan Owolabi

So it is about embracing our mistakes, own them, at least this is something we can control. People in our teams will be able to see our vulnerability, our authentic leadership and desire to grow into better leaders.

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Provide Clarity on Expectations and Milestones

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Provide Clarity on Expectations and Milestones

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Ms Yen could be behaving this way because in her mind, she has the assumption that she has to resolve many things in a short period of time. After listening to Ms Yen's ideas, the P could help clarify what the big rocks are, and that the end goals can be paced out over several milestones, based on the P's understanding of the ground and the readiness of the KPs and staff. That would help to rein in Ms Yen's enthusiasm and help her work out a more coherent work plan and comms plan.

It will also help if P is clear with Ms Yen about what she cannot do, or what negative situation she should not cause in the school, and explain why. This mentoring will help Ms Yen to grow in her perspectives and again, give her clarity on what success should look like, and what price the school is willing or not willing to pay.

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My P recently introduced this to us, which I find useful as a structured way to reflect on polarities, gain clarity, and plan actionable steps to achieve breakthroughs or mend working relationships. Hope this will be useful for you too!

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I found the discussion on Case Study 1 to be an enriching one. Whilst at first glance Ms Yen may seem like the antagonist in the story, there are leadership issues which require greater exploration. As observers, we are able to quickly point out her flaws and how these affect the people she works with. There is a lot for Ms Yen to remedy. However, one aspect of leadership is emotionality- one which I feel is often overlooked. What emotions did Ms Yen bring to her work? How do these emotions affect her leadership style? What emotions did her actions evoke in her people? Why was she doing what she was doing? If only she had explained and explored the “why” together with her people, perhaps the outcomes may have been different.

We know through the case study that Ms Yen was attempting to effect change, albeit in a style that she felt was the best and which she believed would possibly impact the school the fastest. In doing so, she lost the trust and support of her people. For me, this discussion is also a timely reminder of the role we play as middle managers, I would like to use the analogy of a bridge to describe middle managers. When change happens and is expected, we facilitate the change by working with school leaders to surface roadblocks or blind spots and at the same time, help support our people in managing change. We become the bridge to help our people cross over. We also hold the important job of sharing with our leaders- situations on the ground. We should not shy away from highlighting to school leaders if their plans (or actions) contradict the intent for the change/policy. As tricky as it may seem to challenge leadership, we need to always put the people first (students and staff) and this guides decision-making.

Overall, I would like to call this learning the “heart” and “art” of leadership. I am thankful for this learning and the opportunity to listen to the perspectives of the people in Syndicate 6!