I recently began the process of getting my MBA. As an educator it was extremely enlightening to discover in a class what non-educators have to contribute to helping improved education. I feel the private sector has much that we can learn from. I also feel that the private sector has much to learn from education but that is not my focus right now. Having participated in some excellent leadership training last year, my objective is not to "teach a lesson" but to "learn to listen" at the beginning of an experience or process.
My first course dove deep into management. Management is one's ability to exercise leadership, control, organization, planning, and monitoring on a group or team. In order to effectively manage, one must have or be in the process of developing all of these aspects. While some management skills are intrinsic, there is room and ability for improvement in these areas through reading, collaboration, and training. Many of these aspects can be learned and improved upon. Each of these aspects is a key piece in an overall management plan.
I wonder how in education, managers are developing and balancing these skills. It seems as though many education managers (especially new ones) focus highly on control, monitoring, and organization and fail to develop ability to lead and plan effectively. Control does not only include control of people but control of material, resources, scheduling, logistics, and supply chains. The art of control is knowing what you need to control and which aspects of your organization do not require control. I call it the Jordan Factor for all of you 90s NBA fans.
In order to develop leadership with your group or team you must relate experiences in which you have been successful for your people to learn from. Another way to lead is to travel with your people in their journey. Leadership is not having all of the answers rather removing road blocks through experience or getting in the mud and helping move the downed tree. Sometimes leadership is staying out of the way and allowing YOUR "Jordans" to do what they do without interruption.
Teachers, Principals, Superintendents; How are we developing these skills? Are we collaborating, reading or seeking training to improve? We are all managers and have much to learn from the business world on this topic.
My next course is statistics and I look forward to how it will relate to my job!
Another important aspact of management is knowing the difference between a team and a group. Too many managers fall under the assumption they are managing a team when it is only a group. That will be the topic of my next entry....
Also...a website coming soon from me!
