Do you have visibility in your organization?

As a leader, do you struggle to be visible? Is it difficult to be everywhere at the same time? Frustrated that the cloning software hasn’t gotten up and running yet? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, we are in the same boat!

I am fortunate to be teaching a graduate class at Rowan University this semester titled Organization and Educational Leadership. One of our recent assignments was for students to interview an administrator about building administration. The students wrote such compelling stories from their interviews and they inspired me to reflect on my own practice. I am very grateful for your inspiration!

Courage begins by showing up and letting us see. Brene Brown

In my first position as director, I was rarely worried about my visibility. I was the only administrator in a building with 320 children and about 40 full-time employees during the day. There were 3 floors and about 22 classrooms. The main office and mine were connected by a sliding door. Getting around the building was relatively easy and I was able to check in with the staff on a daily basis. This was my life for 5 years. Trust me, there were tough times and I’m sure amnesia has entered the picture regarding my perception of visibility, but for the most part this was my world.

Fast forward to now as I approach my second anniversary at Lakeside Middle School. I struggle with visibility. I am the building principal with 3 assistant principals, 120 day employees, and 1,100 students with more than 75 classrooms, two floors, and 10 hallways. One hallway is literally 1/4 mile. It is an exciting building to work in and there is never a dull moment.

What does the data say?

We use the McREL tour system and I was able to go back to see how many tours I have completed in the last two years. I have done 205 tutorials in the classroom.

In that same time, I have formally observed about 75 staff members for an average of forty minutes (some pre-conference and all post-conference). I have attended about 25 PLC sessions. We have had monthly staff meetings, subcommittee meetings, department meetings, and approximately 10 days of professional development. In addition, I have completed about 160 cafeteria assignments (very few this year) and have been on the lookout for countless class changes. I spend almost every morning and afternoon in front of the school directing traffic and directing students.

According to my SAM data, since October 2016 I have worked about 2,300 hours. In 2016-17, I spent 53% on “instructional” time compared to this year where I have only spent 40%. In both years I have spent about 30% of the time in “management” and about 3% in personal time (I rarely take lunch). Every year I average about 17% in “unscheduled” time, which is basically having a hard time remembering what I actually did.

Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change. Brene Brown

So what is the problem?

Looking at the data above, it appears that I am very active in the school building, but I must admit that some of the staff have told me the following:

• “Do you still work here?”
• “I haven’t seen you in ___ days”
• “Well at least you’re not as bad as one of our previous directors, I didn’t see that person for 39 days in a row in a year.”
• “Thanks for stopping by”

Honestly, the people who have said these things are not saying them in a mean or aggressive way, but as someone who is constantly reflecting, it bothers me … a lot!

And now that?

Since this has been bothering me for quite some time, I have already started to address the issue. Honestly, nobody cares about the data I shared previously. No matter how big or small the building is, or how many tours or observations have been made, if I don’t feel visible, the staff will surely feel the same way.

Here is my game plan:

• Being vulnerable and writing this post!
• Make the most of the SAM program. Stick to the schedule even if it says “supervise class changes” or “visit staff and students”
• Save the email for later. Yes, I get 80-90 emails a day, but again, who cares? Schedule uninterrupted time to complete email tasks when the building is less busy.
• Reduce meeting time by 20%. I have many meetings in my office that can last from 45 minutes to an hour. I need to streamline these meetings to allow more time away from my office.
• Try one “no-office” day each month. This is something you could easily do with technology and wifi. My office can be literally anywhere for a day. There are 5 months left in the school year, so you should easily be able to have 5 “no-office days.”
• Continue with the comment cards. I started this on January 15th and have been able to distribute about 30 cards. It has forced me to respond to the staff about what I saw, what I was wondering about, and to acknowledge the great work that is being done in their classrooms!
• Connect with staff and students beyond the tours and observations. Ask questions, listen, be there!
• Wherever staff are (at check-in, check-out, common areas, etc.)

Maintaining vulnerability is a risk we must take if we want to experience connection. Brene Brown

I am excited to address these issues and most importantly share them with you. What advice do you have? What are some of the struggles that you would like to share? Be sure to comment so we can improve together.