I get it.
I get that the wellbeing of our staffs at the moment is both a priority and a concern. I also get the natural inclination for the leaders of these staffs to temper expectations where possible and respect the current capacity limits.
But a word of respectful warning, if I may. Don’t grind to a halt. Be aware of dropping expectations so much that people are robbed of the motivating thrill of making some progress. They need to feel progress and improvement, now more than ever.
Be careful about avoiding good work and helpful changes because “Oh, I just don’t want to give my people one more new thing to do at the moment.” Provided the new thing actually saves them some time, makes them feel more effective &/or connects them to purpose, it’s most likely precisely what you should be doing right now – and not putting it off until later.
The way out of challenging times isn’t to stay in them. In the same way that we wouldn’t wait until somebody starving no longer feels hungry before providing them with a feed, we shouldn’t be depriving our staffs of better ways to work at the very time they need that nourishment so badly.
And boy, we need some nourishment right now. In fact, I’d contend that, if things are hard in your school right now, that your School Leaders should be thinking more about what they can feed their staffs more than about what they’ll take away from them.
Surely, it’s a worthy Leadership Team discussion for the now … “What would nourish our staff in these challenging days?”
Keep fighting that good fight,
PS. I’m so pumped to be on the verge of kicking off my big Aussie workshop roadshow. There are opportunities for both Teachers and for School Leaders. Have a look at when I’ll be in your neck of the woods. I’d love to meet you and your crew.
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