Some leaders are people first while others tend to be more policy driven. The very best can walk in both worlds quite easily but if a leader needs to choose, I would always suggest working on relationships. Many organizations and especially small school divisions were run like small “mom & pop” corner stores. There wasn’t much written down in terms of regulations and everybody just knew how things worked. Unfortunately our world has shifted so that those types of “laissez faire” operations have become almost non-existent. Employment rifts, poor relationships between management and employees and a litigation happy society has created this outcome. And sometimes, rules are required to be made because of “stupid” decisions of staff.
I’m not against policies and regulations and during my time as a Superintendent of Schools, I needed to establish some strict directives and make some tough decisions. I agonized over decisions about cancelling some trips that I knew were of great benefit for students but also knew that their safety was in potential jeopardy. I never wanted to be known as the superintendent who bankrupted the division because of a poor decision around policy. There is always a fine balance between people first and policy first and honestly, sometimes I got it right and sometimes I didn’t. But one thing I learned through my many years in leadership, it is pretty easy to judge that line when you’re in the cheap seats and have no skin in the game.
There are rules that are clearly defined, very specific and there is no other way than “this or that.” Anything involving money is pretty specific and as example after example shows, even nice people commit fraud if you don’t have tight controls. However, not all policy is or should be “black or white.” One of the things I always looked for in any policy or regulation was the gray area. Laws should never be broken but policies should be adaptive enough to have some breathing room. Your best leaders, those who lead with compassion and not simply “by the book” will always look at the intent of the policy and how its application will create a win-win scenario for both management and employee. Policies should never be to advantage one side or the other but rather be a guide for appropriate and acceptable decisions, and actions. Too often they are used as a hammer to curb usually a small percentage of rogue employees. While that saddens me to write that sentence, I know it is true because every organization has rogue employees or leaders who lack compassion and proper relationship building skills.
In the next couple of weeks, schools are going to be open for business and there is going to be a strong requirement for compliance reporting. We are still in the midst of a pandemic and if you think the paperwork was excessive for occupational health and safety standards this will be worse. School personnel will be required to keep accurate records to ensure the safety of students and staff. It is going to be another task placed on an already full plate! Make no mistake, this requirement is critical going forward and cannot be seen as just another hoop to jump through. Frustrating as it is, school divisions, governments and more importantly departments of health need this very accurate information to limit widespread infections.
Here is my point- divisional staff and government officials need to be patient with school personnel. There are a lot of moving parts in a school and…
Policies and regulations need to be relaxed or at the very least the “gray” found so that the most important aspects of schooling can be accomplished. Every report is not critical, every task is not essential but the health and well being of staff and students is!!! You want massive sick leave…keep piling on the non-essential reports or other tasks that in the grand scheme of things make your life as a manager easier but theirs as employees, not so much! That is why, especially in this time of pandemic, don’t forget about your own people and therefore lead with people in mind first!
