There are some amazing principals leading schools and I have the pleasure of working with a few of them. They are a wealth of knowledge and in this case Clive Emby, Principal of Leeming Primary School, recommended that I read “Schools That Deliver” by John Edwards and Bill Martin. I was hooked from the beginning. Not that it is a thriller or drama adventure, but more so the concept of building a Culture of Trust.
TRUST
It is such a basic virtue, yet it seems so foreign when it comes to the interaction between:
School Purpose – trust the purpose.
School People – trust the people.
School Process – trust the process.
Without trust, the human is at odds to contribute and challenge the status quo. Stagnation overrides growth.
Do I trust the moral purpose, values or beliefs of the school? Do they exist? If not, then what are we all striving for?
Do I trust the people? Are they reliable? Do they acknowledge me? Do they hear me?
Do I trust the process? Is this new program really going to work? Is there enough support for us to achieve the desired outcome?
In the Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Leaders, the first initiative is: Culture and leadership – Commitment Through Action. If the outcome is for staff to be in control of their wellbeing, then the simple action of instilling a Culture of Trust would be the first step.
Here are two ways you can do this:
Clarity – Have a clearly articulated moral purpose created through collaboration that remains the centre of things you do. At Jilbup Primary School, Principal, Louise O’Donovan’s staff created: “We want our children to love coming to school, our teachers to love their students and our community to love our school.” Boom. There it is. Trust the purpose you come to school each day. Because everyone else is onboard.
Consistency – Decide and stand by the consequences, good or bad. Don’t go putting in allowances as this leads to confusion and mistrust. If you need to change, then collaborate.
Are you instilling a Culture of Trust at your school?
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