Due Date: 14th March
Kotahi te aho ka whati; ki te kapuia e kore e whati.
One strand of flax is easy to break; many strands together stand strong.
How is a team greater than the sum of each individual part? This is the magic ingredient that defines good teams from the great ones. It is this key ingredient which is the prerequisite to building and leading a high performing team.
Although high-performing teams have many things in common, there is one clear question that can determine whether you are building and leading a high-performing or low-performing team:
At work, do your people have the opportunity to use their strengths every day?
If people feel that they are using their strengths more often – contributing their unique talent out into the world – they will be more respected, more productive, more willing to sacrifice, more likely to stay at your school, less likely to have accidents at work, and have many, many more positive outcomes.
If you are a leader, the difference between a low-performing team and a high-performing team comes from you (the leader) having the emotional intelligence: knowing oneself and knowing the strengths of your colleagues and asking them to contribute those strengths every day. This is the single most important driver of team performance.
Provocation:
i. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
iii. Share in 150 words or less, how you are currently using these strengths (or could use these strengths for greater effect) to impact the performance of the team.
Resources:
1. Patrick M. Lenciono, (2002), The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. https://www.executiveagenda.com/application/files/3215/6401/6016/fivedysfunctions.pd
2. Harvard Business Review: Leading Teams | The Secrets of Great Teamwork
3. Marcus Buckingham: What the Best Leaders do. https://youtu.be/LBC7GeOPZgY
26 Responses
i. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
Unflappable – I remain calm in challenging situations. I have proven to myself this year that I am highly resilient and can not only remain composed but also hopeful when things are not always going my way.
Thinker – Although, I have been criticised on my decision making (this is an area for improvement), I like to perceive these from many angles, reflecting on prior knowledge, research and stakeholders voices. Therefore, my processes for decision making does usually take longer, however, it pdemonstrates high level value in others voice, choice and agency.
Hardworking – Once again, this is opposed to the feedback I get to focus on my wellbeing, but I do work hard. I value this in other people who demonstrate that they will keep pursuing projects to a high standard of completion.
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
Organisation – I have team members that are highly organised, pragmatic and get things done.
High-expectations – My team members hold others to account when they see less than desirable behaviour.
Pro-social ability – I have many team members who are team players and know how to bring the best out of others.
Creativity – There are members of the team that are far more creative than I am. It is a pleasure to see the extent of their creativity.
Loyalty – follow through – These people build high levels of trust which means that more confidential information can be shared. Vulnerability is feels safer.
Calm demeanor – I have team members that present a calm demeanor helping others to feel safe and secure sharing with them.
Strategic thinking – I have team members that are brilliant at strategising and seeing the bigger picture.
iii. Share in 150 words or less, how you are currently using these strengths (or could use these strengths for greater effect) to impact the performance of the team.
As one example, I have senior leadership team meetings and we include our Executive Officer in the front end of the meeting to allow her to add in to an administrative/compliance portion and then she can go. WIth a new Executive Officer with superb pro-social skills, she has already recognised that our Admin Officer may be getting frustrated to not be a part of these meetings to impart her experience and knowledge on upcoming events. I know that the admin officer has high expectations of herself and others and is a valuable asset when needing a clear decision made. It is fantastic that the EO noticed this. We can definitly include the AO into these meetings and it would infuse a new perspective into it.
i. I would say my top 3 leadership strengths are:
Collaboration: I enjoy working with others to solve problems and come up with creative solutions. Seeking input from my team helps to foster a supportive and collaborative team environment.
Strategic Thinking: Working on ‘Big Picture’ projects and putting plans in place to achieve them is a part of my job that I really love.
Systems-focused: My role requires a lot of organisation – managing people, timetables, events etc, so clearing the path for our team by creating clear systems for people to use is something I enjoy doing.
ii. As I work with a number of teams across the school these are a few top strengths that come to mind:
Clear Vision: I am always really impressed with my Senior Leadership Team’s ability to be on the same page in terms of creating and heading towards a common vision for the school. We are able to have robust conversations about the ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘how’, and we come away unified with a clear plan.
Passion: The teachers I work with are passionate about their jobs, making a difference in the lives of their students. This is evident in the way they approach their jobs – being solutions-focused, dependable, meeting deadlines, having high expectations, getting involved in the wider aspects of school life etc
Collaboration: Our teachers/leaders work well together, valuing each other’s input and building on each other’s strengths to achieve our common goals.
iii. Using Strengths for Greater Effect:
I would say that the structures we have in place (leadership meetings, team meetings etc) provide a good platform for input, discussion and collaboration from all team members. We encourage all team members to have input in these meetings to ensure we have as much buy-in as possible.
While watching the video ‘What the best leaders do – Mark Buckley’ about ‘range of performance’ between different teams in the same organisation, it made me reflect on two teams at my school that have been performing at different levels. It’s made me think about what I can be doing as the leader to draw out the best in the people in those teams by getting to know what their individual strengths are so that they can use them everyday.
Using my passion for teaching and empathy, I inspire a shared sense of purpose among team members, fostering collaboration and support. My strong relationship-building skills facilitate open communication and trust, enhancing cooperation and problem-solving efforts. With an resourceful leadership style and pride in the school’s appearance, I instill discipline and professionalism, promoting accountability and attention to detail. Adhering to Māori cultural principles, I foster inclusivity and respect, strengthening relationships and promoting diversity. My strategic planning and adaptability enable the team to navigate challenges effectively, taking opportunities for growth and maintaining a positive outlook within change. Influencing these strengths, I create an environment where team members feel valued, motivated, and empowered to achieve collective success.
Late but not forgotten, here are my three top strengths:
1. Positive/Enthusiastic – I love my job, and believe in my potential impact on students. As a result I am enthusiastic in my work and with the people I work with.
2. Relational – The success of my job relies on my ability to forge positive, student focussed relationships. This can be with parents, staff, and outside providers.
3. Strategic/Creative – I enjoy working to solve problems in my context, and steering my school towards higher outcomes.
My teams strengths:
1. Hardworking/Diligent – When fully understanding the task and believing in it, my team will work tirelessly to achieve an outcome.
2. Intelligent – I work with incredibly intelligent people, who often provide incite into the way forward in ways that I otherwise wouldn’t notice.
3. Growing – My team is always growing and increasing in capability. Either in personal growth or in new additions to the team.
I use my team to provide feedback on initiatives that are currently in development, often promo-ing ideas with one or two members, refining and then releasing to the staff. I generate strong relationships in the team which ultimately lead to higher trust and more open conversations. Although this is an area I would like to continue to develop in as these relationships evolve over time as people grow in their leadership.
i. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
I am committed to getting a positive outcome. I know the values I hold, the school’s values and that of our community. I am framing all I do around the goal of honouring the values and the goals we are working towards. I find creative and sometimes outside-the-box ways to resolve a problem or to come up with a way to address an issue.
Because I am solutions-focused, I am a willing listener. I am willing to listen and allow others to speak. I often find when they voice the issue, they tend to find a solution as I ask questions.
I am a systems thinker. This allows me to problem-solve or come up with workable solutions.
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
Passionate – my team are people who are passionate about what they do and what they believe in.
Experts – my team members are all experienced subject teachers and leaders in and outside of the school environment.
Confident – my team are confident in themselves and in their skills as educators and leaders.
iii. Share in 150 words or less, how you are currently using these strengths (or could use these strengths for greater effect) to impact the performance of the team.
Committing to going the extra mile is how I see myself using my strengths. I believe I could go “the extra mile” more, not in a superficial way, but by going deeper by becoming more of an expert by developing my skills as a leader and by doing so improving my confidence.
Congratulations to delegates on your self reflection on your own strengths and then the strengths of the teams you work with. I especially enjoyed your reflection on how you will use these strengths to impact the performance of the team.
As the readings have outlined, knowing your own strengths is an important part of being a leader in order to effectively lead and support your team. Equally reflecting on and knowing the strengths of your team is an essential part of growing the success of this team and maximise effectiveness.
I look forward to discussing how your leadership is progressing within your team when I visit you in your kura in term 2.
Ngā mihi nui Robert
i. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
Active listener: I try to listen attentively to a speaker, understand what they’re saying, respond and reflect on what’s being said, and retain the information for later.
Effective Communicator: This is an ongoing process whereby I am learning the skills to exchange information with clarity, empathy, and understanding.
Empathetic: I constantly strive to be aware of and to understand the experiences and feelings of others outside of my own perspective.
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
In our team, people demonstrate different skills which strengthen the organisation. Some of the top strengths are:
Emotional Intelligence
Leadership and delegation skills
Problem solving skills
iii. Share in 150 words or less, how you are currently using these strengths (or could use these strengths for greater effect) to impact the performance of the team.
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata
Investment in people should be priority as it builds trust, unity and loyalty which are crucial to wellbeing in any relationship.
I believe active listening is not only a strength but a prerequisite. If demonstrated appropriately, it can be a doorway to effective communication. Extracting the ideas of all team members can only benefit the organisation.
Providing an atmosphere to enable my team to feel safe to approach me to express anything that’s on their mind, removes some of the anxiety they might be experiencing. This action alone communicates to the team that their voices are heard and brings value. When one feels valued and appreciated, they’re more likely to contribute freely without fearing any form of reprisal. They’re more likely to take risks in offering feedback and assistance.
I encourage my team to understand that we need to work towards our school’s vision and strategic goals as a team and not individuals.
People in general perform better in any team situation where they can admit their weaknesses and mistakes. When they experience this type of support, everyone can share in the benefits of positive student outcomes.
Reflecting on my top three strengths as as leader I have realised that these are value that i also carry with me outside of my leadership role. They are who I am and are important to me.
Building relationships built on trust. I make it a priority to understand the strengths of people and facilitate their growth. Loyalty is key to me, and I always act with integrity, ensuring honesty and fairness in everything I do. By fostering trust, recognising individual strengths, and staying true to my values, I strive to create a supportive environment where everyone feels valued and motivated to succeed.
Problem Solving built on resilience. I bring a calm and approachable outlook to every situation, which helps me stay resilient when faced with challenges. Flexibility and confidence are my go-to traits, allowing me to adapt easily and tackle problems head-on. Throughout life I have a high level of belief in the capabilities of others. This has helped me look after my own well being and empowers those around me to collaborate and contribute their own ideas. I stay cool under pressure and trust the process and those around me. I am confident to ride the waves and reassess even after a wipeout!
Direction built on support and systems. Providing clear direction and purpose being organised and focused whilst always aiming for outcomes that benefit everyone are always on top for me and the teams I lead. I believe in our school’s values, and I lead by example, walking the walk and ensuring my actions align with our shared principles. I trust and support others to maintain our direction, empowering them to contribute effectively. By working collaboratively with my team to set goals that matter to them, it ensures that everyone is invested in achieving success together, fostering a strong sense of commitment and ownership.
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
As I lead several different teams I have chosen one team as the focus for this :
Resilient, Collaborative and Adaptable: When faced with challenges, they’re quick to adapt and find creative solutions. What’s more, their collaborative approach fosters a supportive environment where ideas flow freely, and we all work together towards success. Their commitment, flexibility, and collaboration are the backbone of our team.
ii. Share in 150 words or less, how you are currently using these strengths (or could use these strengths for greater effect) to impact the performance of the team.
By prioritising trust and open communication, we have an environment where everyone feels valued and motivated to work together effectively. When challenges arise, I show confidence and resilience, guiding the team through obstacles and encouraging adaptability and flexibility. The team’s strengths fosters a supportive culture of teamwork. We’ve put in a lot of effort to reach this level of teamwork. When I started leading this team last year, I quickly realised the team was dysfunctional, despite having individual strengths. They weren’t collaborating effectively or achieving the best results. So, we went back to square one and established a shared vision and team norms. This opened up discussions about communication and conflict resolution. This year, the team has made significant progress because they’re more focused and feel supported.
My top 3 strengths:
– Relational: I have always been good at speaking with people, getting to know them personally and professionally, and as being someone that staff are comfortable in coming to for support or conversation
– Committed to the profession & hard-working: I bring a strong work ethic to the job, both for myself and as a model for those around me. This is not something I need to force or fake, thankfully it is something I’ve always had and which has held me in good stead as both a teacher and senior leader
– Self-aware: To a fault at times, but I am conscious of how important it is to be self-aware, reflective, and honest with myself about both the positives and development points of my own practices and actions
Top strengths of my team members:
– Hard working: I have an incredibly hard working team of teachers who give much of themselves to their jobs
– Informed: My team engage with PLD and readings and are happy to disucss them in professional settings
– Passionate: I have a team of teachers who, with the exception of 1 or 2, plan to be teachers for their career. They are not at this stage aiming for future leadership and are passionate about becoming experienced, effective teachers with longevity in the classroom
Our teachers have reflected on and analysed how the events of recent years have impacted their learners, and from their feedback we have agreed to have a big push on core curriculum areas this year. To achieve this, we have made space in timetables, prioritised specific and personal PLD for every teacher, and stripped back unnecessary events to give our teachers time and space to teach literacy and numeracy in the most creative and powerful ways possible, with more time than they have had in the past. Our team want to bring their strengths to bear and often feel that with the business of school, they do not have enough time to do what they want to do, which is teach. We have endeavoured to make space for them to teach what they feel is most important, bringing their knowledge to the fore and acknowledging their views on their learners.
As a leader, I am authentic, emotionally intelligent, and thrive on collaboration/collegiality which is intrinsic to leading a team. I use these tools to create a supportive and inclusive environment within my faculty. I go out of my way to build relationships with my team members. This approach is enabled by being pragmatic and understanding the strengths and needs of my team. I know that ākonga can have great outcomes if I create such a supportive environment which inspires Kaiako to be the best that they can.
My team members are passionate about education – a number of them work at the national level, they genuinely care. I know they can be early adopters if supported and adapt to change if knowledge/data is provided. The combination of my team’s strengths and my genuine passion for education helps me lead by example. I don’t expect my team to do tasks that I haven’t done or will do myself or have experience and knowledge of. All of this works together to foster respect and trust – creating a positive atmosphere where innovation, growth, perspective sharing and collaboration can flourish.
1. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
– Collaborative in all areas of my learning and embrace the ideas and thoughts of my colleagues
– Oganised – able to meet deadlines while ensuring these deadlines have been done with some form of collaboration
– Strong Communicator: Students, staff, parents and wider community
2. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
– Very conscientious with a drive to do right by our students
– Wanting to learn and develop their current practice through reading and professional development
– Supportive of our vision, goals and future direction of the school
3. Share in 150 words or less, how you are currently using these strengths (or could use these strengths for greater effect) to impact the performance of the team.
Our school for the last 2 years (we’re in our 3rd year) has been working on the refresh curriculum as a school. Together we’ve been working on our school Vision, Maunga, Values and our Identity which has consisted of a new and more meaningful school logo. This logo had a significant amount of input by our Year 7and 8 leaders. We’ve also as a school created an updated Learner Profile for our children and this worked on during Term 1, and is the shared to their parents at goal setting meetings. These new initiatives have all taken considerable thought, wider reading, discussion and professional learning. We have been able to get on the ‘log flume’ with the guidance and learning from our lead facillitator (Neill O’Reilly) who continues to support and challenge us, inclduing alongside our ‘Within School Leaders’ and our Senior Leaders (from years 1-8) across the school. From there, the learning has flowed to the teachers, their classrooms and to our whanau. We are also working very closely with our local iwi which is a 2 year contract, Te Kawerau ā Maki. They continue to guide on this journey.
Kia ora Cara,
I enjoyed reading your reflection and would like you to post it under Piwakawaka for delegates who have Pauline as their kaiarahi please?
Ngā mihi nui
Robert Mangan
i. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
Relational: Through experience, I have found that I get the best output from any team that I have been a part of, when I develop strong trusting relationships and operate in a trust model. This has meant that colleagues understand that I genuinely care about them as a person and their ability to perform as a professional and that they can expect clear communication from me.
Calm & Resilient: Another strength that I have is the ability to stay calm and resilient no matter what challenges come up during my mahi. I believe that this is very important to leadership as the way a leader reacts can then have a domino effect on the others in a team. If they see the leader panicking or reacting badly, they may follow in suit. I pride myself in keeping a cool head and working resiliently to find a solution.
Loyal & Hardworking: I am very proud and loyal to work as part of the Papakura Normal School whānau. It is very seldom that I find any mahi I do tiresome or unnecessary. It is important to me that I believe in the principal’s vision for the school, which is strongly tied to the whakataukī: He Waka Eke Noa. Therefore, for our waka to head in the right direction, we need to all do our bit so thrive when I can put mahi into improving our school.
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
Shared Vision: As a team, we have all brought into the vision of our school which includes our vision statement of ‘Paddling together to build mana and success for all’ and the strategic vision that we have for our kura.
Passion: All of the members of our team have passion for what they do. This helps the mahi flow as we all see our job as a passion we have, not just a job to earn a salary.
High-Trust Relationships: We have developed high-trust relationships within our team. This means that we can value everybody’s input and are comfortable challenging each other in our thinking and having difficult conversations if need be.
iii. Share in 150 words or less, how you are currently using these strengths (or could use these strengths for greater effect) to impact the performance of the team.
Our shared vision allows us to focus our collaborative mahi on the strategic direction of our school’s waka. This minimises wasted time and effort and improves the efficiency of our mahi. Through careful and thorough strategic planning in alignment with our vision for our kura, we all have specific mahi to do to contribute to this. The fact that we are all passionate about what we do allows us to work well collectively as there is no room for feelings of some members working harder than others. This shared vision and passion contributes to our high-trust relationships. These relationships provide a solid foundation for us to make progress from. To get to where we want to be in the most effective way, we need to trust each other, challenge each other’s thinking, grow as a group, and develop the most effective systems, methods and solutions.
1. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
i. I am open minded to opinion and perspective of others.
ii. I believe I have an ability to build and sustain meaningful relationships in a genuine manner.
iii. I lead through action and good communication, feedback has indicated to me that this has been most appreciated by those I work with.
2. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
Those with my teams have a significant KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE as educators and leaders within a wide range of contexts. This assists in the
collective decision making that is sometimes required and provide a forum for an inherent trust which provides opportunity to “check your thinking” in a
safe and collegial setting.
3. Share in 150 words or less, how you are currently using these strengths (or could use these strengths for greater effect) to impact the performance of the team.
Currently our school is in the early stages of settling into a range of changes which has altered the structure of a number of teams, including our pastoral care framework (Heads of Year and Heads of House) and as a consequence has adjusted existing working relationships and in some cases the understanding of who has main oversight in certain areas. I recognise that in my role there is an increasing need to work harder to maintain existing relationships and maintain open-mindedness, whilst also drawing on my communication skills to encourage a change of thinking and adaptation of new approaches in others.
i. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
Relational: I am approachable, maintain a sense of humour and ensure that I understand the personalities and needs of all others within my kura. This includes staff, students, parents/whaanau, the BoT and wide community. I have strong interpersonal skills which are apparent in the trust and respect I receive from the students, staff and (majority) of all other stakeholders. Kindness is a characteristic which I deem incredibly crucial within my role, and I ensure that not only I demonstrate even within the most challenging situations but encourage and support with all interactions I have within my role as a leader within our school community.
Lateral Thinker: I am a lateral thinker which ensures I am always looking to seek solutions to any challenges or changes that we face as a staff and kura. Thinking outside of the box is important when seeking solutions that require the voices, concerns and needs of others on my team, and it ensures that all viewpoints are considered before decisions are made. Lateral thinking also translates to lateral accountability which ensures that connections and relationships within our community and local schools/networks are maintained and prioritised as important. Working in a “silo” is an ineffective approach to leadership so seeking the knowledge and expertise of others is important to me.
Flexible/Adaptive: I ensure I “sweep the sheds” so to speak and step in to any role needed to help support the effective running of the school, the effectiveness of our learning programmes and outcomes for students, and supporting all things that need to be done to maintain the school, our values, strategic vision and parent/community aspirations – even if this means doing tasks well outside the scope of my role!
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
Dedicated: I am lucky enough to work within a team of very experienced and dedicated teachers, learning support staff and whaanau. We all want the best outcomes for our students and school, and my team members do not shy away from mucking in to ensure that opportunities and environments are created to ensure this.
Adaptable: There have been many changes over the past four months for our kura and my team members have shown that no matter what they are there for our students and school and will adapt to whatever it is that is thrown at us
Collaborative: My team is incredibly collaborative and works together not only on shared goals but also personal goals; seeking support and advice from one another to get the best results within their practice, programmes and professional growth. There are no “cliques” or “sub teams”; everyone supports everyone and is understanding and compassionate of each other’s situations, challenges and celebrates all successes, not just their own.
iii. Share in 150 words or less, how you are currently using these strengths (or could use these strengths for greater effect) to impact the performance of the team.
This year I have utilised the use of collaborative goals as we develop a common understanding and implementing Te Mataaiaho; using our strengths as effective, dedicated and adaptable collaborators to ensure a consistent, cohesive and unified approach to learning and then introducing this new learning to our schoolwide learning programmes. It also ensures accountability as we share, reflect and evaluate how well we are doing and our possible next steps. We are also using a collaborative approach to designing, planning and leading school events with each staff member taking the lead for one event within the school year and leading meetings to collaborate with the others staff to ensure each of these events is successful and enhanced on from previous years. Whilst not perfect, these are steps in the right direction to creating a dynamic and effective team who have a shared identity and understanding (Haas and Mortensen, 2016).
i. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
My top 3 strengths as a leader are the following:
Good Communication Skills: I have strong communication skills, both written and verbal, which enable me to communicate effectively with people from all walks of life. I am an active listener and value honest and open dialogue with others. This strength has supported me to form strong relationships within our school community and beyond.
Creative Thinker and Problem Solver: As a teacher and team leader problems often arise without warning and need resolving swiftly. I am known for making quick decisions that have positive outcomes for all stakeholders but also appreciate that there are times when taking time out to make decisions is the best option.
Supportive Leader: I am a supportive leader who cares about the well-being of my team and wider school community. I enjoy mentoring and am available for support and guidance when required. I have a strong knowledge of the curriculum and willingly share ideas and resources to support others in their professional growth.
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.Developing respect and valuing one another: We are a diverse, newly formed team, who range from a teacher with over 35 years of experience to a beginner teacher who is about to qualify. This term our team meetings have been going from strength to strength as members recognise and respect that we all bring a wealth of knowledge to our team. Our conversations are becoming more open and we are feeling safe to share our thoughts and ideas freely.
Collaboration: Our team works well together and is confident to listen to each other and share ideas/resources when planning. We have robust conversations during our moderating assessment meetings and are supportive of one another when deadlines are looming.
Students at the heart of our team: It is clear that our team is passionate about education and we go the extra mile for our students. It was remarked recently that we have built good relationships with students across the school not just the ones in our classes. We work together to consider how we can engage all of our students and are currently completing an inquiry into ‘how boys learn’.
iii. Share in 150 words or less, how you are currently using these strengths (or could use these strengths for greater effect) to impact the performance of the team.My leadership strengths, together with the strengths of our team are already forming into a dynamic group that can have open and honest conversations. The atmosphere in a recent meeting was positive and vibrant. Everyone was sparking off each other and we were excited about our innovative planning. I will continue to work on developing an environment where our team feels safe to share ideas, to take risks and know they are supported and valued.
A goal for me this year is to: recognise and utilise the expertise of team members. Currently, one member has agreed to share their expertise in analysing assessment data, and another is sharing their knowledge of the ‘talk to write’ programme. Building trusted relationships within the team and being ‘curious about team members’ strengths’ is important for us to grow stronger and experience a sense of worth.
Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
I thrive amidst the uncertain, swiftly changing and somewhat tumultuous environment of special education. My ability to make quick, thoughtful decisions instils confidence in my team. Leading with integrity, I prioritize honesty, fairness, and ethical behavior, fostering trust and transparency. Drawing on my competence in special education, I inspire confidence through informed decision-making, modelling best practice and promoting collective success.
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
Within the SL Team team, flexibility reigns as a core strength, enabling us to adapt swiftly to changing circumstances and embrace new opportunities. Effective delegation by the principle, each member’s strengths are fostered. The principle also has a high trust model that makes me feel valued and trusted. These strengths combine to form a resilient and dynamic team.
iii. Share in 150 words or less, how you are currently using these strengths (or could use these strengths for greater effect) to impact the performance of the team.
I believe my ability to make confident decisions in the moment has been helpful, particularly with the new teachers and aides in special education this year. My team often comes to me for advice, and I do my best to provide calm guidance in challenging situations. Leading by example, I aim to earn respect by practicing what I preach. As I continue to learn about the strengths of each teacher, I hope to support them in driving their own success, fostering a culture of growth and collaboration.
Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/ leader.
Problem solving skills: One of the strengths I have as a leader is the ability to take issues that are brought in front of me and with a quick turn around come up with solutions either as short term fixes with the opportunity to create a long term solution or an immediate long term solution with reflective improvements added.
Approachable and humorous personality: Students, team members and other members of staff are happy to approach and converse with me about any topic, these interactions are particularly useful to have people open up and form a more trusting bond between them and myself.
Evolving mindset: I am very willing to realise there are alternative ways to completing a set task, my subject is riddled with this example where there are a lot of ways to program an outcome. This is particularly useful in conjunction with the ability to think critically of ideas after hearing them and be open to changing the way things are done.
Reflect on the top strengths of your team.
Knowledge of the school: My team has been at my school longer than myself by quite a margin and have come to learn systems and individuals that work within the school well, they are able to quickly answer questions about systems that I would need to spend time figuring out as they are rarely used by myself or give insight on who to talk to and more likely than not how to talk to them.
Adaptability: Bringing forward ideas often leads to change where justified. My team is quite willing to bring forward information and ideas to implement change and are very accepting of implementing this change themselves due to the data backing up these implementations.
Organised: the team is very organised and can get work done very quickly as needed, the meetings go by via minutes often with work completed outside of the meeting and run more of an agile sprint than a traditional meeting format.
Share in 150 words or less how you are currently using these strengths to impact the performance of the team.
I find the strengths listed above affect the team very positively and can change the dynamic of a task to be more efficient. The ability to problem solve added with my approachability and willingness to help out aid to quick turn arounds on problems and the knowledge of the team that if they have an issue they can come to me and I will prioritise it and find some way to solve the problem, this leads to a higher trust model with my team and this can be seen with more obscure or varied issues being trouble shot in collaboration with myself.
The evolving mindset and my team’s adaptability often leads to both frequent micro changes and well planned out major changes throughout the year. This can look like curriculum changes, specific criteria or tasks updated, or entire Achievement Standards revamped. This also comes into play with my data analytics role as a means of collecting data and software can undergo changes to best suit a situation.
i. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
Reflective – I believe it is really important as a leader to be reflective and accountable for the decisions we make and the actions we take. We need to be prepared to make changes, or re-think how or why we do things if necessary.
Innovative – I enjoy thinking of new ideas or ways to do things, to improve/make easier/streamline. For example, for our school kaupapa and values system, I created a curriculum statement which I presented to staff which will now be linked to our new Graduate Profile.
Flexible – in my role I have to be prepared to stop what I’m doing to go and support an ākonga or kaiako with a problem at unexpected times. I need to be able to stop to help, but then be able to motivate myself to re-start tasks again when I get the chance.
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
As a team, we work well together and are able to collaborate and to bounce ideas off each other constructively. Our Principal is aware that we are a relatively new team and is very good at ensuring he teaches us and explains the why to us in our leadership roles. He is also trusting and allows us to take responsibility without the need to constantly check in. We have respect for each other’s ideas and strengths and try to optimise these as we work together. I appreciate that two of our team are calm types which helps me to slow down and think and I like to think that sometimes I get them moving along!
iii. Share in 150 words or less, how you are currently using these strengths (or could use these strengths for greater effect) to impact the performance of the team.
I like to think about the details of problems and how we can solve them in different ways. This is the opposite to our Principal who is a ‘big picture’ person, but this works well as we are able to listen to and communicate our ideas to each other in a constructive way. Our team is able to use humour to keep the job fun, especially when times can be difficult. I can be a talker, but I appreciate that other members of the team are better listeners than I am, and I am learning from that. I am given the opportunity to ‘think aloud’, but there is also space for the quiet thinkers to have their time too. We have a reasonably diverse team with a range of experiences, interests and strengths which we can use to support each other. Best of all, we have a shared vision of what we want for our kura, our ākonga, our kaiako and our whānau / community. This means no matter what comes before us, we are able to think more strategically together and work together to make great decisions.
i. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader:
1) Relational – I am someone who takes the time to get to know my team members from a holistic perspective, builds and maintains strong relationships by showing support and really taking the time to listen, having my teams back and shows genuine compassion for those I work with and checks in with my team regularly. Ensuring that the needs of my team are being met is at the forefront of my role and I enjoy being able to do acts of service for them.
2) Strong Work Ethic / Goal Oriented and Driven – in all aspects of my life I have always displayed a strong work ethic and used goals to drive my success. As a team leader I ensure that I am punctual, take the initiative, show that I can be relied upon and be an effective leader by being adaptable and through the hard times, maintain a positive attitude so I can support my team. I am passionate about creating a work environment that reflects the time and effort put in, and will always strive to the best of my ability in each role.
3) Innovative and Solution Focused – as a teacher, Team Leader and ICT Lead, I enjoy being able to share my creative side; thinking outside of the box, introducing new ideas and adapting learning to meet the needs of my students, taking the time to problem solve and look at things from all angles. Being able to face challenges with a solutions focus approach allows me to see a different perspective of a problem and move past these challenges.
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members:
1) Collaborative and supportive – all team members are always willing to collaborate, support, listen and encourage each other. At team and planning meetings, everyone is keen to share ideas; adapting and changing what is put forward, to create a curriculum programme that suits our students. We also take the time to reflect on what is happening in our classrooms and across the team to use our personal strengths and experiences to work together effectively and to the betterment of the team.
2) Willing, hands up, eager and always stepping up – every team member, in some way or form, within the school has other roles of responsibility, are always the first to put their hands up to take on extra duties/ cover and will never ask for anything in return. If there is a last minute change to the day’s programme, relief issues or need cover to deal with behaviour, without hesitation as a team we will put our hand up to help and support each other to ease the load.
3) Kid Focused – at the heart of all my team is the desire to see the good in our students and take the time to build positive relationships so that they feel welcome and safe in our classroom. When sitting down as a team planning for the near future, we all aim for positive outcomes for each student and take the time to create learning programmes that benefit our wide range of students; meeting ethnicity, cultural, learning and behaviour needs.
iii. Share in 150 words or less, how you are currently using these strengths (or could use these strengths for greater effect) to impact the performance of the team:
With a team of 8 teachers this year, including 2 first year teachers, a new LTR and a teacher back into the classroom after 4 years away, we have quickly adapted and created a supportive and encouraging network system within our team. With the positive relationships I had built with all team members, through various situations, prior to starting the year, I was able to identify the strengths of our different team members and have been able to bring those strengths together through their willingness to work collaboratively and their eagerness to involve themselves across the school. As a Team Leader starting the year off being well organised and future focused, has allowed my team to have clear and precise timelines, expectations and guidance to give them the time and opportunity to adapt and change planning to ensure the needs of all our students are being met and allow more purpose driven support from myself where needed.
Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader
1. Being organised and having clarity in my communication – I am a do-er. I like things planned to its final detail as I believe that lets me see the challenges/obstacles we can be confronted with. I am a very efficient communicator – to ensure that is a shared understanding of goals and plans
2. Always having students at the heart of any decisions that I make -a good question to ask – How does this improve student engagement and outcome? And letting people understand that supporting learners is our core business.
3. Having a sense of humour / collegiality – being able to laugh at myself and to be able to have the courage to own mistakes and being ready to move on when others make mistakes. This I think has helped me form high trusting relationships which allows courageous conversations to take place
Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
Collaboration – being able to work together towards a shared goal. Our teachers work in a collaborative environment with all teaching, planning and assessments done in a shared context rather than each person swimming in their own lane.
Diversity – brings in new and fresh perceptions which makes it a rich teaching and learning environment
Willingness to adapt and change – with all the changes my team has remained positive and is still willing to try to new ideas in a constantly evolving environment.
Knowing the strengths of the team and using this strengths based approach has the greatest impact on the performance of the team. In a shared leadership model, it is important that we work with the strengths of the individuals in the team. In my current SL team, we have individuals who have curriculum strength, those with pastoral skills and the systems people. As such when the roles and responsibilities are shared, the members of the team have the option to select the area to lead that suits their strength. These leaders also support the middle leaders with portfolios in their areas of passion. For instance leaders with strength in data analysis and testing tools work alongside the Assistant Principals to support them. The teams within the ‘four schools within a school’ also enables us to be able to have impact through smaller teams of teachers, middle leaders and SLs. The collaborative teaching and learning context development is not just for the students but the way in which teachers plan their own professional growth focus. Leaders are able to bring people together to achieve a shared goal and this means having EI that is able to strike a balance between encouragement and support and having certain non-negotiables. It is essential that everyone in the waka is paddling in the same direction and with the same effort.
Provocation:
i. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader
1. Resilient & Determined – I don’t sweat the small things and I don’t dwell on past mistakes. I aim to learn from times things haven’t gone as planned, and use those experiences to get better, to do better. The last few years in particular have taught me that we must always be ready to pivot. I try to always stay focused on what we’re trying to achieve as teachers, which is success for our students.
2. Supportive & Loyal – I’m supportive of my team both as professionals and as people, and I’ve worked hard to build trust. I’m a fierce advocate for our learning area, both in bragging about our achievements (!) and ensuring fairness. The harmony and well-being of my team is a priority because happy, supported teachers are effective teachers.
3. Problem Solver – I don’t buy into the belief that ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ because, in education, it’s not about systems being broken, it’s more about them being tired and outdated; our students are changing, society is changing, so teachers and education need to change too. I’m not afraid to try and implement change where I think it’s needed.
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members
1. Collaboration – my team work effectively together to adapt and make changes to improve outcomes for students, lots of sharing of resources (both in production and distribution)
2. Collegiality – my team are supportive of each other, have positive connections, and show respect for each other’s ideas and processes
3. Diversity – there is a range of age, experience, culture, and pedagogy within the team, which means we can learn a lot from one another
iii. Share in 150 words or less, how you are currently using these strengths (or could use these strengths for greater effect) to impact the performance of the team.
• I think I’ve got better at creating and communicating a shared direction. When change needs to be made, my focus is on getting everyone to buy into that change, to understand the why so we can all work together on the what and the how. This was hard at first, because the team was quite fragmented when I started, but I think the positive and supportive environment we’ve built together has helped.
• I know I could do more with the diversity within the team. We have such a wealth of knowledge and experience, and I don’t think we always tap into it in the most effective way. Part of me is reluctant to ask or expect extra from my staff because I know how busy everyone is. Something I’ve implemented in the last year or so is using meeting time more productively, with a focus on collaboration and development (rather than admin).
i. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
Knowing my team strengths and weaknesses, it comes from getting to know my team members and building trusting relationships to encourage high-trust in our own lanes.
Transparency and a shared vision, where everyone feels heard, knows what is going on, which area they are responsible for and we are all working towards the same goal.
Being organised – being able to organise in advance, allocate resources / time towards the stressful times ahead of time alleviates some of the stress, scaffolding what is needed and when it is needed.
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
The range of expertise in my team is great, creating opportunities for them to work in their sweet spot to encourage / enhance their productivity / zest for learning happening in their classrooms is always the ideal, however in reality it might not always be possible. Encouraging a balance between working in their sweet spot, growing in their areas of weakness and having a life-work balance in order to look after their own well-being is a balancing act.
Collaboration using each other’s strengths, creating a buddy system to help build strengths in areas of weaknesses in our team. This can alleviate some of the everyday stresses and build relationships and knowledge in areas within our teams.
Working in a high-trust model as colleagues and professionals. Building the team to be the best version of themselves, their teams and a staff in all areas of the demands of being a Teacher / working in education.
iii. Share in 150 words or less, how you are currently using these strengths (or could use these strengths for greater effect) to impact the performance of the team.
Continue to build trusting relationships, recognising strengths and weaknesses in teachers and teams. Creating opportunities for Teachers to work in their strengths and share their strengths with other colleagues. Giving support in areas of weakness, using strengths from another team member to support the teacher / team.
Collaborating with different teams and team members, creating a sense of belonging by everyone working together to achieve our common goals. Recognising when Teachers need encouragement or a reminder of the expectations. Being visible, and there to lend a helping hand as well as a courageous conversation when needed.
Transparency and being aware ahead of time what is coming / expected / deadlines helps minimize stressful times during the term and gives teachers the opportunity to plan accordingly.
Like the Māori whakataukī says:
He aha te mea nui? Māku e kii atu, he tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata. What is the most important thing in the world? Well, let me tell you, it is people, it is people, it is people.
This is very true from a school’s perspective, from the leadership, teachers, support staff and all working together for the benefit of the tamariki entrusted by their whānau into our care at school.
i. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
My 3 top strengths:
1 – Organization skills – I am highly organised so my team knows what is happening and what is expected of them and when. Great leaders help staff “know what is expected of them right now”. (Marcus Buckingham: What the Best Leaders do. https://youtu.be/LBC7GeOPZgY)
2 – Trustability/Building relationships – I can admit weakness and mistakes, ask for help, accept questions and input, give others the benefit of the doubt before coming to conclusions, take risks in offering feedback and assistance, tap into other’s skills and experiences, focus time on important issues, offer and accept apologies quickly. (Patrick M. Lenciono, (2002), The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. https://www.executiveagenda.com/application/files/3215/6401/6016/fivedysfunctions.pd)
3 – Communication skills – this leads to shared knowledge within the team which improves the team’s shared understanding, which helps develop a shared mindset. (Harvard Business Review: Leading Teams | The Secrets of Great Teamwork).
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
Top strengths of my team members:
Organisation skills – most team members are highly organised for their classes so students know what they are learning each day, and have focused and well planned lessons.
Adaptability – team members can adapt to changes in their plans to work in with the daily running of their class/school.
Supportive of one another – caring environment where people feel appreciated, valued and put the team first.
Driven to achieve the goal of good learner outcomes – most team members are highly driven to change and adapt their programme to ensure all students can achieve to their best abilities and be successful in their learning.
Some team members are willing to tackle accountability and face conflict to ensure best teaching practice and therefore better student outcomes. This means every team member is aware of what they need to do to ensure they are giving their best for their students. (Patrick M. Lenciono, (2002), The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.
iii. Share in 150 words or less, how you are currently using these strengths (or could use these strengths for greater effect) to impact the performance of the team.
Recently we have appointed two staff members to be Literacy and Numeracy Lead teachers. These staff members have a strength and passion for these curriculum areas, are highly organised, have high standards, promote openness about classroom programmes, expectations and assessments. Neither of these two team members have shied away from difficult conversations with staff that need to be held accountable for gaps in planning and assessment. They have been given the opportunity to develop their strengths in these curriculum areas and share with the team to ensure best teaching practice in Literacy and Numeracy.
I have been able to use my organisational skills to create shared documents that inform staff of weekly requirements each term and planning requirements for each term, this has been appreciated by the staff. I have also ensured that changes and events are communicated to staff well in advance so everyone is aware of what is happening. Great leaders help staff “know what is expected of them right now”. Marcus Buckingham: What the Best Leaders do. https://youtu.be/LBC7GeOPZgY
Kia ora,
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