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
27 Responses
Arohamai posted this reply in wrong section: 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.
Looking forward to visiting your kura next week and learning more about your team and the positive environment you have created.
Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader
1 – Empathy: I believe being empathetic enables me to better understand others’ motivations, values and feelings. Being able to relate to others on an emotional level.
2 -Passionate: Effective leaders inspire others by exemplifying the behavior they desire to see within their team. I believe influential leaders are deeply passionate about what they do. It’s this passion that gets me out of bed in the morning. The belief that the small things can make a big difference.
3 – Commitment: Commitment involves honoring your word, completing tasks, and ensuring their significance in alignment with your long-term vision or goal.
The strengths of our team lie in the deep commitment of all our educators to the tamariki and their roles as kaiako. Five out of six members of our team are Mana Whenua, and many of our tauira have ties to them through toto. These educators serve as nurturing figures, fulfilling roles akin to aunties and nannies, participating in ceremonial karanga and contributing to the kitchen duties at our local Marae, thus deeply immersed in the cultural fabric of our community. We consider ourselves immensely privileged.
I guess in order to foster the development of a high-performing team, I hope to encourage others to step into their Rangatira space by providing support and guidance while walking alongside them. Rather than always being the one to solve problems and fix issues, it’s important to take a step back to allow team members to cultivate these capabilities within themselves. This involves creating an environment where they feel supported and reassured as they take on new challenges and responsibilities. Despite similarities in motivations (whys) and deep investment in the Kura and community, empowering others to lead will strengthen the team as a whole and promote individual growth and development.
I really enjoyed my visit to your kura. Your leadership and support sit within a very positive environment and I look forward to hearing how the initiatives you are implementing develop over the year. Kia kaha!
Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
“Take care of the children, take care of what they hear, take care of what they see, take care of what they feel. For how the children grow, so will be the shape of Aotearoa”. Quote Dame Whina Cooper sums up top strengths as a person/leader. Ensuring a legacy for mokopuna generations gives what I say or do today as a leader meaning.
Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel” Quote by Maya Angelou. We are a specialized school with a unique character to support educational pathways for teenage parents, because of this one of the top strengths of my team members is a meaningful impact on the lives of all ākonga in our school.
Two of my favourite quotes that you have embedded in your lovely kura and where your leadership and with the support of your team has created a caring and very positive environment for teenage parents.
i.
Relationships – Authentic, genuine relationships, to me, are the bedrock of success. It is the catalyst to ‘lightbulb moments’, to self realisation and self worth. Relationships are like a road map that highlights the many different options and ways to reach a destination.
Communication – This is more than the art of sharing my own korero to others, it encompasses the ability to listen, to be available and approachable.
Integrity – Being honest and true to my own moral compass. It is important to me that, as a leader, I am reliable and authentic.
ii.
This year, my team are all new to their roles. This includes a new Tumuaki. This comes with its own challenges. My team members have many strengths, the more notable ones would be collaboration, innovation and situational awareness. I am very blessed to work alongside a team that love what they do and share a passion for seeing our tamariki AND whanau achieve success.
iii. Leading is a privilege. Being a leader is not a pinnacle of a career, but a chance to contribute to the life and wellbeing of others. Being authentic in my approach to relationships and connections with staff, students, whanau and the community is paramount. My ability to communicate effectively helps make me more approachable and someone that maintains integrity. I believe that a staff that can rely on someone who leads with integrity, clear communication and builds this upon the importance of strong, authentic relationships will be a staff that will be more motivated to better themselves and continue striving to uphold the strategic direction of the school. Basically to be the best teacher/educator they can be.
Tēnā koe Phillip, this line “Being a leader is not a pinnacle of a career, but a chance to contribute to the life and wellbeing of others”. Is what I appreciated most about your post. Kia ora
I.-Relationships – I am able to create and maintain positive relationships with a wide range of people. I enjoy working and collaborating with others and enjoy the mutual exchange of ideas and information from one person to another. I value working with others to achieve common goals.
-Adaptability- I am able to adapt my feelings, thinking and actions in resonance to changing circumstances. I am receptive to new ideas and consider others viewpoints and perspectives.
-Self-Actualization- I maintain an enthusiastic commitment to long term goals and derive satisfaction from my accomplishments. I enjoy setting challenges both personally and professionally. I am always looking for ways to improve my teaching and learning practices.
ii. Being new to the school this year, I am still working out my staff members strengths, however I believe we all share the same common strength of building and maintaining relationships with students and staff members, being approachable and having strong communication skills (lines of communication are always open and received).
iii. Keep on building the relationships with students schoolwide and forming relationships with those within the school community. This would help build up trust and respect within the school environment and the community.
Keep being myself and being approachable, as there are no silly questions. I want others to feel like they can ask me questions or if they have concerns that they can trust me to help them come to a solution.
Keep the lines of communication open for all (students, staff, whanau), ensure that both positive and negative consequences are being addressed and shared. Ensuring that when things happen/occur that they are delt with and other staff members are told in case there is any backlash and to ensure we are all on the same page as one another.
i. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
Relationships – I enjoy connecting with people although that initial meeting can be somewhat of a struggle.
Listening Skills – I read somewhere once that people will sometimes listen to take their turn to talk. I wanted to make sure that I never treated people this way.
Communication – clearing the debris so that everyone is on the same page.
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
We have a relatively new team so lots of strengths are still emerging.
Resilient, flexible and motivated. We are very fortunate to have staff that are helping us through the different challenges that arose this term.
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 am striving to develop and nurture an environment where our team feels heard and appreciated. These are two of the most important factors I consider for our team to be unified. Resilience feels somewhat strange to include as a leadership quality but this is something that we are trying to build within akonga so I love that our team is strong in this quality too. Sometimes education is a minefield of information, so finding every opportunity to be clear and concise with information helps to break down barriers created when there is information overload. I highlight the main points and encourage others to identify their strengths and do the same.
Great reflection of building a unified, sustainable and positive team culture.
My top 3 strengths:
Visionary Thinking: I feel I have the ability to see the big picture, often thinking outside the square to find solutions. I believe I have the ability to inspire others, giving them the confidence to attempt new ideas.
Conflict Resolution: I can navigate conflicts constructively, often finding solutions that satisfy all parties involved and maintain student engagement.
Communication Skills: I believe I am able to convey ideas, instructions, and feedback clearly and persuasively. I am a good listeners, and empathetic to the concerns of others.
Top Strengths of my team.
Collaboration: We work well together, we can leverage off each other to achieve our goals. We encourage the exchange of ideas and feedback.
Experience. Through years of practice, exposure, and learning, individuals skills and community knowledge are a huge strength of my team.
Innovation: We are constantly seeking new ideas, approaches, and solutions to improve the outcomes for our students.
I believe my visionary thinking inspires innovative approaches within our team and wider school. I guide discussions toward creative solutions, encouraging colleagues to think outside the box, seeing recent changes in our Junior Curriculum. My conflict resolution skills come into play when working across departments and or with parents ensuring disputes are resolved constructively and effectively maintain positive relationships. Communication skills facilitate positive interactions among team members, enhancing collaboration and exchanging of ideas. As for our team’s strengths, we capitalize on collaboration by pooling our diverse skills and perspectives, fostering an environment where ideas flourish and goals are achieved collectively. My teams extensive experience is the foundation, guiding us with practical insights and community knowledge, not been afraid to change and try new things. We continuously explore new methods to enhance student outcomes, ensuring our collective efforts remain engaging and impactful.
What a great collaborative team you are leading and with positive student outcomes.
My top 3 strengths are
Well organised: when organising events for school, iwi and community, I have the ability to bring cohesion through the lens of my organisational skills.
Inter connectedness with school, iwi and community: wear many potae around our iwi and community, actively involved and engaged with everything we do or run.
Embraces new challenges: when a tono is put in front of me, I always put my body, mind and soul into it. Always committed to ensure my iwi and community are thriving.
Team strengths
Cohesively collaborating – just like a marae, everyone on the team understands their roles, responsibilities and strengths. Maintaining the mana of our iwi and community.
Creative and innovative: Uniqueness and a diverse range of talents within our team.
Relationships with whānau: small community and everyone knows who lives in the village and how they can contribute to the success of their tamaiti or mokopuna.
What does this look like?
Organisational skills – leading the syndicate with an inclusive and collective approach. Updating staff when things have changed within our school environment. Always listening and providing support when needed. Knowing the direction of any learning opportunity and delegating responsibilities within the team. Uplifting the team when times are tough. All equally important when working collaboratively.
Interconnectedness – because we are from a small community, not only are we the kaiako of our tauira, we also identify ourselves as the uncle/cousin, sports coach, kapa haka tutor and actively involved in all entities within our community. But, with being a part of those entities ensuring our tamariki/mokopuna get the best opportunities or experiences needed for them to flourish in.
Leading is not an easy journey, but hugely rewarding especially being able to create and lead agile collaborative teams in times of constant change. Interconnectedness, being able to provide the best opportunities and experiences certainly resonates with me with positive outcomes when it is done well.
i. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
I am approachable, reliable; I say what I am going to do. Can form good relationships with people and connect.
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
Hard working, diverse backgrounds and various strengths are utilised, varying degree of experience
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.
Collaboration in planning could be improved using various strengths and experience. We could definitely be doing more to enhance our teams strengths. I would like to do a leadership quiz with my team which would help dig deeper and find out our team strength and how we learn best.
i. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
Empathetic
Resilient
Optimistic – assume positive intent and maintain a high level of trust
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
Highly committed to personal and collective growth
Collaborative and supportive
Open to evidence based initiatives but willing to challenge ideas based on a strong, collective understanding of our ‘why’
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.
We have a strong, supportive culture which welcomes new members and shows a willingness to share ideas, resources and insights to assist one another’s growth. The extended leadership team comfortably engages in robust dialogue to ensure the best possible outcomes whilst maintaining a high level of respect and professionalism. This team continually strives to maintain consistency across teams by regularly sharing practice and evaluating as a collective. I maintain a high level of trust in the ability of our leadership team and I feel a large part of my role is to provide the necessary support for them to fulfil their roles. This includes coaching, mentoring and very often providing a receptive, listening ear as we collectively problem solve and remove obstacles. One thing we need to do more of is take time to recognise and acknowledge our successes.
My three strengths as a person/leader are:
Experience: I have moved my way through a number of positions in my 21 years, which gives my good perspective on what each role entails and real life experiences with the negatives and the positives.
Relationships: I am a team player and believe I have good relationships with staff and students.
Resilience and reflection: Being able to do the heard stuff and reflect on the good and bad.
As a team: Creativity is a big strength of our staff. Also a sense of fun and connectedness, as a staff, and to our community and iwi. We are resilient and adapt to difficult situations, which was a huge part of our journey with the cyclone last year.
We encourage strong whanau, iwi and community connections. We are in a small town where the school is one of the major hubs of the community. We have a large group of staff that are from here, went to school here and are now teachers here. This gives us an amazing advantage in connecting with our community and iwi, although at times relationships can be too close so, we work as a team with a ‘horses for courses’ approach. Nothing worse than having to conduct a discipline meeting with a close whanau member! A sense of fun keeps us together through the tough times and helps with our resilience. A number of our staff had huge challenges to overcome last year, just to get to school every day was tough, but everyone pushed through. We try as much as possible to be creative in our approach to everything, and we have staff that excel in this area. Being such a small school requires thinking outside of the box.
i. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
Innovator, problem solver, above the line thinker – curious lifelong learner.
Highly reflective, organised, resilient and able to pivot.
Relational, networker and collaborative.
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
Open Communication – reflective – problem solvers, able to have courageous conversations.
Experienced teachers, – even keeled.
Collaborative
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.
.
We made the strategic move this year to have a smaller middle leadership team. This has enabled us to collaboratively use team strengths to refine, improve and give greater consistency and clarity to all we do.
I’ve learned that we can not force anyone to do anything. There is no traction without middle leaders and teams on board.
We aim to build staff members up in a mana enhancing way and provide support to empower them to meet their accountability versus taking the stance of helping others meet their accountabilities. Collaboratively together we are shaping and growing the“ we culture” building capabilities for staff and students to raise student progress and achievement academically, socially and emotionally.
“Iti rearea, teitei Kahikatea ka taea!” The rearea bird is one of the smallest birds in the forest, yet it flies up high in the kahikatea tree.
Leadership can seem overwhelming at times, there is so much to know to really lead well, but you just keep learning. Building staff members up in a mana enhancing way resonates with me.
.
My strengths are communication, active listening and building relationships. I feel I fall into three leadership groups; Head of Department, year level dean and teacher. I ensure I communicate daily with my colleagues to ensure positive outcomes for our programs. I talk daily with the students in my year group to ensure they are happy and safe at school. Active listening allows me to understand the needs of my team and my students and create an environment where everyone thrives. Building relationships takes a lot of work, I build these based on trust and respect, and this allows me to create a supportive team. Having a supportive team ensures collaboration and adaptability, which benefits school and community wide.
Very reflective and interesting thoughts in which you capture the complexity of leadership.
My top 3 strengths as a person and leader:
Executor – action-focussed to get things done; focus on the details and self-disciplined to ensure things are done
Communicator – clear and concise
Relationships – connecting with people
Team strengths:
Relationships and connections
Creativity and a sense of fun
Experience, knowledge and expertise – diversity of backgrounds
Resilience – determination to overcome challenges and adversity
Using these strengths to impact the performance of the team:
Our strength as a team is our ability to connect with and support each other, and this has helped us build resilience, determination to overcome challenges and adversity within our community. We are building a team where we can share our individual experience and expertise, supporting each other and continuing to grow as ‘learners’ and as teachers. Our connection with each other allows us to have open discussions, to challenge each other and our thinking in order to approach things from new perspectives.
A sense of fun and creativity brings us together, to connect and use diverse thinking to solve problems.
All of these are building a climate of trust and care, with people at the heart, and with the common goal of improving outcomes for the children in our school community.
There is so much to know to really lead well and we need to be agile in our leadership. Diversity is a key strength and I look forward to learning more about your team’s journey as you continue to build a climate of trust and care.
Provocation:
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:
Leadership and delegation skills
Problem solving skills
Collaboration 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.
i. Reflect on your top 3 strengths as a person/leader.
1/3 Innovative and Creative: I love coming up with new ideas, leading the way with unique solutions, and challenging traditional thinking to make important progress and achieve success.
2/3 Love of Learning: I thrive on learning, eagerly seeking out new knowledge, skills, and experiences to grow professionally and personally.
3/3 Gratitude: Being aware of and thankful for the good things that happen.
ii. Reflect on the top strengths of your team members.
Problem-Solving Skills: Our team demonstrates exceptional problem-solving skills. We have a keen ability to identify creative solutions and effectively implement strategies to overcome challenges.
Resilience and Adaptability: Our team excels in handling challenging situations. We navigate through obstacles, embrace change, and emerge stronger, showing increased flexibility to adapt to evolving circumstances.
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.
By encouraging my team to learn new skills and knowledge, I help create an environment where we can all grow and adapt together. I love learning, and that enthusiasm rubs off on my team. When we face problems, creative ideas inspire us to think outside the box and try new things. This encourages everyone to experiment and find innovative solutions. Additionally, I make sure to thank my team members for their hard work and achievements. This not only boosts everyone’s morale but also strengthens our relationships and helps us work better together. When we combine these qualities and work as a team, we create a supportive environment where we all learn, create, and appreciate each other, leading to better performance and results.
Great reflection of building a unified, sustainable and positive team culture.