Running head: PROBLEMS AT WEST HIGH
Problems at West High
University of Guyana
Faculty of Education and Humanities
Department of Foundation and Education Management
Course: Administration & Supervision I (EAD 4102)
Date: November 19, 2018
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PROBLEMS AT WEST HIGH
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Introduction
This case study is based on leadership as it looks into the problems at West High. The
school in the case study has recently experienced a change in leadership and this change has
resulted in some new challenges compounded by the ones that existed prior. This assignment
will seek to address the various questions as they relate to leadership, as well as how to deal with
the challenges as highlighted in the case study.
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Problems at West High
 Should you ask that Pete Marshall be transferred?
 How can you get a supportive secretary?
 How can you use the authority of your office for change?
 Is it time for some unilateral changes in your school? Top-down changes?
 Is it time to institute a system of rules, regulations, and procedures? How?
 Is it time for a dramatic restructuring?
 Is democracy in this situation an unrealistic dream?
These are just some of the questions you must answer before you propose a plan for change
to the superintendent. You are the principal; you have the support of your superiors but not your
subordinates; your superiors expect improvement; the school needs change; and you need a plan.
Should you ask that Pete Marshall be transferred?
(Chemers, 1997) "Leadership is a process of social influence in which one person is able
to enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task." With this
definition in mind as the new head I would not ask for Mr. Marshall to be transferred. Mr.
Marshall already has the support of the junior staff, while as the newly appointed head I have the
support of the Board and Superintendent. As such, I would have a discussion with Mr. Marshall
on the concerns of the Board, Superintendent and community as it relates to the students welfare
matters of class cutting, fights, absenteeism, and dropouts. Going into the discussion, I would
have an idea of what strategies I would like to see implemented to create a turn around.
However, the discussions would give Mr. Marshall an opportunity to say what he thinks can be
done to create this turn around that is needed. This way based on the discussions there will be a
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merger of ideas on the strategies that would be best suited to have the change that is envisioned.
Mr Marshall would now be seen as an enabler of change rather than an enabler of division.
How can you get a supportive secretary?
There are various approaches that can be used to get a supportive secretary. The
secretary I would have inherited upon my appointment at the school does not have to remain as
my secretary. It’s a great possibility, that my predecessor had the same secretary throughout his
tenure. As such, as the new principal I can interview the four secretaries that work at the school
and have a reshuffling of their assigned tasks and positions. The interviews would give the new
principal an opportunity to select a secretary who is more supportive of his style of management.
How can you use the authority of your office for change?
(Oxford Living Dictionaries , 2018) Defines authority as “the power to influence others,
especially because of one's commanding manner or one's recognized knowledge about
something.”
(Ken Blanchard and Scott Blanchard, 2013) Stated that these concerns must be dealt with
–in order–so you can get everyone on board and moving in the right direction.
Beat communication breakdown
When change is first announced, people will have information concerns. Often, leaders
will want to explain why the organization is moving in a certain direction and why the change is
a good idea. This is a mistake. People don’t want to be told the change is good until they
understand it. Instead, leaders should share information as plainly and as completely as possible.
In the absence of clear, factual communication, people tend to create their own information about
the change, and rumors become facts.
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Leaders should prepare to answer questions such as: What is the change? Why is it
needed? What’s wrong with the way things are now? How much and how fast does the
organization need to change?
Get personal
Once information concerns are satisfied, people will want to know how the change will
affect them personally. The following questions, even though not always expressed openly, are
common: What’s in it for me to change? Will I win or lose? Will I look good? How will I find
the time to implement this change? Will I have to learn new skills? Can I do it?
People with personal concerns want to know how the change will play out for them. They
wonder if they have the skills and resources to implement the change. It’s important to remember
that as the organization changes people may think their existing personal and organizational
commitments are being threatened. It’s normal for people to focus on what they are going to lose
before they consider what they might gain.
These personal concerns have to be surfaced and addressed. Otherwise, as Werner Erhard
has often said, “What you resist, persists.” If you don’t permit people to deal with their feelings
about what’s happening, those feelings stay around. Sometimes we say to ourselves, “I’m glad I
got that off my chest?” As such, we know the relief that comes from sharing your concerns
openly. The good news is that when people share them openly, their concerns often dissipate.
Plan your action
If leaders address the first two concerns effectively, people will be ready to hear
information on the details involved in implementing the change. At this stage they will be
interested to hear how the thinking behind the change has been tested. They will also want to
know where to go for technical assistance and solutions to problems that might arise.
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Leaders should be prepared to answer questions such as: What do I do first, second,
third? How do I manage all the details? What happens if it doesn’t work as planned? Where do I
go for help? How long will this take? Is what we are experiencing typical? How will the
organizational structure and systems change?
Sell the change
After implementation questions are answered, people tend to raise impact concerns. For
example: Is the effort worth it? Is the change making a difference? Are we making progress? Are
things getting better?
People with impact concerns are interested in the change’s relevance and payoff. The
focus is on evaluation. The good news is that if leaders have done a good job up to this point, this
is the stage where people will sell themselves on the benefits of the change based on the relative
merits of the results to be achieved. Be prepared to share early wins and proof that the change is
making a positive difference. If the change does not positively impact results–or people don’t
know how to measure success–it will be more difficult to keep the change initiative moving
forward.
Collaborate smartly
With some evidence that the change is moving the organization in the right direction,
momentum starts to build. Leaders can look forward to questions and ideas focused on
coordination and cooperation with others. A solid nucleus of people in the company will want to
get everyone on board because they are convinced the change is making a difference.
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At this stage, leaders can look forward to questions such as: Who else should be
involved? How can we work with others to get them involved in what we are doing? How do we
spread the word?
Refine for success
Once a change effort is well on its way toward complete adoption, leaders can expect to
hear others begin asking about how the change can be refined. For example: How can we
improve on our original idea? How do we make the change even better?
Refinement questions are a good sign and show that the people in the organization are
focused on continuous improvement. During the course of any organizational change, a number
of learnings usually occur. Take advantage of new opportunities for organizational improvement
that often come to the surface at this stage.
Give your next change initiative its best chance
Take time with your next change initiative. Do it right and you can drastically increase
your chances of success. But rush through the early stages and you might find yourself derailed
as many of these concerns surface later in the project, killing momentum when it is needed most.
It is said that ‘people who help to plan the battle rarely battle the plan.’ While dealing
with people’s concerns about change may seem like a lot of hand-holding, it’s important for
leaders to remember that they too had to process information and personal concerns before they
were ready to discuss impact and implementation.
If leaders can diagnose people’s stages of concern about a change and respond with the
right information at the right time, they can dramatically improve everyone’s trust and
participation. This will allow people to refocus their energy on what needs to change and what
they can do to help make the change successful.
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Is it time for some unilateral changes in your school? Top-down changes?
Yes, it is time for some unilateral changes to occur in school. The change should start
from the top and move down the structure. Fortunately, the changes should move along quite
quickly. As Mr. Marshall the assistant principal should already be on board with the new
principal having addressed the issues that existed. Mr. Marshall who already has the support of
the majority of the staff would take on the role of being the catalyst for changes you as head
would like to see in the school.
Is it time to institute a system of rules, regulations, and procedures? How?
Schools are considered bureaucratic organizations, of which one of its characteristics is
that it has rules and regulations. Within the school structure activities should be carried out
according to rules, regulations and procedures that govern the institution. At West High, there is
no system of rules, regulations and procedures in place as the previous principal was opposed
bureaucratic rules and regulations because he felt they constrained the activities of
his professional faculty.
As the new principal instituting a system of rules, regulations and procedures should be
based on policy documents set out by the Ministry of Education (e.g. Standard Operating
Procedures, Code of Conduct for Teachers, etc.), best practices and have the input of key
stakeholders namely:
o Students
o Parents
o The School Board Committee
o The Superintendent
o Other school administrators
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o Teachers
o Groups interested in the issue addressed by the proposed change (e.g., police, for a
violence prevention program; health professionals for a healthy school food initiative)
o Concerned citizens
To be able to institute this system of rules, regulations and procedures I would do the
following:
i.
Appoint a committee comprising of representatives of the various stakeholders to
address the issue of instituting a system of rules, regulations and procedures.
ii.
The committee would then highlight the issues as they relate to students and staff.
iii.
Next the committee would, use the various policy documents available to arrive at
methods of dealing with the issues.
iv.
Next, the committee would draft out rules, regulations and procedures to address
the issues identified as well as any possible issue that may arise.
v.
The draft document would then be disseminated to the general staff and school
population to make them acquainted with the new system.
vi.
Once the staff and general population are acquainted with the document detailing
the rules, regulations and procedures, the principal would then have the document
formalized and implemented fully into the school system.
vii.
Finally, a discipline committee would be implemented to help maintain order and
discipline and they shall be guided by the document created.
However, even though there is a discipline committee to ensure that order and discipline
is maintained, it is the duty of every stakeholder to ensure that the system of rules, regulations
and procedures are adhered to at all times.
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Is it time for a dramatic restructuring?
Based on the scenario presented, one would feel that a dramatic restructuring should take
place, however, that should not be. As mentioned earlier, when discussing the use of authority
for change, the issue of the secretary, and instituting a system of rules, regulations and
procedures, they show that change should be gradual and deliberate. The appointment as the
new principal has already created tensions, as such all attempts to restructuring the school should
be methodical. This way the staff, students and community can gradually adjust to the changes,
and this would help to eliminate most resistance that may arise.
Is democracy in this situation an unrealistic dream?
No, democracy is not an unrealistic dream. As a new principal grappling with the various
issues of the school, democracy would not be ideal. You would need to have an authoritarian
approach to dealing with some issues. Additionally, you would have to practice transactional as
well as transformational leadership to get everyone on board with your plans for the school.
Once things begin to settle and systems begin to work as the principal you would be able to have
a democratic approach to the administration of your school that will see students and staff feeling
empowered and enthusiastic to be a part of West High.
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Bibliography
(2018). (O. U. Press, Producer) Retrieved from Oxford Living Dictionaries :
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/authority
Chemers, M. M. (1997). An Integrative Theory of Leadership. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Ken Blanchard and Scott Blanchard. (2013, August 1). Six Steps for Successfully Bringing
Change to your Company. Retrieved from Fast Company:
https://www.fastcompany.com/3015083/6-steps-for-successfully-bringing-change-toyour-company