‘Creating a
High Performance
School Culture’
Leadership

The art of getting a group of people to do
something as a team because they
individually believe that it is the right thing
to do
Performance Improvement

Everything should be about performance
improvement. If it doesn’t make us better,
don’t do it.

Every team has the capacity to improve
their performance
Leadership

Leadership is action - ‘see something, do
something’.
See something positive, reward it
See something negative, challenge it
Leadership

Leadership is the responsibility of every
member of the team

We must all lead by example
Mechanics & Dynamics

We focus only on the dynamics of the
team i.e. how we interact together.

If the dynamics are excellent, the
mechanics of the team are performed at a
higher level
Team as a Resource

The staff team is our most valuable, and
often our most under-utilised, resource
Program Outcomes
Clear understanding of ‘rules’
 The staff support each other more
 Team is greater than the individual
 Honest, open dialogue about performance
 The program is not the ‘Leading Teams’
program. It becomes ‘the way we do
things around here’

Implementing The Program
Essential Steps
 Build a framework that the staff own and drive
 Identify and develop a strong leadership group
 Develop strong relationships between staff so
that they can speak honestly to each other about
performance
 Review in reference to the framework
Great Teams
Clear Behavioural
Strong Professional
Framework
Relationships
Your Team
Identify the problem that you would most
like to solve in your school (may be a
person/s or an issue).
 What impact is this problem having on
your team? Make a note using dot points
outlining the situation and consequences
for the school.

Step 1: Building A Behavioural Framework
Establish a trademark
Establish a behavioural framework
Trademark
How would you describe your team
now? (3 words)
 How do we want your team to be
described? (3 words)

Behavioural Framework

What behaviours do you see that stop
your team from being the ‘ideal
team’?

What behaviours must your team
display if they are to be this ‘ideal
team’?
Team Culture

The culture of any team is simply the
‘behaviours that it accepts and rewards’

Language is critical
Step 2: Select Leaders

Identify staff members who most
consistently display the Trademark
Behaviours
Leaders

Model trademark behaviours

Reward trademark behaviours

Challenge counter-productive behaviours
(remember: right way, right time, right place)
Leadership Group/Team

Should be empowered and consulted by
the principal to manage all aspects of the
team and school
Leadership Group
Must drive the trademark behaviours of
the group
 Start slowly but with training and trust,
they will take more responsibility

How do you measure up as a leader?
Self Assessment

Name:…………………………….

What 3 words do you think your team would use to describe you?

What 3 words would you like your team to use to describe you (perfect world)

What do you think your team want you to:
Stop doing
Start doing
Keep doing

What is one thing that you can do tomorrow that will make you a better leader?
Situational Leadership
Relationship
Supportive
“We Talk, You Decide”
(High
Relationship – Low Task)
Delegative
“You Decide”
(Low
Relationship - Low Task)
Coaching
“We Talk, I Decide”
(High Relationship - High Task)
Directing
“I Tell”
(Low Relationship – High Task)
Task
Level of Security
Level of Training
Urgency of Task
Level of Willingness
Step 3: Build Strong Professional Relationships
Profiling (DiSC)




Dominant eagle)
Influencer (peacock)
Stable (dove)
Conscientious (owl)
Individual profiles are always secondary to the team’s Trademark &
Trademark Behaviours
Peer reviews



Small groups
Formal assessments
Develop personal action plans and affirmations
Personal Plan
Following each peer assessment, a
personal action plan is developed and
mentoring relationships begin.
 Affirmations are a vital part of each
personal action plan

Self Talk Cycle
Self Talk
‘What I accept as the truth about
me’
Behaviour/
Performance
Self Image
‘What others accept as the truth about
me’
Step 4: Reviews
Staff reviews must reflect the Trademark
and Trademark Behaviours
 This will result in a more consistent
performance

Conflict
Must be embraced if we are to drive
performance improvement
 Must be managed carefully and
respectfully
 Occurs when there is a gap between ‘what
we expect’ and ‘what is delivered’.

Managing Conflict
Always use the Trademark & Trademark
Behaviours as your reference point
 Always confront issues and encourage
open dialogue
 In difficult situations use the ‘Relationship
Assessment’ pro-forma and have this
mediated by an independent facilitator

Key Focus Areas for a Successful
Program
Identify & influence ‘centres of influence’
Identify blockers and develop a strategy to
reduce ‘blocking’
Level of honest dialogue between power brokers
Leaders’ preparedness to receive feedback from
team
Leaders have no ‘favourites’
Level of skill of coaches/leaders/players to apply
knowledge
Weight of numbers (WON)
Great Teams
 Every
member of the team feels safe
to have open, honest and
constructive dialogue with any other
member of the team, regardless of
their position in the team.
What does this mean for you?






You must model the TM behaviours
Support the staff framework (use language)
Assist staff to adhere to the framework
Be prepared to use, trust and listen to members of the
leadership group
Look to provide opportunities for members of the
leadership team to lead and make genuine decisions
Be prepared to listen to staff feedback about your
performance