Administrators′ Corner
Why you need to take time
to get to know your staff
By Leisa Simapili
K
nowing your staff is an
important part of running a
successful school. You can
have the greatest school
improvement plan, but if you do not
have the support of your entire staff,
it is doomed to fail. It has been said
that the best leaders are the ones
who are able to gain the trust and
admiration of their staff. By getting to
know your staff, you have the benefit
of understanding each individual’s
talents, needs and motivators. You
also help establish a respectful school
environment that boosts morale,
confidence and establishes an overall
feeling of support.
Why is it important?
As you get to know the staff in your
school, you will be helping to spread
an ethos of inclusivity, giving each
member of staff a chance to have an
input in the running of the institution.
A great first step is to focus on your
own self-awareness. Make sure you
are personable and approachable.
Create opportunities to talk both
inside and outside of work, if needed.
Occasionally, talk about your family,
hobbies, or other outside-of-work
topics. Yes, I know what you may
be thinking, but I have learned that
in the Arab world, relationships are
everything. Yes, you may have to hear
all about the family before you can
discuss any other matters. Just do it.
12 | Sep - Oct 2015 |
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Be approachable and
trustworthy
Know your staff’s learning
styles
Allow your staff to see you as not just
a boss, but also as someone they can
talk with and trust. Secondly, focus on
listening to your staff. Developing your
skills and learning to be an effective
listener will help you with your staff
as well as in your personal life. Ask
sincere questions about things that
are important to your staff, like how
their families are, how their day is
going, etc. Avoid getting too personal,
but genuinely get to know them. If an
employee does not open up to you,
don’t take it personally, they may
prefer to keep their personal lives and
work lives separate and that’s O.K. too.
Become aware of each individual’s
learning style. You can use this to
better divide job duties, and other
processes to the staff member, so
that he or she can be more effective.
Take the time to become more aware
of each individual’s communication
style. This will make you better able to
understand their behaviour, leadership
potential and management style.
Organise team building
activities
Develop the relationship slowly.
Be friendly and open and let the
communication evolve according to
their comfort level. To further get to
know who you work with, put together
outside of-work functions or teambuilding activities. Pick activities that
build trust or build team unity. Don’t
be afraid to find volunteers on your
staff to organise these events, some
people just have a great knack of
getting others together.
Class Time
Discover your staff’s
preferences
Know what they like to do and
what they don’t like to do. Use this
information to delegate job duties
and tasks. Or perhaps, challenge them
to face the tasks that are challenging
to them in order to help them learn
new skills and grow as a professional.
Find out what motivates them. Some
workers are motivated by bonuses,
which of course we would love to
give but might not be able to, others
by receiving praise. Understand what
kind of feedback they best respond
to. Find out the best way to give them
feedback. You will discover that your
staff is more effective and productive
when they work in a school where they
feel honoured as individuals.
Do not just pay lip service to getting to
know your staff. I am making a quality
decision to know my staff better this
year. Will you do the same?