Years ago I was an assistant superintendent of a K-12 district. We were implementing a program that was not wildly popular initially. A major reason for the implementation was the financial benefits that would allow smaller class sizes. A faculty team had met with administration and agreed it was the way to go, yet selling the concept was not easy. It required change! We were having a panel discussion before a large group including parents, teachers, staff, et al.
I presented some numbers that suggested why the change would be beneficial. A teacher disagreed, saying she had seen figures that were different. She was a strong voice and had significant parental support. Fortunately, a question was asked and attention moved to another panelist. Joyce was in the front row. I quietly told her these were new figures and I was familiar with what she was citing. She asked where the actual state document was that showed this information. It was back in my office several blocks away. She said she had to question my figures without that documentation. I asked, “Have I ever lied to you?” She shook her head. “I’m certainly not going to start now Joyce.” She thought for a few seconds, nodded and then said, “OK, but I would like to see that document tomorrow.” I assured her I would make a copy and the next day I took it to her.
Trust and relationship! These are major keys to success or failure for a leader.
Megan Tschannen-Moran, Ph.D., teaches educational administration at the College of William and Mary. She has been a principal and a researcher for many years. Trust is one of her major research areas. Her book and articles give strong support to the concept that trust is essential for school success. Here is a summary of her views on trust:
Five Facets of Trust
Each of these facets of trust affect all interpersonal relationships including those between the adults in a school environment, and these relationships can affect the successful functioning of that school.
• Vulnerability is essential to trust because trust is only an issue in relationships of interdependence in which one party relies on another for something they care about or need. Vulnerability creates the potential for betrayal or harm if one party does not live up to the expectations of the other.
• Benevolence is the confidence that “one can count on the good will of another to act in one’s best interest” (p.19). In other words, in a trusting relationship, you can assume that the other party would not willingly act a way to cause you harm.
• Honesty refers to a person’s character, integrity and authenticity. People are perceived to be honest through their actions, such as sharing truthful information or consistently following through on promise.
• Openness refers to the process through which people share information, influence and control. These can symbolize power within a relationship, and it is how this power is used than can influence trust.
• Reliability is the sense that one person is able to depend on another, and that behaviors will be predictable from situation to situation.
From http://api.ning.com/files/Ibb1luuy5jfR2u2j19xgeS-2hKkky*BH3ohxeovthL8TcoVAbDVSxiAatLg0V1PerVrITme3vPiRUvbcVzPrWdvKd2cIcbkl/MeganTschannenMoranFiveFacetsofTrust.pdf
Trust is part of ethics. In earlier blog posts I discuss Ethical Decision Making for Educational Leaders, Reflections on ethics and teacher reviews, The"Popular 8th Grader" as Principal, and in another Fair Hiring Practices. All of these posts deal with ethics and trust.
More from Dr. Tschannen-Moran:
Tschannen-Moran, M. (2004). Trust Matters: Leadership for Successful Schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Tschannen-Moran, M. (2000). Ties that bind: the importance of trust in schools. Essentially Yours: Coalition News for Ohio Schools.
A PowerPoint presented recently by Dr. Tschannen-Moran Cultivating Trust A Key Resource for School Success is posted at: http://www.leadershipk12.richmond.edu/document/resource/cultivating_trust.ppt
