How can you energize, focus, and unleash your staff?
As an administrator at an international
Christian school, you know that staff play a vital
role in carrying out the mission. Because
your care about your staff, want to be good a steward
of the staff God has provided, and want your school
to carry out its God-given mission, you ask yourself,
“How can we energize, focus, and unleash staff both
personally and professionally?”
To find out, take the following self-assessment. Rate each item in terms of how well it describes how you energize, focus, and unleash staff. Use the following scale:
4: Definitely • 3: Usually • 2: Sort of • 1: Rarely
Personal life:
___ 1. We have daily staff devotions.
___ 2. We have fun together throughout the year (for example, wedding and baby showers, meals, outings).
___ 3. We provide specials (for example, pottery classes and access to fitness equipment).
___ 4. We provide mentoring/life coaching to help staff balance work/home and maintain good health.
___ 5. New staff are assigned a buddy to help them get settled.
___ 6. We provide language instruction.
___ 7. We provide assistance with medical/dental visits.
___ 8. We support staff in their personal lives.
___ 9. Staff feel supported in their personal lives.
Professional life:
___ 1. An all-day help desk is available for the first week of school.
___ 2. New staff are assigned a mentor to help them with their work.
___ 3. We provide coaching to help staff grow professionally.
___ 4. Staff are assigned to a professional learning community/team.
___ 5. Staff participate in professional development each week.
___ 6. We reflect together about our work.
___ 7. Supervisors provide accountability/feedback to staff.
___ 8. Supervisors provide feedback to new staff within the first 2 months of classes.
___ 9. Principals demonstrate interest in what's happening in classrooms (for example, by doing walkthroughs).
___ 10. Principals invite teachers to share student work samples.
___ 11. Principals give teachers feedback on student work.
___ 12. We support staff in their professional lives.
___ 13. Staff feel supported in their professional lives.
Now, ask yourself 5 questions about the data:
To find out, take the following self-assessment. Rate each item in terms of how well it describes how you energize, focus, and unleash staff. Use the following scale:
4: Definitely • 3: Usually • 2: Sort of • 1: Rarely
Personal life:
___ 1. We have daily staff devotions.
___ 2. We have fun together throughout the year (for example, wedding and baby showers, meals, outings).
___ 3. We provide specials (for example, pottery classes and access to fitness equipment).
___ 4. We provide mentoring/life coaching to help staff balance work/home and maintain good health.
___ 5. New staff are assigned a buddy to help them get settled.
___ 6. We provide language instruction.
___ 7. We provide assistance with medical/dental visits.
___ 8. We support staff in their personal lives.
___ 9. Staff feel supported in their personal lives.
Professional life:
___ 1. An all-day help desk is available for the first week of school.
___ 2. New staff are assigned a mentor to help them with their work.
___ 3. We provide coaching to help staff grow professionally.
___ 4. Staff are assigned to a professional learning community/team.
___ 5. Staff participate in professional development each week.
___ 6. We reflect together about our work.
___ 7. Supervisors provide accountability/feedback to staff.
___ 8. Supervisors provide feedback to new staff within the first 2 months of classes.
___ 9. Principals demonstrate interest in what's happening in classrooms (for example, by doing walkthroughs).
___ 10. Principals invite teachers to share student work samples.
___ 11. Principals give teachers feedback on student work.
___ 12. We support staff in their professional lives.
___ 13. Staff feel supported in their professional lives.
Now, ask yourself 5 questions about the data:
- How many 4s, 3s, 2s, and 1s do I have?
- What’s encouraging/discouraging about the data?
- What helps us energize, focus, and unleash staff?
- What hinders us from energizing, focusing, and unleashing staff?
- What will I do? (If you’d like to learn more about developing a staff stewardship plan, click here.)