Seriously, folks, this session on working with a boss is pragmatic and ingenious. Most of the problems I have faced as a journalism adviser involved working with my boss. It was useful to think about my boss’ needs and how I might respond in a more thoughtful way to them.
Experience has taught me some of these lessons. I tend to be pretty analytical and try to rely on logical arguments to make my points. Kristin Gilger’s contention that logic is not persuasive was both comforting and startling to me. It was comforting in that it confirmed my experiential observations. It was startling because I so rely on it, and thinking about approaching difficult conversations through the emotional realm is foreign to me. But I have been chewing on this, and I will try to better apply this lesson to my life.
I love the idea of a 15-5 Report chronicling what I have accomplished outside of the routine (conversations, crisis, helping, and what we are working on). What a tremendous way to account for work that I have done and to show my boss that I am an intentional employee striving to be better. I wonder if I’ll be able to keep up with the time involved, but I know my boss would appreciate the information. He asks us to account for our PLC time, which always feels disingenuous to me. We try to find ways to fill forms with words when we haven’t done anything of value. I would like to supplement the work I have done so that he sees the scope of my work.
Overall, this has been a great learning experience and perhaps one of the most useful sessions for my general work life.
Hilari Anderson
Kentridge High School
Kent, Wash.
I've been thinking about why this particular session was so compelling to all of us, and in addition to the obvious - a chance to visit "pity city" - I also think most of us haven't had business courses on staff management and company relations. Most of us come from a liberal arts background so a session like this, that's probably standard fare for M.B.A.'s, is full of revelations for us.
ReplyDeleteThanks for capturing her points so well in your posting!
Jessica Nassau
Rockville High School
Rockville, Md.
I thought her 15-5 suggestion was helpful as well. Really the only time you tell anyone what you do is in your formal observation, and admin may see your staff in action on their walkthroughs occasionally. This report is a good way to make sure you show how you demonstrate value every day, especially, like Kristin mentioned, since journalism is an elective. What we do is so important, and taking the time to write about it and show your principal is an effective way to build more confidence in your job and your program.
ReplyDeleteLauren Ramcharan Gutierrez
Corbett Jr. High
San Antonio, Texas