[Ous-lp-rp13] EDAD 6010, Answer to Question # 3

[Matney, Mary]

As an administrator, I will experience many barriers as it pertains to tasks, relations, and change. When addressing tasks, I fear my biggest barrier with would be delegating. My typical reaction to a task is to face it head on, and get it done. I realize more each day that in order to run a school building effectively, one thing I must master is to delegate tasks, and rely on the other professionals around me for help when I need it. It’s not that I think that I am the only one that can get things done, it’s just the fact that they may have tasks of their own to accomplish, and I don’t want to inconvenience others. I will need to accept help when offered, as well as ask for help when needed with tasks.



Considering the fact that I am a “pleaser” at heart, meaning I try to please others and many times put their wants and needs above my own, I don’t foresee many barriers in the relations department. That being said, I understand that it will take time to build relations in my building, and I will not be able to be a people-pleaser all the time. I am going to make people angry. There will inevitably be disagreements. Staff will sometimes maybe not even like me. This is where the barrier will come in to play for me as an administrator: having to face the fact that not everyone will like me all the time—and that is ok. Building trust amongst my staff, and reminding them of our common bond: the students, will hopefully negate any of the naysayers and keep us all on track together.



I expect that the biggest barrier there is for any administrator is implementing change. Changes are difficult for some people, and it seems that many times teachers have the hardest time with change. I, myself, have a very hard time with it, so I can appreciate the level of discomfort this presents to some. I fully believe that in order to promote a change, one must be fully cognizant of the vision, goals, and direction to bring about the desired outcome. An organized, clear, and concise plan must be presented to attain the support of the followers. As an educator, there is nothing worse than hearing about a change that needs to be made, but never hearing what the end game is or an explanation for why the change must happen. Being fully educated, transparent, and energized is necessary when it comes to change, and I hope that I will exhibit those characteristics when it is a time for change.



As with so many of the topics we have discussed in class over the last three weeks, these three leadership qualities intersect with Bowman & Deal’s Four Perceptual Lenses of Leadership Orientation Styles in various ways. I can connect task orientation with the structural lens, as well as transactional leadership, in that tasks are specific in nature and have measurable productivity. Relations orientation intersects with the Human Resource & the Political lenses because of the emphasis on people and relationships, and conflict/resolution. Finally, change intersects with the Structural & Symbolic lenses because change involves being organized and getting things done, as well as being a visionary who generates hope for the future of the organization. Relations & Change are connected to Transformational Leadership in that they are both people-centered & family oriented in nature. In essence, if I can know my barriers, based on my personality traits, I can be proactive and combat any potential barriers before they even come to fruition.
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