I'd been reading at that time about other business and organizations and the key principles that guided them. I felt I was able to draw some interesting comparisons between them.
So, I wrote to you about these things in January of 2014...
So, I wrote to you about these things in January of 2014...
I learned the other day that Enron had it's core corporate values engraved on marble plaques in the lobby of their office building.
Impressive, aren't they? Integrity. Communication. Respect. Excellence.
Good stuff. Except they weren't.
In the end, Enron's core values would seem to have had little or no effect on the organization. Enron's demise in 2001 remains one of the largest bankruptcies in U.S. history and "it was revealed that its [falsely] reported financial condition was sustained substantially by an institutionalized, systematic, and creatively planned accounting fraud." Twenty-thousand people lost their jobs when Enron collapsed. Innumerable stock-holders and business partners lost millions if not billions of dollars. In Enron's wake their accounting firm, Arthur Anderson, was also compelled to surrender its license and was subsequently dissolved. Enron's CEO, Ken Lay, who was to stand trial on charges that would have imprisoned him for up to 45 years, died of a heart attack before his trial began... though rumors that he faked his death persist.
Core organizational values are great. Unless they're not. If they're just platitudes, empty words engraved in stone, what's the point?
On the other hand there's Netflix, one of the most successful tech-companies in the world right now, having successfully negotiated a rapidly changing marketplace and quickly adapted from a company that sends DVDs to customers through the mail into a company which now streams a whopping one-third [UPDATE: It's now 37% as of January 2016] of all the Internet content in the U.S. on a daily basis. Netflix has grown immensely in the last several years.
Netflix corporate values and its statement of corporate culture (called "the most important document ever to come out of the [Silicon] Valley" by no less that Facebook's COO [and author of Lean In], Sheryl Sandberg) are widely admired in the corporate world. In all they have nine core values at Netflix which are all focused on maintaining optimal "freedom and responsibility" within their organization. The values that matter to Netflix are Judgement, Communication, Impact, Curiosity, Innovation, Courage, Passion, Honesty, and Selflessness.
According to Patty McCord, who was the "chief of talent" at Netflix for many years, Netflix' corporate values were deliberately written as a set of ideal behaviors, rather than as esoteric or generic ideas, for the members of the organization to abide. And they've served them well. Netflix has grown from 30 employees to thousands in the years since these values were first written and, as a company, their financial success as well as their status as a "great place to work" is nothing less than legendary.
I will admit to being intrigued by these core values and the postive impact they may (or may not) have on an organization. I believe Marshall has a number of great core values, but I don't believe we've identified them well at this point. If someone were to ask us what we held as the key, most-important attributes of our "corporation" what would we tell them? Who do we want to work alongside here at Marshall and what do we want them to be like? What traits and ideals do we aspire to live up to as coworkers and team-mates at Marshall? And, as we peer a ways into the future, what attitudes do we want our new coworkers to embody?
I think it's important that we become better able to articulate these ideals...
Back in January of 2014, I created a survey and asked our faculty and staff at the time to complete it, which they all did. Afterward, I went through each of the responses, and highlighted common themes. This process turned out to be much simpler than I had anticipated it would be. The themes, which became our Core Values, were pretty obvious and bubbled to the surface quite organically. There were five: Passion, Collaboration, Honesty, Innovation, and Persistence.
I also reviewed every narrative comment the staff wrote at that time and highlighted the key components of each, putting every workplace behavior identified into one the five Core Value groups.
Impressive, aren't they? Integrity. Communication. Respect. Excellence.
Good stuff. Except they weren't.
In the end, Enron's core values would seem to have had little or no effect on the organization. Enron's demise in 2001 remains one of the largest bankruptcies in U.S. history and "it was revealed that its [falsely] reported financial condition was sustained substantially by an institutionalized, systematic, and creatively planned accounting fraud." Twenty-thousand people lost their jobs when Enron collapsed. Innumerable stock-holders and business partners lost millions if not billions of dollars. In Enron's wake their accounting firm, Arthur Anderson, was also compelled to surrender its license and was subsequently dissolved. Enron's CEO, Ken Lay, who was to stand trial on charges that would have imprisoned him for up to 45 years, died of a heart attack before his trial began... though rumors that he faked his death persist.
Core organizational values are great. Unless they're not. If they're just platitudes, empty words engraved in stone, what's the point?
On the other hand there's Netflix, one of the most successful tech-companies in the world right now, having successfully negotiated a rapidly changing marketplace and quickly adapted from a company that sends DVDs to customers through the mail into a company which now streams a whopping one-third [UPDATE: It's now 37% as of January 2016] of all the Internet content in the U.S. on a daily basis. Netflix has grown immensely in the last several years.
Netflix corporate values and its statement of corporate culture (called "the most important document ever to come out of the [Silicon] Valley" by no less that Facebook's COO [and author of Lean In], Sheryl Sandberg) are widely admired in the corporate world. In all they have nine core values at Netflix which are all focused on maintaining optimal "freedom and responsibility" within their organization. The values that matter to Netflix are Judgement, Communication, Impact, Curiosity, Innovation, Courage, Passion, Honesty, and Selflessness.
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I will admit to being intrigued by these core values and the postive impact they may (or may not) have on an organization. I believe Marshall has a number of great core values, but I don't believe we've identified them well at this point. If someone were to ask us what we held as the key, most-important attributes of our "corporation" what would we tell them? Who do we want to work alongside here at Marshall and what do we want them to be like? What traits and ideals do we aspire to live up to as coworkers and team-mates at Marshall? And, as we peer a ways into the future, what attitudes do we want our new coworkers to embody?
I think it's important that we become better able to articulate these ideals...
Back in January of 2014, I created a survey and asked our faculty and staff at the time to complete it, which they all did. Afterward, I went through each of the responses, and highlighted common themes. This process turned out to be much simpler than I had anticipated it would be. The themes, which became our Core Values, were pretty obvious and bubbled to the surface quite organically. There were five: Passion, Collaboration, Honesty, Innovation, and Persistence.
I also reviewed every narrative comment the staff wrote at that time and highlighted the key components of each, putting every workplace behavior identified into one the five Core Value groups.
Here's what we came up with in 2014. Surely, you've seen this before on the Blue Note...
Marshall Values: Passion
Marshall Values: Collaboration
Marshall Values: Honesty
Marshall Values: Innovation
Marshall Values: Persistence
Ok. That's nice. But what's next? How does this apply to the 2016-2017 school year?
Glad you asked!
First of all, it's important, I think, to recognize the large-scale change-over in our faculty and staff since January of the 2013-2014 school year. A number of our teachers have moved on to retirement, to new assignments, or to distant locales. And a nearly equal number have been newly hired-on to replace them. Look around, it's easy to see: the picture of our faculty and staff has changed a lot in the past two or three school years.
So has the picture of our school community.
Seven years ago, when I first arrived at Marshall, our community was just beginning the long process of building our capacity to deal with many of these changes, as school closures, particularly the shuttering of South Beaver School and the influx of a large new demographic, changed Marshall's student body almost overnight.
Since that time we've only added to our challenges...
Fact is, few if any other elementary schools in the region face such a plate full of challenges, much less challenges at the scale that we have here at Marshall. That's not bragging. And it's certainly not complaining. It's simply our reality. Marshall is special. It takes a special kind of person to work here.
It really does.
Since January 2014, we've asked every teaching candidate who has come before us a series of questions pertaining to our Core Values. In that time, having interviewed literally hundreds of prospective employees, and hired dozens upon dozens of them, both certified and classified personnel alike, I can tell you, confidently: every single interview team has done its level best to recruit and retain faculty and staff here at Marshall who fit these Core Values and are willing, if not eager, to uphold them on a daily basis.
In view of our new members, and the host of new demands required of all Marshall teachers to meet the needs of the increasingly challenging community of learners we serve, I think it's time to revisit these Core Values, in order to ensure they represent all of us as we are today, a rich and ever-more varied tapestry of dedicated teaching professionals committed to working here, at Marshall, with this very challenging, very lovable bunch of kids and their families.
So, rather than spend this time today, as we so often have in years past, looking in-depth at our test scores and unpacking data relevant to enhancing student achievement, I'm going to ask you instead, at the end of this post, to complete the short Marshall Values survey (again) about what you, as a member of the Great Marshall Family, value in yourself and in your coworkers.
Some of you might be asking yourselves, "Why spend our valuable time on this (again)? How does this make Marshall better?"
Initially, as I began to plan to welcome you to this new school year, I intended for us to to talk about turning the oven on, to review our test-scores in detail, to discuss how we could better meet the needs of our high-poverty learners, and how we might move Marshall forward on the successful Title 1 school roadmap.
I still think all of those things matter a great deal. I've not given up on any of those ideals. Not at all.
But the fact of the matter is, we can't turn the oven on. Not until we're all committed to that process and everything that it means. We can't teach to a high-poverty population of students unless we're deliberate and united in our approach. We can't increase our overall achievement until We, meaning all of us, from our Pinnacle custodian to our most-seasoned veteran teacher, recognize that the picture of Marshall school is unique, that it takes a special individual to work here, and that those who do are committed both to one another and to making Marshall the best place for learning, for all students (even the weird ones), that it can possibly be.
So I guess, fundamentally, the question I'm asking you now, as you prepare to click the link below and take the survey is this: Are you Marshall?
If you are, that's great! Then I want to know the qualities that you recognize in yourself that make you so. And, perhaps more importantly, I want to know the qualities that you desire to see in those who work alongside you.
What does it take to be Marshall?
Do tell.
Please complete the Marshall Values 2016 survey.
Marshall Values: Passion
- You maintain a positive attitude as you seek the best for all our students.
- You are enthusiastic about teaching and learning.
- Your enthusiasm is contagious.
- You are dedicated to our entire community and love the work you do.
- You are committed to making every effort for every student.
- You enjoy being part of a team and view your colleagues as part of your extended family.
- You seek to be supportive of your coworkers at all times.
- You communicate effectively.
- You willingly share of your expertise, time, and resources.
- You work to include our parents and broader community as valued partners.
- You desire to trust and be trusted by your colleagues.
- You have a strong moral compass.
- You practice empathy and act compassionately toward others.
- You are respectful at all times and forgiving when necessary.
- You are expressive but professional as you communicate with others.
- You are driven to seek improvement in all aspects of your work.
- You are creative, curious, and willing to take risks as a professional.
- You are unafraid of change.
- You work with purpose to overcome obstacles and challenges.
- You enjoy creating new and useful things to enhance student achievement.
- You persevere in your role despite challenges and setbacks.
- You are, at all times, dedicated to the success and well-being of your students.
- You work hard to be efficient and effective.
- You own your responsibilities.
- You pursue excellence in your practice and expect the same from your students.
Glad you asked!
First of all, it's important, I think, to recognize the large-scale change-over in our faculty and staff since January of the 2013-2014 school year. A number of our teachers have moved on to retirement, to new assignments, or to distant locales. And a nearly equal number have been newly hired-on to replace them. Look around, it's easy to see: the picture of our faculty and staff has changed a lot in the past two or three school years.
So has the picture of our school community.
Seven years ago, when I first arrived at Marshall, our community was just beginning the long process of building our capacity to deal with many of these changes, as school closures, particularly the shuttering of South Beaver School and the influx of a large new demographic, changed Marshall's student body almost overnight.
Since that time we've only added to our challenges...
- as our enrollment of families living at or near the poverty level has increased immensely
- as our enrollment of students for whom English is a second language has grown beyond expectations
- as our enrollment of students with 504s and IEPs continues to climb
- as our two district-wide SPED programs burst at the seams
Fact is, few if any other elementary schools in the region face such a plate full of challenges, much less challenges at the scale that we have here at Marshall. That's not bragging. And it's certainly not complaining. It's simply our reality. Marshall is special. It takes a special kind of person to work here.
It really does.
Since January 2014, we've asked every teaching candidate who has come before us a series of questions pertaining to our Core Values. In that time, having interviewed literally hundreds of prospective employees, and hired dozens upon dozens of them, both certified and classified personnel alike, I can tell you, confidently: every single interview team has done its level best to recruit and retain faculty and staff here at Marshall who fit these Core Values and are willing, if not eager, to uphold them on a daily basis.
In view of our new members, and the host of new demands required of all Marshall teachers to meet the needs of the increasingly challenging community of learners we serve, I think it's time to revisit these Core Values, in order to ensure they represent all of us as we are today, a rich and ever-more varied tapestry of dedicated teaching professionals committed to working here, at Marshall, with this very challenging, very lovable bunch of kids and their families.
So, rather than spend this time today, as we so often have in years past, looking in-depth at our test scores and unpacking data relevant to enhancing student achievement, I'm going to ask you instead, at the end of this post, to complete the short Marshall Values survey (again) about what you, as a member of the Great Marshall Family, value in yourself and in your coworkers.
Some of you might be asking yourselves, "Why spend our valuable time on this (again)? How does this make Marshall better?"
Initially, as I began to plan to welcome you to this new school year, I intended for us to to talk about turning the oven on, to review our test-scores in detail, to discuss how we could better meet the needs of our high-poverty learners, and how we might move Marshall forward on the successful Title 1 school roadmap.
I still think all of those things matter a great deal. I've not given up on any of those ideals. Not at all.
But the fact of the matter is, we can't turn the oven on. Not until we're all committed to that process and everything that it means. We can't teach to a high-poverty population of students unless we're deliberate and united in our approach. We can't increase our overall achievement until We, meaning all of us, from our Pinnacle custodian to our most-seasoned veteran teacher, recognize that the picture of Marshall school is unique, that it takes a special individual to work here, and that those who do are committed both to one another and to making Marshall the best place for learning, for all students (even the weird ones), that it can possibly be.
So I guess, fundamentally, the question I'm asking you now, as you prepare to click the link below and take the survey is this: Are you Marshall? If you are, that's great! Then I want to know the qualities that you recognize in yourself that make you so. And, perhaps more importantly, I want to know the qualities that you desire to see in those who work alongside you.
What does it take to be Marshall?
Do tell.
Please complete the Marshall Values 2016 survey.
