Conclusion+-+Embracing+the+Principles

"Questions for One-to-Ones" In the back of the book sixteen questions are listed as useful fuel for discussion with colleagues. I have selected three to answer.

//Who are your strongest employees? What are you doing to ensure that they're happy and motivated?// The superintendent and I have had discussions about who we believe are our strongest employees, and we had an almost one-to-one match on the list. I believe that I visit them often, send notes of thanks and congratulations, ask their advice, and seek them out for extra paid curriculum assignments. When other districts visit, theirs are the rooms I choose. I do need to make a better effort of visiting those great teachers in the elementary schools more often. I tend to see the high school teachers more often because my office adjoins that building.

//Who are your weakest employees? What is your plan for them?// I know who my four weakest employees are. I need to meet with my building administrators, readdress my concerns, develop a plan of action in tandem with them, (hopefully for improvement), and encourage the principals to follow the advice of Stone in tackling the problems head on.

//What has become clear since we last met?// We really didn't meet, so let's phrase this, "since I read this book". I realize that I was not monitoring my internal conversations as well as I should, and that my conversations with others are not influenced by them, they are influenced by ME. All my conversations are first with myself. I recognize that I still pad some conversations with too many pillows, especially when that person is another administrator or a family member.