Another defining characteristic of the companies that Collins defined as great in his study was an overarching organizational culture of discipline. He is quick to point out that a culture of discipline is not to be confused with a strict authoritarian environment; instead, Collins is referring to an organization in which each manager and staff member is driven by an unrelenting inner sense of determination. In this type of organization, each individual functions as an entrepreneur, with a deeply rooted personal investment in both their own work and the company’s success.
As a leader I do NOT want to micro manage people. I have a firm belief in hiring people I trust and empowering them to thrive. I also know we must have accountability (some schools have set due dates for lesson plans, a set number of personal and sick days you can use, or other policies around minor issues).
Another example of this is in many work places people sit around and wait for others to do something or think they have to ask permission for everything instead of being proactive.
How can we create this environment of individual entrepreneurs at Brilla?
In order to create an environment of individual entrepreneurs at Brilla, first you need to create an environment filled with trust and openness.
ReplyDeleteIf you want employees to thrive in their work environment, they must trust their leaders and the people around them. When there is a strong level of trust, people are more apt to take risks and be proactive. When you trust others, you feel comfortable enough to be open to sharing ideas, taking lead roles, and giving and accepting criticism. You have to be open to learn from each other and be comfortable enough to know when to say, "Hey, this isn't working. We need to change something."
There also needs to be a culture of open communication. We need to feel that it's okay to share our thoughts and ideas, knowing that we are not being ostracized or judged when we do so. When people start feeling that their thoughts are not being heard, or that what they say is being used against them in some way, that's when you start to lose your employees. They start to close up and take a back seat to making decisions.
Also, we need to see each other as equals. Yes, we have bosses and those that are higher up on the ladder, so to say, but your environment need not feel that way. We must feel as though we are not being micro-managed, but working together, as equals, on the same common goal. When you have trust and open communication, this environment is naturally created.
MRs Maxwell, I enjoyed reading your post and most of all the pat about being equals. While yes there are "titles" I hope everyone sees them self as a leader and owns this school. If there is trash in the hallways or a student who is not in your class not following the school rules I hope everyone steps up. I hope teachers can help coach each other and given open honest feedback. Most importantly I hope we can form a culture that respects crucial conversations that need to take place. TO many times people will let it build up or go through someone else (boss) to address the issue when we need an open forum where people can go straight to the source and take these issues up. This is not easy and out of character for many people but it will be through practice and forming that communication line that this will happen.
DeleteI think I would pose the question: What can each of us do different then our current job to make this happen where we are at now and try to address people with issues we have (might be good practice)
I think one thing that would help is by being genuine. When you are genuine with someone, they are more apt to hear what you have to say.
DeleteI also think that in order for everyone to see themselves as leaders and equals, we must be great listeners. That means that when someone comes to you with a suggestion, concern, idea, etc., you actually hear what they have to say. Too often, people immediately take offense or brush off what you are saying and find any way to basically tell you "no", instead of saying, "I hear you" "Let's talk more" or "Sure, let's try it". I am having that issue with my current position. I have been made to feel that no matter what I say, my opinion doesn't really matter. When that happens in a work place, you are forced to go through someone else to get things done. And that's when you start to lose the trust.
The key to creating an environment of entrepreneurs is empowerment. Empower the staff to take initiative, try new things, and make mistakes without the fear of failure. With the right support network and culture of collaboration and free-flow communication, this should be the type of relationship we strive for.
ReplyDeleteAs Collins has pointed out, a level 5 leader is one who can empower others to do their best. Doing so requires a firm understanding of people's strengths and weaknesses. Not everyone shares a leader-type mentality in the workplace (although I would argue that we are all leaders in some way since we are leading classes and making numerous decisions throughout the day that affect 28 kids or more); we all have different styles when it comes to a professional environment. Yet, despite these differences in strengths and comfort zones, everyone is capable of making a unique and lasting impact.
Ms. Wang,
DeleteYou're completely right. We have to be able to make mistakes without fear. That point is crucial. In a fast paced environment mistakes are going to happen. Organizations that succeed are the ones who learn the quickest from those mistakes and put systems in place to minimize the effects of mistakes.
Good Morning Ms. Wang,
DeleteI completely agree with your reflection. I, too, feel as though there has to be a constant network of support and empowerment at Brilla in order to succeed at our greatest capacity. Without fear, we are able to take greater risks that could potentially give incredible results or learn in a constructive manner from our failures. By being empowered, we will be able to work more in sync and more successfully for our students. Have a wonderful day!
Brilla will be able to establish a culture of discipline if it dedicates itself to transparency and open communication. By being transparent, everyone will fully understand the goal/Brilla's Hedgehog Concept and therefore will be able to work within their classrooms accordingly. If Brilla dedicates itself to being open and transparent with their expectations and objectives then the staff will feel empowered to work towards a clear goal. This type of clarity will also compel the staff to work harder because there will be no excuses due to confusion.
ReplyDeleteThe key to being open is through constant communication. In order to create an environment that is disciplined, everyone needs to be on the "same page." Each teacher and administrator needs to communicate effectively and efficiently. Communication styles need to be able to flow seamlessly and therefore there should be less room for error and more time for excellence. As a team, if we are able to commit ourselves to transparency and open communication then we will be on the path to success.
Hi Clair, I completely agree with you. I think communication is importantly for relationships thrive; and it ensures everyone is on the same page. By having open communication we can be able to create an environment where holding each other accountable it not weird or uncomfortable, but rather normal and welcomed. I also think that naturally with great communication comes an important level of trust, which is also critical in building the strong relationships that have open communication. I look forward to building strong relationships with fellow at Brilla!
DeleteAt first, this culture of discipline is already being established with the types of people being hired. We want this type of disciplined culture for all the Brilla students, and it will be an important part of the values we put forth. Because we want to establish this culture for our students, we too will encompass this idea of discipline.
ReplyDeleteThe harder part is how to continually sustain a culture like this. It is easy to get burnt out or stressed during specific periods, however, it's important to maintain a culture of discipline (it's as if you need to stay disciplined at being disciplined). I think a big part of this happens from what Ms. Wang said: empowerment. By belief of empowerment is that you know where to go for answers, you know who to ask for help, you feel comfortable asking for help, etc. By empowering individuals, you allow them to feel comfortable and wanting to take on new initiatives and challenges. Allowing people to fail and succeed is what will be truly empowering, and will make a great disciplined culture for Brilla.
In order to create a culture of individual entrepreneurs, I believe that it is imperative to prioritize and more importantly learning how to prioritize. In my opinion, this is what successful people and and companies do best. We all have priorities, but it is sometimes difficult to determine which should come first. One principle that I like to refer to is the Pareto Principle. This principle, also known as the 80-20 rule, states that 20 percent of your activities will account for 80 percent of your results. Therefore, if you have a list of 10 items you do, 2 of those items will be worth 5 or 10 times more than the other 8 items put together.
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love to read John Maxwell articles and books and one of his most recent articles dealt with prioritizing in order to achieve maximum results and being your best self. One way to achieve greatness and maximum results is to create a Rule of 5. Here are some tips in establishing those rules:
1. Write down your main goal. This will be your guiding light as you create your Rule of 5. Your Rule of 5 are the steps you must take in order to achieve your goal.
2. Build your “important” list. This can be done in a variety of ways: a: Make a to-do list for your day. Include everything that must be done that day, as well as items you aim to complete over time. or b: Write down a list of every thing you do to be successful. This can range from reading and writing to engaging with team members and building relationships.
3. Rank the items in order of priority. If various items are similar, you can categorize them to help with the prioritization process.
4. Highlight the top 20 percent of your priorities and make a memorable list of 5 things that allows you to allocate the majority of your time to those things.
5. Print your Rule of 5 and hang it where it is frequently seen. Repetition is key.
As a wife, daughter, sister, friend, school leader, etc., this advice spoke to me loud and clear. I want the very best for Brilla and in order to achieve that, I must prioritize my efforts and tasks to ensure that I am always putting my best foot forward.
One thing that really stuck out for me from this chapter is the idea that many bureaucratic measures can be eliminated when there is a culture of discipline. But some of those measures are necessary, right? Some people need the structure of lesson plans to help them focus their ideas or hold them accountable. Others prefer to write notes directly into their materials packets. My previous school implemented a one size fits all approach to this, failing to recognize that in a culture of high discipline, this isn't necessary. It can actually have negative effects, patronizing the people who don't derive value from it. As the text illustrates, what we really should be holding ourselves to is the concrete objectives that we have set for the year. We have the right people on the bus. We have the same objectives. So we have to trust and empower people to use systems that are right for them (when the stakes are individual, rather than collective), and evaluate them in service of the underlying objective: do you have a solid plan for what you are going to teach in class that day? The same can be applied to these blog posts. It has definitely been hard to add this to part of our routines. But rather than micromanage people to get it done, we need to discipline ourselves to be accountable to the larger objective: are you doing your part as a Brilla team member to try to align ourselves in our approach to founding this school? Just as kids are more likely to follow directions when you provide a rationale for the objective, I think we can try to build a culture of discipline by being direct with each other and providing rationale for why we do what we do. Inevitably, there will be some systems that require bureaucratic influence in order to align us as a collective. When people fall short, there should be a point of accountability, but perhaps rather than asking "why didn't you do this", we beg the question "why do you think we asked you to do this" and start a conversation. We all have the determination to do the best thing for the kids, so I truly believe that being direct about these things will foster a culture of discipline.
ReplyDeleteMs. Kopro -- I really liked your distinction between "why didn't you do this" and "why do you think we asked you to do this". In the first question, nothing is really getting accomplished, as you are backward looking and finding solutions to a problem in the past that may not apply to that problem in the future. Whereas the second question really gets down to the roots of the task/duty, and with that in mind can create the culture of discipline that can be applied to future tasks.
DeleteI believe that creating an enviornment of entrpreneurs start in beginning from the moment you hire an individual. You must have a fit and performance matrix aligned to the values you want in a person. If hiring someone with an entrpreneurial spirit or mindset is something you value. This quality must be vetted for during the hiring process.
ReplyDeleteWhen people with entrpreneurial spirit are brought on board you must cultivate their talents by providing them with autonomy, but giving them direction and support as well. That does not mean being an overseer of their work. It is best to be supportive and ask questions of them. As a leader it is best to take the attitude to seek to understand. This way you are allowing people to be themselves and restricting their true talents.
The culture of discipline all comes back to establishing and adhering to norms. We must model the morms that we expect everyine to adhere to on a daily basis.If we set norms and hold each other accountable to follow the norms this creates discipline. You don't want to rule with an iron fist, but as a leader you have to draw that hardline in the sand as well. There are certain responsibilities that everyone has as part of team. We msut all support each other and make sure that we are doing what is needed.
If you build a culture that is big on communication, trust, and openess then you are allowing people to displayu their true talents, but when you put to many systems in place people start to push back and feel constricted. I believe that we are working our way through finding the correct balance and Brilla. I beleive once we set our norms with the entire staff we will have a cultture where indviduals feel supported, but not micromanaged.
Mr. English you are right. When we work together,communicate and trust each other we create and environment in which exudes creativity and passion which in turn becomes
Deletean environment our children and team will thrive! Success!
Mr. English, I totally agree with you. A work environment that is big on communication, trust, and transparency allows employees to bring forth creativity and talents.
DeleteI had the experience of watching a company sink and loose $240MM in assets under management because the CEO, as brilliant as he was, could not bring himself to listen to and try the recommendations of the highly trained and talented professionals he had hired. Obviously, he did not read “From Good to Great.” In this organization, there was no issue with people not knowing their role or not acting with self-discipline. It was the resentment that slowly built up within a group of committed professionals (of all levels) who were micro-managed and treated with disrespect when organizational goals had to reconsidered or delayed. We are truly blessed at Brilla for having the opportunity from day one to express our ideas, show our entrepreneurial talents, and participate in the development of the culture and discipline that is soon to become our business model.
At my previous school, micromanaging was very present. This was detrimental. Teachers felt there was always someone breathing down their back. Trust was being broken. Fear had taken over. An allocated number of sick days? Most teachers would feel obligated to lie if an important event came up. Trust? Gone. Openness? Forget it. As we know from any relationship, once those two elements are gone, it will continue to snowball. Down hill. Fast. It's going to crash somewhere, which ends in teachers leaving.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Brilla, for taking the time to become a disciplined community where are open to speaking our minds and asking for help. Thank you, Brilla, for being flexible. If something's not working, we can communicate to fix it. If we have an idea of how to make something better, we can communicate how we plan to do this without holding back. All creativity will be embraced. Being proactive is the jump start that each of us have inside of us if we know our team will support us. We all have that urge to be heard, but we need to also have faith in our independence. Gut feelings are good feelings. Sometimes we don't need a green light to press on the gas. Brilla College Prep will be an environment of individual entrepreneurs if we communicate with trust, empower one another, have faith in our independence, and accept flexibility.
Ms. Mann, I think I've had a similar experience to you in working at a school where things are NOT transparent, trust is eroded, and people start to avoid participation in important conversations because the most likely outcome is that they will be forced to take something on or get reprimanded. Just as the book mentioned, this erosion of trust and increase in micromanagement causes the good people to leave. The conversations may be awkward, and it will definitely take time to develop the right norms. But if we hit it HARD right from the beginning, I think we can develop a culture that enables us to do what needs to be done and say what we really feel without fear of retribution. The key is to LAY IT ALL OUT THERE right from the get go, and constantly hold each other accountable to maintaining that culture of transparency.
DeleteOne of my favorite TV shows is Martin. In one of the episodes Martin says "Ain't nothin to it but to do it."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_l-6KsxVjc
Sometimes you can allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things that have to be done. Ultimately though, there ain't nothing to it but to do it. One foot in front of the next.
Individual entrepreneurs know that they have to keep moving forward and getting things done.
Funny...I know exactly what episode you are talking about! True, entrepreneurs know that no matter what happens, they have to keep moving forward. "Ain't nothin to it but to do it". Short and sweet, but i like it!
DeleteMr. Gillaspie hit it right on the head, empowerment. In order to create an environment of individual entrepreneurs, the first step is hiring dedicated and driven individuals, the second is empowering those individuals to strive for excellence. Alongside the empowerment, high expectation also comes into play. Just like our students, when we expect greatness, greatness will be achieved. Brilla College Prep is a team and a family who is aiming towards one mission, creating an environment where the staff feels appreciated and supported is imperative in order to keep our team focused and motivated to perform.
ReplyDeleteI am excited to be surrounded by individuals who exude the love of teaching and learn from their expertise and example. Being surrounded by driven and exceptional teachers will only drive my passion for greatness and making Brilla College Prep the best place to grow as a teacher and learn and succeed as a student.
Ms. Martinez, I really agree with your point about empowerment going hand in hand with making sure that the staff feels appreciated. In my current school, this is severely lacking. We all are jaded by the lack of recognition that we receive from admin, and though of course we wish it wasn't the case, in some ways it does influence the amount of effort we put in. The way we combat that is by appreciating each other! Support and recognition need not be coming just from the top. I think empowerment goes so much further if you have a whole network of people continuing to motivate and inspire you to keep achieving. At Brilla, we can do that for each other.
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ReplyDeleteSo far from what I can tell and the hard work I have seen the leadership team put in, I know Brilla already has staff members that are driven by an unrelenting inner sense of determination. I can tell the deep personal investment everyone has--and that is the beginning of the creation of individual entrepreneurs. I am going to mirror what was said in a few comments above in that I also think honest and open communication is key to the success of Brilla; and I think there are many forms or honestly. From the leadership team down to the staff I think that comes in the form of transparency. Everyone should we on the same page at the same time.
ReplyDeleteThinking on a smaller scale--within a grade team--this is a part of always discussing the good and the bad. By having open communication we can be able to create an environment where holding each other accountable it not weird or uncomfortable, but rather normal and welcomed. It leads to an environment where we can give honest, critical feedback which can help you to grow as a teacher, and not feel attacked in anyway. Lastly another benefit of open communication means less talking behind others back. I've seen that happen at my school, and it was very unfortunate. I feel optimistic about Brilla being able to create individual entrepreneurs so our school can truly thrive!
Ms. Cuevas, You are correct in what you are saying in regards to the smaller scale. I beleive that communication is very key. If do not communicate or allow everyone to feel empowered to commuinicate our culture will erode,and we will be like all the other schools out there. I believe the system we create around communication amongst the adult staff will lead to us having a great amount of success. I believe everyone our team is like minded and we all are striving to improve on a daily basis. The attitudes and mindsets we all have will allow our school to be successful and not succumb to many pitfalls we see in other schools.
DeleteCreating an environment of entrepreneurs begins with leadership-by-example. When an organization's member's can see that the leadership of that organization routinely take initiative, go beyond the call of duty, and take responsibility for mistakes made, those characteristics will embed themselves into the DNA of the organization as a whole.
ReplyDeleteBeyond exhibiting entrepreneurial quailities, these leaders need to be able to empower and trust the staff, as Mr. Gillaspie said. We should aim to make sure that our staff as a whole knows that they are trusted and that their opinions and ideas are valuable and respected; and speaking from my experience at Brilla thus far, I am so happy to say that Mr. Gillaspie and the rest of the school's leadership is doing an exceptional job of empowering and trusting those of us on staff! It really is motivating to know that we are part of such a vibrant and dynamic work environment, where no matter the challenge, we are all fully invested and eager to do what is necessary to get the job done.
Mr. Martinez -- I definitely agree, leading by example is the best way to create a team of entrepreneurs and go-getters. I already see this vibrant, dynamic work environment, even though I have experienced it to the extent in person as others. That'll be a huge asset to tackling large challenges because we are all in it together - regardless of what the actual job title says.
DeleteMr. Martinez, I also agree with your comment on leadership. As leaders, we cannot ask others to "Do as I say and not as I do." This creates confusion, a loss of trust, and a sense of double standards. Leaders who are blind to transparency and trust also create environments in which employees become resentful, uninterested, low morale, and worse, they start going to work just for the paychec
DeleteI have been looking for an environment of entrepreneurs since I began teaching. My favorite thing to do is to sit down and discuss ideas and best practices that will truly bring an organization, and in this case Brilla, from good to great. In our conversations, I have been so excited by the passion, enthusiasm, and knowledge everyone brings to the table in all of our interactions. It's incredibly exciting that we all bring a unique perspective on education and what works to the table, and we have already begun to discuss what we as a team is best for our scholars. Since these lines of communication are open, we can have respectful and open conversations and truly own what we are doing.
ReplyDeleteWhile good to great certainly requires discipline, it's important to recognize that what good to great really requires is ownership and investment. Discipline is a byproduct of investment. When a person wants something badly enough, or cares about something deeply enough, that person will be self-motivated, disciplined, and demonstrate the entrepreneurial qualities discussed in this chapter. Because we already have this motivation, we will reach our goals. Due to our collaboration and open conversations, we will surpass all expectations and honestly give our scholars the best education available and the ability to be informed, thoughtful young men and women.
I am so incredibly excited to be part of a team that actually fosters and celebrates an entrepreneurial spirit, because the lack there of can truly have devastating effects on all of the stakeholders.
Hi Ms. Barry,
DeleteThank you so much for such a thoughtful reflection! I really connected with what you said about discipline being a byproduct of investment. By our steadfast commitment to the children and their community there is no way we will not be able to reach our goals! I also agree with how exciting it is to come on to a team of such passionate educators. Being new to education, it is incredibly heartwarming to know that there are so many role models already within my own school! Have a wonderful weekend!
Personally, I think that the piece that bridges all this together is transparency and a strong trust in our leaders, colleagues, and ourselves that the hard work we are embracing is going to be a success.
ReplyDeleteI like Collins example of rinsing your cottage cheese in order to be the best. Going that extra mile no matter how worn out you may be goes hand in hand with our values. Honesty and transparency are critical to building this culture at Brilla.
This makes us strong entrepreneurs looking at incentives instead of barriers. One barrier that is important to let go of is fear of failure. Transparency and trust allows us to accept our mistakes and move forward sharing the knowledge learned with our colleagues. It helps to create the expectation that we are responsible and dependable in delivering service. This is the vision of culture we are developing at Brilla.
Our business sense advances as we take full control of our behavior, own actions and invest in performance. We want to go the extra mile, continue working despite the long hours because we don't want to be good like our competitors. We want to be want to deliver a better performance than our competitors. We also empower ourselves to think on our feet and make decisions that respond to the needs of our clients. Individually, we are high achievers and proactive performers. But that is not enough. We need to be transparent and trustworthy in our execution and invest in Brilla’s success.
Our atmosphere of individual entrepreneurship is already shaping as we are all trustworthy individuals. We are taking responsible action and collaborating with each other. We have taken ownership of our initial responsibilities by way of our blogs, special projects, active participation in community events, and monthly calls. Transparency in our productivity has served to bond as a group and support each other from inception. As we continue to look at incentives instead of barriers we are advancing this culture.
We are also becoming invested and we are starting to see the rewards. Hard work and long hours will not only help to transform our sources into resources and find tools outside of the toolbox to make sound decisions, it is how we grow as business persons and pave the way to successes for Brilla.
The end result is higher standard for excellence in the services we provide. As Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com puts it, “…It does mean everyone needs to look for and find ways to do their work better than it’s ever been done before, and to do that as often as possible.”
Trust in the work place, to me means working with a team of people who understand the goals set before us. Everyone works hard to fill those roles effectively because they know that if everyone is united; everyone succeeds. This includes not only knowing the role we are in called to do, but also how it connects to the roles of others. We must be proactive. Which means a change in thinking, followed by a change in actions. I have always taken the approach ”Don’t wait to be asked, just do!” If something needs to be done and you are capable of doing it, do it! It benefits us all.
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