Managing the Pressures of Being a Principal

by Caroline Knight and Daniela Andrei

‘One in five school principals is overwhelmed by workplace stress’ is the title of one news article[1], and another laments the recent event of a principal in Western Australia found dead at her desk[2].

The job of a school principal is undoubtedly complex, requiring self-control, critical thinking and agility. The job can be emotionally draining. Current estimates suggest that the demands of the job are 1.5 times higher than those of the general population, with the associated incidence of burnout being 1.6 times higher, stress 1.7 times higher, sleeping difficulties 2.2 times higher, and depressive symptoms 1.3 times higher [1]. Another recent report suggests that nearly half of all teachers say they experience a high level of stress every day which can lead to irritability, mood swings, exhaustion, depression, and anxiety[3].

Emma agrees her job as a school principal is stressful. On top of a relentless workload, having to manage change is one of the biggest challenges. Some people ‘jump on board’ and are ‘ready to go’ whereas others ‘you have to nudge along’. Sometimes, people just don’t want things to change.

Another challenge is having to reign in demands facing the school from external sources. To maintain focus and avoid stretching resources beyond capacity, Emma must make decisions about which opportunities to take advantage of and which to let go. This can be hard, particularly when everyone can have a different view of what the ‘right’ or ‘best’ thing to do is. Whilst it is empowering to be able to make these decisions, Emma acknowledges it can feel a little lonely at times.

What helps Emma to cope with the pressures of the job?

Apart from the fact that she loves the work because of the chance to make a difference, support from colleagues is an important aspect of her work. Research shows that social support can buffer the negative effects of job demands, such as stress, burnout, and poor performance[4]. It seems that Emma’s job is highly socially embedded, with numerous interactions with other staff and parents. Grant and Parker[5] identify the importance of the relational aspect of work design and it is this aspect which seems particularly important for success in this role, and upon which Emma seems to thrive.

Recovery is also important. Emma manages the demands of her job by walking her dog as well as by imposing a rule that she does not read work emails over the weekend. She encourages her staff to do the same, and asks that really urgent matters, which cannot be left over the weekend, are communicated to her via a phone call.  These steps enable Emma to detach from the work.

Emma’s strategy accords with research showing that recovery from work is essential for employee well-being and performance, preventing stress and burnout, and providing the individual with the resources necessary to deal efficiently with the new day ahead.

When that new day involves as many challenges as faced by the average school principal, returning to school after the weekend feeling refreshed is especially important.

References

[1] Robinson, N. (2018, February 21). School principals at higher risk of burnout, depression due to workplace stress, survey finds. ABC News Online. Retrieved from: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-21/principals-overwhelmed-by-workplace-stress-acu-survey-finds/9468078

[2] Fraser, A. (2018, March 9). ‘It’s a lonely job’: how can we help stressed-out principals? ABC News Online. Retrieved from: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-09/school-principals-stress-public-private-teacher-support/9522360

[3]Ansley, B. M., Meyers, J., McPhee, K., Varjas, K. (2018, March 2). The hidden threat of teacher stress, The Conversation. Retrieved from: https://theconversation.com/the-hidden-threat-of-teacher-stress-92676  

[4] Bakker, A. B. & Demerouti, E. (2007). The job demands-resources model: state of the art. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22(3), 309-328.

[5]Grant, A. M. & Parker, S. P. (2009). The Academy of Management Annals, 3(1), 317-375. 

Behind The Scenes

We head towards the small administrative quarters of the school just after the morning recess. Heading there, we see Emma hurrying towards her car. She had to leave for a few minutes, the administrative assistant tells us, but she will be right back. Indeed, in about 10 minutes Emma is back and our interview can start. These things can happen quite often she said, only yesterday she was caught up in several meetings outside the school.

Emma’s office is situated at the end of the admin quarter and is cosy and quiet. She mentions that it doesn’t feel that it is fully her office – most of the things belong to the usual principal who Emma is substituting for, but she doesn’t seem very phased about it. We have the sense that spending time in this office is not what Emma likes to do anyway, she seems a very hands-on, involved Principal who likes to walk around the school and get involved in activities that are happening with the children.

Emma is a Principal at a small public school in WA. There are not many children running around. The atmosphere is calm and friendly compared to larger schools, and all the children seem to know each other. Normally, the Principal would also know each and every child in the school, and Emma is beginning to achieve this, despite only temporarily occupying the position of Principal. Emma appeared to be very active and involved in the school, trying to make her mark and implement a few of her ideas during her short stay.  

We noted that this is not the first time that Emma is substituting a Principal, she has taken on a few of these temporary appointments in the past 2 years, at different schools across WA. Her usual role is as Deputy Principal but she has enjoyed the opportunities provided by the Principal position and is now considering a full transition to a Principal role.

Implementing Virtual Learning

Updating Work is So Much More Than Updating Technology

by MK Ward

A common misconception is that “technological perfection” and magical algorithms are what it takes to transform work. This myth disregards how technology needs to be accepted by workers and embedded into work routines, for it to be useful. 

Stuart and his team from Telstra have witnessed the importance of this statement many times. Over several years of a partnership with the Department of Education, the team has worked hard to support virtual learning in the Pilbara. Stuart has worked with Chloe, and with worked with others in Telstra, to improve network connectivity in the Pilbara and in other remote regions to supply the technology for video conferencing.

One might expect that - as a telecommunications company responsible for cell phone service – the team’s focus is entirely technical. Technical expertise is important, but achieving an impact through new technology requires much more than installing a connection or getting a new device. Successful impact requires bridging the gap between the work being done by real, live human beings, and the technology. As Stuart observed:

“(To make an actual difference)… I’m on the ground, talking with teachers in the classrooms. I need to learn about the scenarios that are important to them and that help student learning. From those scenarios, I then talk with [our expert on current and emerging technologies], who recommends technological solutions.” 

Stuart also supports teachers to help them to see how technology can be useful:

“The biggest challenge is teachers’ mindset where they see (technology) as a burden and they can’t look past what they think they know… Once they see it happen and are supported in trying to implement it, then they get involved.”

From a work design perspective, new technology can – initially at least – be an additional job demand. So it is important that the end-users (in this case, the teachers) get the support they need to cope with the added challenge that comes with new technology. Support comes from help with troubleshooting, and equally valuable, as suggestions for better ways to leverage the technology to help teachers teach. Research shows that support can be an important buffer against excess job demands, which can otherwise lead to work stress.

Providing support is important not only for the recipient, but also the provider of the support, namely Stuart in this case. Stuart rates his job a 9 out of 10 “because of the impact you can have.” He values the opportunity to change the lives of students and teachers through the effective use of technology.

Incidentally, just like Chloe teaching in the Pilbara , Stuart also appreciates the autonomy is his job because it allows him to craft his work. “[I value] the flexibility of being able to pursue interests, and to turn the job into what I want it to be.”

It seems that the good work design in Stuart’s job enables him to support work design improvements for his clients, thereby making good work design contagious.

Surgery - Becoming a team in minutes

Ready, set, go!

by Laura Fruhen

In some work contexts, teams  are expected to work effectively within an instant even though members barely know each other. According to US-based research, such ‘ad-hoc teams’ make up roughly 1/3 of teams in organisations[1]. Classic examples are airplane crews, project teams, or - in our case - operating theatre teams.

A key challenge for operating teams that come together for the first time, yet need to be ready to perform in a co-ordinated way within an instant, is how members achieve a shared understanding of their tasks and roles (that is, a “shared mental model[2]” ). Complicating matters is the fact that operating theatre teams involve nurses, surgeons, technicians and anaesthetists, all with unique expertise yet also diverse backgrounds and experiences.

So how do such teams build shared mental models within minutes? This question has been the focus of one of the projects at our research centre.

Our research has involved evaluating the effects of short inter-disciplinary briefings, involving all operating theatre team members, just before the start of an operating theatre list (a list covers all the procedures that this particular team will conduct). In our research, we have focussed on these briefings from a theoretical and research angle using surveys and observations. Today we apply a more artistic approach! 

After a quick search for the anaesthetist who is already with the first patient, the theatre team comes together around the operating theatre table. Stewart, the surgeon, initiates the briefing. He starts by reflecting on why it is important for the team to come together: “We all may have worked together or know each other in some way, but we have never worked together as this team. So the briefing is about helping us become this team for the list today.”

Stewart makes clear that he wants everyone to contribute and that this openness can help everyone to develop a habit of speaking up when issues or uncertainties arise: “It is important that we ask questions now. We all need to get into the habit of communicating well, so let’s do it right from the start.”

Each team member (including myself and the artist, Lynne) introduce each other, stating role and name. This loosens up the room, and helps to break down any hierarchies. Lynne and I already feel more included. Then the team quickly overviews each of the four operations that is on the list. All members contribute their individual pieces of information.

The surgeon describes what he is planning for each procedure and what equipment might be needed.

Nurses and anaesthetists add their information, ask questions, and make suggestions throughout. Alan, the anaesthetist, makes the team aware that the third case will be a teenager who might be anxious and advises the team to be careful not to make him nervous.

Stephanie, one of the nurses, asks the surgeon about alternative plans should the initial plan not work for an operation that involves an older injury. Based on the discussion, the nurses can ensure they have additional equipment at hand, which they end up using later on during the procedure.

At the end, everyone summarises the main issues. Stewart checks again if anyone has any questions and concludes with an “Are we all ok for today?”.

There is a strong sense that the team is now ready. Everyone is clearly energised by the briefing and the shared sense of purpose it has created. In just five minutes, the team briefing has accelerated the sense of ‘team’ and paved the way for efficient and safe surgery.

References

[1] Devine, D. J., Clayton, L. D., Philips, J. L., Dunford, B. B., & Melner, S. B. (1999). Teams in organizations: Prevalence, characteristics, and effectiveness. Small group research, 30(6), 678-711.

[2] Mathieu, J. E., Heffner, T. S., Goodwin, G. F., Salas, E., & Cannon-Bowers, J. A. (2000). The influence of shared mental models on team process and performance. Journal of applied psychology, 85(2), 273.

Behind the Scenes