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7/28/2019 Koontz 360 Exec.
1/23
Multiple Perceptions360 Evaluation Analysis of Joe Koontz, Educational Leader
7/28/2019 Koontz 360 Exec.
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In my new position, I am seen in a different light and held to ahigher standard. Have I changed or have peoples perceptionof me changed?
I am in a unique position analyzing the data
collected through this 360 evaluation.
When my peers and subordinates first
completed this evaluation in the fall of
2011, I was the Associate Principal at my
school. I had just been transferred by
central office. I have since become the
Principal of Donahoe Elementary, and with
that title change comes increased scrutiny
and changes in perception. Overall, my
peers and subordinates rated me slightly
lower in 2013 than they did in 2011. The
where I need to look critically at my
leadership to see if my own perception
matches what people actually see. Over
the past year, my personal and professional
life has changed dramatically, and I also
need to bring that context to my analysis. I
will first attempt to create the context
surrounding both the 2011 and 2013 360
Evaluation. I will then look at the individual
leadership traits that are assessed through
the 360 Evaluation to identify any trends or
specific actions I can take to become a
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New Position, New Challenge
When the first 360 Evaluation was administered, in the fall of 2011,
I had just been moved a few months earlier from a different school to
Donahoe elementary. This was not a move that I had sought out, but one
that I tried to embrace. Donahoe was a different type of school than the
one I had previously worked and I, admittedly, had some reservations. I
was also concerned that the staff at Donahoe would also have some
reservations because they did not have any say in my hiring. When the
original 360 evaluation was given, my colleagues had only known me for a
few months, which I had to take that into account when I analyzing that
data. My colleagues rated me Highly Effective or Outstandingly Effective
in all areas. Two areas that my colleagues perceived me to be
Outstandingly Effective in 2011 were
Oral Communication and Sensitivity.
I had also just spent the summer learning about myself through various
instruments such as the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). I used the
MBTI and the 360 Evaluation to examine myself as a leader. I discovered
that I am more critical of myself than others are of me. Oral
Communication and Sensitivity align with my MBTI strengths. I was
encouraged that my colleagues would see those two areas as strengths of
mine after such a short time. Learning about myself first, gave me a
unique insight and allowed me to be much more reflective about the
results of the initial 360 Evaluation.
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Ready or NotTo properly analyze the results on my current 360 Evaluation, it is
important to understand the unique circumstances that relate to the
timing of this evaluation. In the spring of 2012, the principal of Donahoe
Elementary decided to retire. I was the obvious choice and I now see that
I had been moved to this school strategically. The only problem was, I did
not think I was not ready for the job. I had just started my third semester
of the Ed.D. program, my wife and I just found out we were having our
third child in the fall, and my wifes father was dying of cancer.
Understanding the balance I wanted for my life, work, and doctoral work, I
decided not to apply for the job. After some discussion with the division
leadership, I decided to agree to take the job. I was upfront with the
division leadership about exactly what was on my plate and how that
would affect my performance as a first year principal. So with fear,
trepidation, and excitement, I jumped into the deep end.
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I was upfront with my current staff about the things I had going on in
my life and let them know that I willingly accepted the position. Even with
that, I still felt some trepidation because there was no interview, no
teacher input, just an appointment by the superintendent. My school is a
work in progress. We are in school improvement with the state and we
have a transient and diverse population. I fully understood the challenges
our school faced and the challenges I would face as a new leader with
these personal challenges I was dealing with. When analyzing the results of
the 2013 360 Evaluation, I cannot separate these extenuating
circumstances from the results. I do not bring these challenges up as an
excuse for a dip in performance, but rather to bring context to the data
and to potential solutions. I have two hands and three heavy plates that I
need to handle; my family, work, and the doctoral program. I can only
hold two plates at once and the results of this 360 will help me bring focus
to the work plate. Dr. Becker used this analogy at a presentation in 2010
when I was considering applying for the Ed. D. in Leadership program and it
is an analogy that I have used to help myself stay grounded and realistic
about expectations for my time and myself.
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In analyzing the results of my current 360 Evaluation, I want to
examine the data from several angles. First, I look for overall trends.
Next, I want to compare the results from 2011 with the results from 2013.I also want to look at any trends from the different the respondents. I had
6 people complete the survey. Three individuals are subordinates and
three are members of my administrative team who I consider peers.
Finally, I want to look at the categories where I have an opportunity for
growth and develop strategies for improvement.
I took the mean, median, and mode for each category using all
responses except my own. I chose to work with the average because that
was the only value that gave any quantifiable data to work with. The
median score showed virtually no change in responses from 2011 to 2013.
While the average score is not a perfect indicator because the original
rating scale is absolute with no way for the respondent to indicate an
answer in-between the possible
answer choices. For each question,
the respondents were asked to rate
my performance as Ineffective,
Minimally Ineffective, Satisfactory,
Highly Effective, or Outstandingly Effective. When analyzing the data, I
converted this qualitative data into a 1 to 5 scale where 1 equals
Ineffective and 5 equals Outstandingly Effective. Using the average of the
responses in each category gave me the ability to identify some variability
between the 2011 and 2013 responses.
2013 Survey Results and Findings
1. Ineffective2. Minimally Ineffective3. Satisfactory 4. Highly Effective5. Outstandingly Effective
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0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
360 Evaluation Category Averages
2011 GroupAverage
2013 GroupAverage
The graph below shows the average responses by category from
2011 and 2013. I then graphed the difference between the changes in
score from 2011 to 2013. It is important to look at these two graphs
together, because on their own they can be deceiving. For example, the
area of Oral Communication appears to be an area that I have gone down
in, but comparing it to the other categories, it is still a relative strength.
0.000.050.100.150.200.250.300.350.400.450.50 Negative Change from
2011 to 2013
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Why the change?My respondents gave me a median rating of Highly Effective or
Outstandingly Effective in all categories, so I have to look at the minutia in
each category to make sense of the dip in average. My change in position
could have played a major factor in a drop in the average of the responses.
There is a huge perceptual difference between the assistant principal and
the principal. My staff will and should be more critical of my actions and
performance. When the respondents took the original 360 Evaluation in
2011, they had only known me for a few months. With the current survey,
all of these individuals have worked with me now for almost two years andshould be able to more accurately assess my performance.
The drop in rating could also be tied to a drop in performance. As
the building principal, I am responsible for more and therefore am held
accountable for more. I
have to spread myself
thinner and delegate
more. As the principal,
the work of others is also
a direct reflection on me.
I need to make sure the
work of my administrative
team is to the level that I
expect as well.
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would like to be because of the challenges and commitments I currently
face in my personal life. The time I would normally spend catching up on
email is now spent caring for a new baby. The time on the weekend I
would spend on strategic planning I now spend completing work for my
doctoral program. I have to be open to the realization that good enough,
might just have to be good enough for the time being.
That being said, I want to be the best leader I can be for myself, my
staff, my family, and the students I serve. There are some areas where I
can learn from the results of the 360 Evaluation to help improve my
performance. As I dig deeper into the results of the 2013 data, I want to
see the difference in perception of my peers and my subordinates. My
initial hypothesis is, the people I work closest with have a different
perception of my leadership qualities than my subordinates.
Subordinates PeersSetting Direction 3.79 4.08
Teamwork 3.90 4.48Sensitivity 4.27 4.60Judgment 3.89 4.23
Results Orientation 3.94 4.33Organizational Ability 3.57 3.95Oral Communication 4.20 4.57
Written Communication 4.00 3.56Developing Others 4.13 4.27
Und. Of Self 4.00 4.33
2013 Average Responses byLeadership Category
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The same information is shown in the graph below. It is easy to see
that my peers rate me slightly more effective than my subordinates. For
this survey, I consider my peers to be my administrative team made up of
my associate principal, school counselor, and resource teacher. The
subordinate responses are all teachers.
Interestingly, the one area that my subordinates rate me higher than
my peers is in the area of written communication. This is valuable
information for me and I have a theory about this perception. I
communicate much more frequently with my peers, often in short and
concise emails. I am much more deliberate with my communication that
goes out to my teachers or to the whole staff. I will definitely learn from
this realization and try to be more effective in my written communication
with my administrative team.
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Peer vs. Subordinate Perception
Perhaps the most significant trend in analyzing the 2013 360
Evaluation data is the difference in perception between my peers and mysubordinates. In nine out of ten categories, my subordinates rated my
leadership characteristics lower than my peers. Again, these are still
relatively high ratings overall, but the trend is significant and worth
contemplating. This trend reveals the
people I work closely with have a
different perception of my leadership
skills and ability. I need to find ways
for my subordinates to see me in the same light as my peers. This may or
may not be possible, but need to be aware of it. A lot of the time, it may
appear that I just make a decision. My subordinates do not always see
9 out of 10 leadershipcategories were rated higher by my peersverses my subordinates.
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the big picture and the decision making process that goes into certain
decisions. There are times when that is not possible for a myriad of
reasons. It may be that there are certain leadership categories that there
will always be a split between my peers and subordinates. There are
categories, like Teamwork and Setting direction, where there should not be
a split between the two groups.
My subordinates perceive me differently than my peers. I need to be
aware of that and not dismissive of that fact because their perception is
reality and in a school setting, teachers matter most. The work they do
everyday in their classrooms is ultimately what I am judged on.
My subordinates rated me an
average of .36 points lower
across all leadership categories
verses my peers.
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One area that is glaring from both the 2011 data and the 2013 data is
my personal response to the 360 Evaluation. I am self-critical and clearly
more critical of myself then others are of me. Effective leaders need to be
self-critical and be realistic about their weaknesses. I also need to give
myself credit sometimes. The following data shows that I need to be more
realistic with my own evaluation in order to accurately target the areas
where I need to grow the most. The following chart is the same web graph
shown previously, but with my personal evaluation averages added.
Self Perception
Results Orientation
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The overall trends are important and will help me grow as a leader,
but the details are just as important. Within each leadership category
there are further strengths and weaknesses. It is important to look closely
at the specific responses within each category to find ways to improve as a
leader. Within each leadership category, I looked for individual questions
where the average response by my peers was Satisfactory or lower. I
also looked at those questions where there was a disparity between the
peer and subordinate response. I then used those question stems as a
starting point to develop specific action plans or goals within each
category. The pages that follow contain the specific items within each
leadership category that I intend to focus on.
Opportunities for Growth
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Setting Direction
Question 5 under the Setting Direction category states, I generate
enthusiasm toward common goals. This question had a median score of
Satisfactory. I need to remember to present goals and initiatives in a
positive way, even if those goals did not come from me. Many of our
common goals come from the state in the form of student performance. I
need to remember to present these goals through the lens of what is best
for children, not just because it is a state mandate.
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Teamwork
The highest rating from all respondents in this category was on
question 13, I seek input from team members. This is something I work
hard at. I rely on the opinions of my team and the teachers in my school. I
have utilized Google Docs this year as a way to facilitate that process and I
am pleased that my respondents recognized this. On the other hand, with
question 14, there was a wide difference between my peers and
subordinates. The question states, he/she acts to maintain direction or
focus to achieve the team's goals. This seems to relate to my area of
weakness in Setting Direction. Without a clear goal or direction, it is hard
to maintain focus. I may have had too many goals as a first year principal
and may need to consider smaller, more manageable goals that are easier to
keep focused and achieve.
Sensitivity
Overall, this is an area of strength for me according to all
respondents. There was one question where there was a gap between my
peers and my subordinates. Question 19 states, he/she communicates
necessary information to appropriate persons in a timely manner. There
are times when I cannot communicate information to the teachers in my
building because of confidentiality or personnel reasons. I was surprised at
this response because I have tried to increase my communication and
transparency. This is an area where I will have to follow up with an
additional survey because the question is vague.
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Judgment
All teacher respondents rated question 21 as satisfactory and it was
the lowest overall rating for this category. The questions states, he/she
takes appropriate action. I assume the teachers are thinking about
personnel issues and student discipline when answering this question. I
have had teachers question my choices about student discipline and
specifically student suspension. I have certain procedures I have to follow
and there is an increased emphasis by the county to reduce the number of
suspensions. I need to do a better job communicating that to my staff and
involving them in the alternatives. Judgment on personnel is more
difficult. There are certain actions I take that I cannot share with other
teachers. I will have to be patient and the teachers will see over time that
more is being done than is perceived.
Results Orientation
The scores from my teachers in this category reflect my need to do a
better job of following up. There was a one point split between the
teachers and the admin team on question 32 which states, he/she
determines the criteria that indicate a problem or issue is resolved. Too
often, I deal with a problem where I call a parent or counsel a student and
I do not follow back up with the teacher. The day gets busy or I run out of
time and in my mind, the problem has been solved. I need to do a better
job and letting the teachers know I have followed up and brought
resolution to a problem.
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Organizational Ability
This was the lowest rated category by my subordinates and the
second lowest rated category by my peers. Simply put, I need to do a
better job staying organized. I know this is a weakness of mine and I rely
on the people around me to keep track of details. I need to do a better job
of keeping my desk clean, responding to requests on time, and not
overextending myself. The one bright spot in this category was question
42, which asks about my ability to use available resources.
Oral Communication
This is an area of strength for me according to all respondents. The
one disconnect comes on question 42 which states, he/she demonstrates
effective presentation skills. While the average score was still considered
Highly Effective by my subordinates, it is the lowest average in the group.
At times, I fall into the bad habits of presentations or I get a PowerPoint
from central office that I do not prepare for thoroughly. By implementing
the philosophies outlined by Garr Reynolds in Presentation Zen , I should
improve my rating in this area.
Written Communication
As I previously stated in this report, this category was the one
anomaly when looking at the data trend between my peer and subordinate
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responses. This is the one area that my subordinates rate me higher than
my peers. This is valuable information for me and I have a theory about
this perception. I communicate much more frequently with my peers,
often in short and concise emails. I am much more deliberate with my
communication that goes out to my teachers or to the whole staff. I will
definitely learn from this realization and try to be more effective in my
written communication with my administrative team. My administrative
team works very hard, and I do not want to waste their time deciphering
my written communication.
Developing Others
This is an area of leadership that I am passionate about, but I also
know I can do a much better job of developing others. As a new principal, I
am spending most of my time and energy developing myself. I have not
had the time or made the time to develop others. My associate principal
and I had this conversation before the year started. This first year, there
will be things that I need to do because I will be doing them for the first
time. In the future, I hope to be able to delegate more and spend more
time helping others develop. Question 56 was rated lower by my
subordinates than my peers. It states, he/she seeks agreement on
specific actions to be taken for developmental growth. This question
speaks to making a commitment to a plan of action for an individuals
professional growth. I simply have not committed the time that I would
like to commit in the future to this.
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Understanding of Self
There are only two questions in this category and all responses
indicated I was Highly Effective or Outstandingly Effective. The two
questions ask about my own understanding of my strengths and needs. One
of the things that I took away from the semester I spent studying my MBTI
and LCI profile was the importance of communicating your preferences
with the people you work with. I have done that with my administrative
team and the faculty at large to a certain extent. When I originally studied
my own preferences, I was in a very different place in my life personally
and professionally. It may be time for me to revisit and reprioritize my
strengths and weaknesses.
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C o n c
l u s
i o n a n
d F
i n d i n
g s
My subordinates (teachers) see myleadership performance differentlythan my peers (administrative team).
I am held to a higher standard andperceived with a more critical eye asthe principal than as the associateprincipal.
I need to focus on improving mywritten communication with myadministrative team.
I need to do a better job following upwith teachers and staff.
I need to simplify and focus ourschools direction.
I need to make an effort to developothers.
I need to make organization a priority.
I need to remember to balance andprioritize work, home, and school.
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Joseph Koontz
360 Evaluation Findings
EDLP 717 Communicating Research Findings
i i i C l h i i
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