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Multiple Perceptions360 Evaluation Analysis of Joe Koontz, Educational Leader

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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