CCISD Gold Star Leaders is a podcast dedicated to sharing our CCISD leadership beliefs and inspiring leaders at all levels to embrace their leadership traits, to positively impact this amazing school district. In this episode, Bauerschlag Elementary Principal Wendy Menachery and Claire Poa, the principal of Clear Falls High School who embody a CCISD leadership belief that a CCISD leader has clarity of vision share more about their practices.
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Speaker 1
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Speaker 1
Hello, Team CCISD Thank you for joining our staff podcast series. We're calling CCISD Gold Star Leaders is a podcast dedicated to sharing our CCISD leadership beliefs and inspiring leaders at all levels to embrace their leadership traits, to positively impact this amazing school district.
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Speaker 1
I'm your host, Lindsey Hunt.
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Speaker 1
And in studio with me are two campus leaders who embody a CCISD leadership belief that a CCISD leader has clarity of vision. I want to welcome principal of Bauerschlag Elementary Wendy Menachery and Claire Poa, the principal of Clear Falls High School.
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Speaker 1
Hello.
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Speaker 1
Thank you both for being here. I'm so excited to speak with you about creating vision, shared ownership and striving for progress, not perfection.
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Speaker 1
I'll set the stage with this. Gold Star Leaders want to come to work and find fulfillment in their work. And at times we know that workload, the other duties as assigned our personal lives can all leave us feeling overwhelmed. And so today, we're going to hear from you all who have some thoughts on how to set attainable goals And the 1% gain.
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Speaker 1
So, all right, it's time to unpack this clarity of vision. And I'm going to start with you, Claire. So let's talk about how you create vision.
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Speaker 1
Yes. And when thinking about creating a vision, what I did at Clear Falls wasn't just about me. It was about a team. And really, when you look at creating a vision, you need to, like, align it with your goals and then who are you serving and for us, you know, we're serving the students by ways, or means of the teachers.
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Speaker 1
And so the administrative team, we sat in a room and we looked at everything and we said, What do we want for the students? And it was high learning for all students through a commitment to the PLC process. And with that, once we had that, we really looked at, you know, how are we going to get there? How are we going to make this happen?
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Speaker 1
And we really thought about it. You have to marry every transaction through the lens of your vision. And so we made made sure that one we knew intimately what the vision of our campus is and how we were going to make it tangible so that when you walked into Clear Falls High School at every turn of the way, you could actually feel the vision in action.
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Speaker 1
And so through that, we involved every entity from our custodial crew, food services to the teachers, faculty, anyone, and every one on the campus and really put it into action.
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Speaker 1
So we started with a goal.
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Speaker 1
Say a vision.
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Speaker 1
something
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Speaker 1
To. To work towards. And then brought. And I love that approach of It's every body. Everybody's a part of that.
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Speaker 1
It has. It has to be everybody in order for you to feel it when you walk in the door. And that's one thing. Aside from the vision, achieving the vision and that piece of it, that was very important to me that at every turn of the way anybody that you could and that you encountered could tell you what our vision was because we haven't been there.
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Speaker 1
And so I'm very proud of us because we were there this year.
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Speaker 1
Wendy, what thoughts do you have to kind of play off of?
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Speaker 2
Yeah, I'd love to hear Claire talk because she shares so many great, tangible ways to support this process. One of them is that she made time for this hard work, setting a vision and getting to the point where every person in the building feels it is not something that you just happen upon. It takes time. Where she met with her leadership team, she found time to get feedback from people to support the work that she's doing and that they're doing together as a team and keeping that team feel.
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Speaker 2
And so I think that that a key piece is really as a leader, you make time for creating, honoring, following up monitoring. That vision is not something that just is decided one day and then suddenly it's it's working. And so I think there's a piece of when I think about clarity of vision, the vision kind of is constantly evolving over time and year to year it's pretty steady.
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Speaker 2
But, you know, I think about our campus, for example, we became an RCC campus, robotics coding, and computational thinking. And so our vision for what our campus looked like and felt like and what that meant for us shifted when we started that program. But it did not shift in the focus of the collaborative work or the high level of learning for all students, similar to what Claire was speaking to.
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Speaker 2
But I think it's important that you're constantly revisiting and seeing what is it that's going well and where might be places where we need to, you know, revisit and talk about into and to refine or iterate.
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Speaker 1
It's amazing. So I heard something like I think might trigger some of our are leaders or aspiring leaders and that's the making the time. So talk to me about how you can be purposeful and really dedicated to setting that time, because I know we hear we don't have enough time. We don't have enough time. So how do you build that in?
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Speaker 1
Because it sounds like it's a critical component to creating culture.
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Speaker 1
It is a critical component. And what I did as we met as a team and I said, is this important? And we all agreed that it was very important. So we found the time. And we blocked off calendars. It was for about a week and a half for 6 to 7 hours a day. So it was right at the conclusion of the 22, 23 school year.
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Speaker 1
And we were committed and every single administrative team member showed up and they didn't just show up physically, they showed up mentally. And it was hard work. We were exhausted, but it was such good and such deep work and it set the foundation for just a beautiful experience this year of having clarity of the vision and being able to live it with fidelity.
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Speaker 1
And so it was just a matter of finding that if it's important, you do find it. And it was different. And we all came out of there after that, like week and a half, just so incredibly proud of the work that we had done and so excited, exhausted, but excited of what was to come and how the year was going to start.
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Speaker 1
Okay. So that's a good segue way to collaboration and getting buy in from all leaders.
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Speaker 1
So what how did you do that? It sounds like it's kind of a daunting task to look at all different styles and beliefs and opinions and trying to get the collaboration to set clarity of vision. So talk through that a little bit.
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Speaker 1
So we like I said, we met for that time that we committed to. And it started with us. A whiteboard that you find like in every classroom. And we just threw ideas up. Or what did we want to address? What did we want to talk about? Nothing was off limits, and we didn't talk about it in the moment.
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Speaker 1
And then we went through the process of categorizing what all the ideas and thoughts that came out and then really looked at what we were committed to and what would support us. The goal of high level of learning for all students through fidelity of the PLC process, our vision, what would support that? And then went through the process of where within those are we going to be tight?
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Speaker 1
Where do we have some wiggle room and who you know, we were very intentional about who we were going to bring in and then at how we were going to roll it out to the campus, because that's equally as important. You can have this beautiful vision and this plan, but if you can't gain the support and get the collaboration together, it's going to fall flat or not be, as, you know, penetrating.
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Speaker 1
And so we brought in we were very selective with the leadership groups amongst the teachers and adults. And we didn't just it wasn't just like department leaders we really thought through. We got our lead custodian, We talked to food services, we talked to our support staff. And some of it was the natural leader you found in that department and others were just members.
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Speaker 1
And so we slowly brought them on, got them engaged in what we were doing. And when we when it came time to roll it out, whole group, it was almost like we were already in it and we didn't miss a beat. And so it just, it, it was just neat. I don't know how else to describe it. It just worked.
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Speaker 1
What have you experienced?
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Speaker 2
Yeah. So again, I want to kind of highlight some of the things that I think are consistent across our campuses. You know, she's in high school and I'm in elementary. That idea of systems and protocols. When you're doing some big work like this, you have to have safe ways to have conversation and how to bring people in and to regularly revisit it.
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Speaker 2
So you heard the protocol that she used with her team to really get the ideas on the table and the systematically work through them in a meaningful way. However that looks for a campus, I think that that's an important piece is is having that organization to the point that you're like, this is where we want to go. We have our vision.
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Speaker 2
But then let's also now backtrack. What do we need to do to get everybody on board and to have that system in place? And my staff, they know that I love protocols, I love agendas, I love systems. And part of that is because it keeps everybody accountable. So one of the things that we do on our campus is we have what we call an anti as lead team.
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Speaker 2
So it's a group of leaders on campus and it every person on that team connects to our strategic plan goals. And so we meet weekly to review one of those goals, to track the data, to see our progress and to really inform next steps for our different teams on campus, to know how then they can be guided into the next steps for living out that vision.
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Speaker 2
And I think that for us, this year has been a huge success. To add on this, this group of people that are constantly looking at here's our vision, here's the goals we set for ourselves this year. I mean, our teachers and the staff at our campus are the ones doing all of the hard, hard work every day, day in, day out.
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Speaker 2
And so being a support for them and saying, we see you, we see your progress, we see what you're doing, Here's here's kind of the next best step. Or here's an idea in terms of our our campus moving together towards those goals. It's really important to have that that collaboration, that organization protocols, all of those pieces. And they keep me on track, too, because there's times where we also get in the weeds of situations that are happening.
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Speaker 2
And you asked about that time earlier and how do you how do you manage that? Well, when I know that this is an important time, that I blocked it on my schedule to make sure that this group is coming together to revisit these important ideas that helps to keep us moving forward. And it's not something that you just push off for another day because then you'll go find yourself the end of the year wondering, How are we doing on that versus it being a live part of your of your school experience.
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Speaker 1
So some people may not know about the 1% gain, but it sounds like that kind of aligns with the strategy that you're talking about. So why don't we dig a little bit deeper into that idea and how you can, you know, not get in the weeds, stay in the daily wins and still achieve clarity of vision.
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Speaker 2
So one of the things I think is really important when we're talking about vision is this idea of gap and gain. So if you think about a, you know, a line that has a starting point and then somewhere in the future is that ideal point, wherever you are, if you're looking towards your ideal ideal, you're really looking towards that gap, right?
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Speaker 2
How much more do we have left to go to get where we want to be? But if you look back to your starting point, you can see all of the progress that you've made, all of the gains that you've made. And so the power really comes from having that time to reflect and see where am I right now?
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Speaker 2
Let's celebrate how far we've come and let's look and see what's the next best step. That one thing that we can do that's going to take us towards that next point closer to the ideal. And I think in any situation that one step can be bigger or smaller, as however that needs to look. But when the staff collectively makes that one step together, that 1% ends up being an enormous leap towards where we want to go.
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Speaker 2
And so even when I hear Claire share her experience and her story, it was, you know, when she talked about like we met with these groups of people and those one little pieces when all put together, felt like they were already living it. I think that's the perfect example of how when a group of people all commit to making one step or 1% towards the goal or towards the ideal, how far you can get together.
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Speaker 1
And one thing that we do frequently, weekly and sometimes daily, is we will reflect and say, okay, how can we get just a little bit better tomorrow? What can we adjust? Or as we've just come off of a big project or a big initiative? All right. How are we feeling about it? Are there any small adjustments that we can make to improve it?
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Speaker 1
Is anything needed? And then just keeping it at the 1% level makes everything feel achievable, attainable, makes it feel that you can make progress, especially when you are overwhelmed or things feel out of control. It's very easy to make that little step forward.
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Speaker 1
It seems more of a positive mindset and maybe a deficit. You know, you feel like sometimes you can't get there, right, That there's so many factors at play. But kind of looking back to those positive things that you have been able to accomplish and staying grateful for this and and focused on moving forward, even if it's a small daily step, because it sounds like in the end what you're gaining is, is that gap.
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Speaker 1
So and that's an important part to get to that ideal.
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Speaker 2
And typically your gains are much larger than your gaps. When you really do that regularly and you're doing that reflection is to realize how far you've come is so much further than where you have to go. And so it makes that 1% feel very manageable and worth doing.
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Speaker 1
So I know you all have been practicing this for a while, but let's take our experience hat off and let's put on our first year newbie, you know, aspiring leader had. What advice would you have to share with your past self.
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Speaker 1
To recognize and name that the work is going to be hard. There's there's no way around it. Even talking here today, I think something I haven't said is that it is hard, it is exhausting, but it can be done. And to really make the time to build those genuine, authentic relationships with your leadership team and with all the individuals on the campus, because that's where you're really going to have to lean.
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Speaker 1
And when it does get difficult, you know, once you have the start of the year has taken off and it doesn't feel like it's going to stop. Those are the people that you get to commiserate with that are in the trenches with you to hold on, to look for the 1% gains and just to stay true, to who you are and our core values and learn the mission, learn the goals and live it and even though you may not feel that you are making a difference, you are making a difference.
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Speaker 2
yeah, I you know, to add on to that, I think if I were looking back at myself would be we all can dream big. And it's important that we do so as leaders because sometimes we are the biggest dreamers that have to remind our staff, whether it's our leadership team or the other staff that are doing the hard work on campus.
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Speaker 2
We have to remind them that this work is important and worth doing. And so we have to be the ones who constantly see that. But then to Clare's point as well, you are on a team. Don't ever believe that this work is yours alone to do because then it won't actually spread to the whole campus. And so the greater you, the way you strengthen your team is going to really help you in making your vision become a reality.
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Speaker 2
And so use the brains in the room. As Dr. Engle always says, there's genius in the room. Use that and really be a good listener. I think, you know, I came with my own vision of what an ideal school or culture would be before I even started as a principal. And the important part was the relationships I built with the staff and the people I work with every day to really craft a vision that works for this campus and for this community and for the students that we are serving.
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Speaker 2
And so making sure that those authentic relationships are there to support the work as a team really is an important work for the leader to have that vision and to hold hold those big, big dreams, but also to rely on the team to continue to be a part of that together.
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Speaker 1
So Claire, you said something earlier that I want to go a little deeper into the difference between maybe a natural leader and versus one who's an identified leader. So how did you seek those natural leaders? How did you find them and how did you empower them to be a part of this clarity of vision?
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Speaker 1
Right. I looked out on campus to who and was in a positive had a positive framework around them who was looking to be a part of something and who really had stepped up to say through their actions, like, I am here to do the work. And when you look for it, you will see it. It is all around you, and some of it is untapped potential that they don't even know about.
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Speaker 1
But you can naturally see different staff members and faculty members like they will naturally have people who follow them. And when you can identify those individuals and bring them in and open their world, then naturally it just has a ripple effect.
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Speaker 2
yeah, and I think, you know, when you're talking about getting groups together and as big part of our job as leaders is if we're going to do this work, we got to get the right people in the right places. And so when you're creating teams as a leader, you do think about who are your influencers and who are the ones who maybe have the contact knowledge but don't always have the space to share that.
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Speaker 2
Who are the ones who build the right relationships to get more people on board? There's a lot of different aspects to leaders and there are all kinds on our campus, and I think all of us at some point have been tapped to be a leader or someone has recognized a leadership skill in us. If you're an aspiring leader, I assume that you've had that experience where someone has seen that in you.
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Speaker 2
And it's our job as leaders to continue to see that in others and to make sure that we're tapping into all of the people on our campus who have an influence on our community and the work that we're doing. And so that is also part of our job is to really encourage those who are ready to share and to lead in ways that maybe they didn't originally think about as a as a possibility for themselves.
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Speaker 1
Really identifying those strengths within the individuals and then leveraging them in different ways throughout the campus to get a pulse.
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Speaker 2
I love
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Speaker 1
The natural versus identified and how you're bringing them together, because that is where you can create a culture of belonging and being a part of this amazing team. So that's wonderful. So I think nearing the end of our conversation and I.
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Speaker 2
Just wanted to kind of end it off with.
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Speaker 1
Maybe a tiff or just something small. Let's give some inspiration for a 1% gain for those who might be struggling a little bit to find some motivation to keep going.
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Speaker 2
So I would say pick a time today, find a time 5 minutes, no more. Give yourself the opportunity to reflect on your gains and your gap and where you are right now and take the next best step for you. And that will be different than what anybody else might be thinking for themselves. But where you are right now is important, and how you got there is important and where you're going is important.
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Speaker 2
And so scheduling in that time to really reflect and give yourself permission to identify and explicitly state this is what I'm going to do for my next best step.
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Speaker 1
I would agree. I couldn't have said it any better. And so coupled with what Wendy just stated, I would seek out a spot on the campus. Whether it's in a classroom or watching a performance or any other activity and just look at what you are and what is already transpiring through what those students are doing, through all of those daily actions, and use that to drive the reflection that Wendy mentioned.
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Speaker 1
thank you. Thank you so much. This has been a great conversation and we are grateful for both of you as leaders and this colleagues. So thank you for sharing how others might be able to follow your path and embody the CCISD leadership belief that leaders have clarity of vision. So and for those listening, this is your reminder that with creating vision, you set the stage for success.
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Speaker 1
You encourage others through collaboration, and by doing so, you determine the path forward. And we hope you found this podcast helpful. Thanks for listening and we'll be back again soon to talk about building capacity in self and in others.