The art retention: the best way to hold on to quality school leaders is to make your district a great place to work. Here are some steps you can take to become a "district of choice" in your city or region

Leadership, Jan-Feb, 2004 by Suzette Lovely

Elton Mayo's findings led to wholesale changes in the operational structure of industry across the United States. His research provides indisputable evidence that to thrive as a company you have to pay attention to the people who work there. Since relationships and recognition significantly affect a principal's job performance, these elements should serve as the cornerstone of a district's leadership pyramid.

Try these retention tips on for size

As your district searches for ways to sustain an enduring workplace, conventional wisdom tells us that the needs of principals and the needs of the organization must converge. To get principals beyond those "leaving moments," try these retention tips (Buckingham & Coffman, 1999):

1. Select principals based upon talent, not just experience and determination.

2. Set expectations that define the right outcomes, not the steps for getting there.

3. Motivate principals by focusing on strengths, not pressuring them to overcome weaknesses.

4. Develop leaders to find the right fit for the principalship; don't just promote people because it's the next rung on the career ladder or they are owed a favor.

Now that you know what separates a good school district from a great one, it's time to let your principals know how much you care. How about sending them a personal invitation to stay by becoming the "district of choice" in your city or region? Retaining good leaders is much less challenging when a district's culture tenders plenty of reasons to stay. Otherwise, principals will concoct a laundry list of excuses to leave.

Do your homework. Study the retention practices of other successful districts to find out how they are filling and supporting their leadership pipeline. Create safety nets to catch principals when they fall. Find ways to bring joy to a principal's workplace by applauding and celebrating achievements. And most importantly, be forgiving! It's a tough job and if we're not careful, there won't be anyone left to do it.

References

Basom, Myron. (2002). "Selection, Retention and a Great Place to Work." Educators Learning Network, www.elnetonline.com/research.> Boswell, Greg. (2002). "Survey Says ... Recognition Still Critical." National Association for Employee Recognition; www.recognition.org/pages/boswell.asp.> Buckingham, Marcus & Curt Coffman. (1999). First Break All the Rules. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Clifton, Donald & Paula Nelson. (1992). Soar with Your Strengths. New York: Dell Publishing.

Grimme, Dun. (2001). "An American Crisis: Attracting, Retaining and Motivating Employees." GHR Training Solutions; www.ghr-training.com/index_articles.> Hersey, Paul & Kenneth Blanchard. (1998). Management of Organizational Behavior. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Peters, Tom & Nancy Austin. (1985). A Passion for Excellence. New York: Warner.

Townley, Arthur, June Schmieder & Lillian Wehmeyer. (1999). School Personnel Administration: A California Perspective. Riverside, CA: Precision Writing.

Wolfe, Pat. (July 9, 1998). "Gallup Poll: Employee Engagement = Business Success." Government of British Columbia Recognition Staff; www.pserc.gov/Gallup poll.