Week 5 Blog Post
I found this week's reading especially interesting because I LOVE talking about culture. In my previously contexts, it's always been around "corporate culture" which I find such an important topic, so I loved seeing how it translates to schools as well.
Part of my own personal reasoning for leaving the corporate world is because of the corporate culture. The corporate culture of my company has changed drastically since I first began working here over 10 years ago. When I first started, everyone seemed happy to be at work. Meetings were joyful and full of support and laughter. We celebrated success a lot, and successes even included things like birthdays, or service anniversaries. But through the years, and with the enhancement of IT, more and more people have been laid off from their jobs, meaning we're working with less people to do the same amount (if not more) work. It's stressful, and exhausting, and because of the fear of being let go, the culture has shifted from a team approach to a "me" approach.
In the past, employees would graciously reach out a hand to help others, and now it's like pulling teeth. Individuals take credit for other's work, there is a lack of respect for other's time (constant attendance to meetings late, if they attend at all), and work day has bleed from a 9-5 shift to a work all day and weekends mentality. Everyone has each other's personal phone numbers, so there's no such thing as a vacation day without being bothered with texts or questions from your coworkers who are still working. We never get a break, and it's causing a lot of people to feel burnt out.
Another factor is recognition. Recognition of good hard work can really make a person feel appreciated, but now it only feels like you receive recognition when you make a mistake. Immediately called out and questioned for making the decision you did. Last year, I hit my 10 year service anniversary with the company which is a huge accomplishment. On large service anniversaries such as 5, 10, 20+ years, we usually receive a pin and a handwritten card, thanking us for our service. I received a pin, as well as a fully blank card in the mail. No one signed it, and no one wrote a message.. it was entirely blank. Nothing like making a person feel special, but forgetting to write a message in their anniversary card before it gets mailed over to them.
A negative culture is why people decline in performance in their jobs, or look to find a new job at a new company. I'm sure the corporate culture is much better in other places, but when I interviewed for jobs outside, it just felt like more of the same.
I've heard from others who work in schools that their schools also have a toxic environment, and I really believe school of all places is one of the most important places to have a positive culture. By having students grow up treating each other with respect, will help carry on as they grow older. Teachers can only be at their best when they feel supported by other staff, as well as by the students, and vice versa. One of the best pieces of advice I had heard from a professor at Trinity was to "stay out of the teacher's lounge" because it can just be an area of gossip and negativity. I don't have experience being in a teacher's lounge, but I do have experience eating in my work's cafeteria, and thought it can be a great place to have a break and relax, it does often turn into conversations around complaining about things that aren't working, rather than how to fix them.
My one other thought around culture that I couldn't help but not thing about as I was reading this week's reading was how Covid will affect culture. One point about having a positive school environment is making sure the students and staff are safe. I'm very concerned as schools are back in session, that some of their safety will be put at risk. I know we can't continue to quarantine forever, but having so many people in one place at the same time, is just asking for breeding grounds and for the virus to spread. It's very scary and concerning. With safety being a concern, I'm sure it will be difficult to keep overall spirits up when dealing with the underlying stress of working during a pandemic.
Part of my own personal reasoning for leaving the corporate world is because of the corporate culture. The corporate culture of my company has changed drastically since I first began working here over 10 years ago. When I first started, everyone seemed happy to be at work. Meetings were joyful and full of support and laughter. We celebrated success a lot, and successes even included things like birthdays, or service anniversaries. But through the years, and with the enhancement of IT, more and more people have been laid off from their jobs, meaning we're working with less people to do the same amount (if not more) work. It's stressful, and exhausting, and because of the fear of being let go, the culture has shifted from a team approach to a "me" approach.
In the past, employees would graciously reach out a hand to help others, and now it's like pulling teeth. Individuals take credit for other's work, there is a lack of respect for other's time (constant attendance to meetings late, if they attend at all), and work day has bleed from a 9-5 shift to a work all day and weekends mentality. Everyone has each other's personal phone numbers, so there's no such thing as a vacation day without being bothered with texts or questions from your coworkers who are still working. We never get a break, and it's causing a lot of people to feel burnt out.
Another factor is recognition. Recognition of good hard work can really make a person feel appreciated, but now it only feels like you receive recognition when you make a mistake. Immediately called out and questioned for making the decision you did. Last year, I hit my 10 year service anniversary with the company which is a huge accomplishment. On large service anniversaries such as 5, 10, 20+ years, we usually receive a pin and a handwritten card, thanking us for our service. I received a pin, as well as a fully blank card in the mail. No one signed it, and no one wrote a message.. it was entirely blank. Nothing like making a person feel special, but forgetting to write a message in their anniversary card before it gets mailed over to them.
A negative culture is why people decline in performance in their jobs, or look to find a new job at a new company. I'm sure the corporate culture is much better in other places, but when I interviewed for jobs outside, it just felt like more of the same.
I've heard from others who work in schools that their schools also have a toxic environment, and I really believe school of all places is one of the most important places to have a positive culture. By having students grow up treating each other with respect, will help carry on as they grow older. Teachers can only be at their best when they feel supported by other staff, as well as by the students, and vice versa. One of the best pieces of advice I had heard from a professor at Trinity was to "stay out of the teacher's lounge" because it can just be an area of gossip and negativity. I don't have experience being in a teacher's lounge, but I do have experience eating in my work's cafeteria, and thought it can be a great place to have a break and relax, it does often turn into conversations around complaining about things that aren't working, rather than how to fix them.
My one other thought around culture that I couldn't help but not thing about as I was reading this week's reading was how Covid will affect culture. One point about having a positive school environment is making sure the students and staff are safe. I'm very concerned as schools are back in session, that some of their safety will be put at risk. I know we can't continue to quarantine forever, but having so many people in one place at the same time, is just asking for breeding grounds and for the virus to spread. It's very scary and concerning. With safety being a concern, I'm sure it will be difficult to keep overall spirits up when dealing with the underlying stress of working during a pandemic.
Hello and peace to all,
ReplyDeleteHello Ashley,
Good stuff in your blog! I see you focused a lot of it on the importance of having positive cultures and environments. (And that makes sense because this is what a lot of our reading was about). You brought in some real life experience to relate to this concept that the book was talking about…. And did a great job of it too!
My blog focused a lot on culture and atmosphere in school settings as well.
I talked a lot about how we want to help create positive environments for the students, within the students to student community, but how we also should work to have this warm and welcoming atmosphere in the staff to staff or faculty to faculty community as well.
I like how you talk about how one person said to you if you want to good piece of advice don’t go into the teachers’ lounge because there’s a lot of negativity in their. I like how you pointed out how sometimes these types of places can become gossip areas, and places where more troubles are caused, as opposed to fixing problems. By the way, when I say I like how you pointed this out, I mean I thought it was rather astute that you did this, and that you did a good job of making the situation known, but it is sad that sometimes this is true. This type of thing happens in a lot of places, but I think it’s particularly sad when it happens in school environments and in school faculty lounges.
So, in my post I talked a lot about how we have to be working to foster and create good and positive communities as well. I talked about how sometimes clicks can happen. I think over time , clicks and unwelcoming communities create damage and/or certainly stifle growth. These types of unwelcoming communities tend to rub off and spread, and as such we have to be aware when they start to happen, and be an agent of change. The good news is, that while bad cultures can spread, good cultures can too!... For they too can be contagious!!
So anyway, a lot of great points Ashley for this week’s blog!… As usual/always…. Thanks and peace Ashley…. Peace all