Building Relationships:

Framing the Issues

The first job at hand must be to frame the issues and challenges at hand. Most often leaders have been encouraged to make up their minds as to what to do and charge off and do it. While this works in some simpler contexts, the fact of the matter is that the more complex the challenges the less this approach is likely to work. The reasoning lies in the need for interdependent action by the school community. The implementation of the effort in a complex atmosphere most likely will not be effected through the use of a memorandum ordering such.

The leader must assess the magnitude and scope of any effort and this can only be done through exchanges with people who are closest to the issues or who have the most vested interest in assuring that the school environment is safe. Parents, teachers, school administrators, students, union leaders, police, fire, community activists, members of the municipal governance should have the highest concern for creating a safe school environment. At the very minimum, these are the people who must be brought into the leadership process. In regard to this, it is important to approach the framing issue with the notion of framing as a process for discovery.

Listening and asking questions provides for the structural, political and symbolic issues to be uncovered. Knowing the issues helps the leader frame the magnitude of the change required. Asking the question, What is it that needs to be done?, allows for collaboration by others in the process and invites them to be part of the process.