Steinberg Consulting, Inc.
Your first year as a principal will involve a learning curve. No matter what experience you bring to the role, this time, "the buck stops" at your office. It is impossible for you to know everything you need to know to be successful. But you are not alone!
Build relationships with everyone : staff, students, parents, community members, agency staff, politicians. Find out who the power holders and unofficial leaders are and build strong rapport with them. Be positive and firm with everyone. Get people involved in sharing information, making decisions, and planning improvements.
Get to know everyone you will be working with. Explore the immediate and wider community to find out who lives and works there. Introduce yourself to business owners and residents. Notice what facilities are available and who is using them. Analyze any quantitative data that is available to you to learn more about issues such as demographics, the history of the area, and social needs.
Elicit as much information as you can from as many different sources as possible. You don't need to act on everything you hear or respond to every request but seeking out diverse perspectives is important for assessing the situation. Spend time talking with people informally and formally. Be approachable and encourage groups and individuals to talk to you.
You can't expect yourself to be the expert in everything. However, others will view you as the person in charge and expect you to be able to answer questions about things they think you should know about. They are eager to work with you and to make things happen but you may not know enough about what has to be done and the best way to approach any changes. Don't be afraid to say you want to think about something before giving them an answer. On the other hand, in some cases it is best to give an immediate answer and take some risks, so do make some decisions.
Getting the key to the building doesn't make you the principal. You will be at this school for several years and you don't need to do everything you want to do within the first months or even the first year. Take time to build relationships as you assess needs, deal with issues, and solve problems. You have more time than you think to contemplate the important decisions. In time you will have sense of what needs to be done to build toward your vision.
Stand up for what is right. Show people what you believe in. Do what needs to be done with integrity. Don't be afraid to push the edge of the envelope. Get involved with people and issues. Lay out clear expectations and follow through on them. Supervise your staff and let them know when they are doing a good job and when they need to improve. Be prepared to acknowledge mistakes and indicate your willingness to learn from others.
The need to be organized cannot be overstated. You will be swamped with paper, deadlines, policies and procedures, and information, all of which are intended to assist you in doing your job. You need a system for managing all of the information that comes your way. Identify the tasks that need to be dealt with annually and develop a system that allows you to anticipate and address them. Set priorities and use them to guide how you spend your time. Don't forget to build in time to stay current.
Being a principal is hard work and can be stressful. It is also extremely rewarding. You have to be healthy and strong since so many others rely on your leadership. You have to take care of yourself and establish boundaries with others that let this happen. Maintain a balance that gives you time for family and friends and for your physical and mental health. Experiment with different strategies : time to get your paper work attended to, daily and weekly schedules, and delegating when appropriate.
The principalship can be an isolating role. You need someone with experience to talk to, share successes and challenges, and problem solve. Select someone you respect and ask them to serve as your formal mentor. Use your mentor as a sounding board, someone to ask questions of, and someone to grow with. Your mentor's experience working with you can be enriching for him/her as well.
Don't forget to enjoy yourself! Show people how much you love what you do and where you do it. Make your school a happy place to be, starting in your office.