BEYOND COLLABORATION IN A PLC

Shared Leadership

What is Shared Leadership?

Groups taking ownership of a problemWorking interdependently toward solutionsOpen, honest, critical communicationSeeking a common goodLearning for all participants in the group

What isn’t Shared Leadership?

A leader directing a team’s activities and goals

One person determining answersTop down communicationSecrecy

Goals Learning

Why Shared Leadership in a PLC?

Can one leader answer all the questions? What do we want students to know and do? How will we know when they’ve learned? What will we do when they don’t learn? What will we do if they already know it?

What are the Advantages of Shared Leadership?

Ownership of the problemLearning toward solutionsSharing of best practices and knowledgeSynergy

Building a better mouse trap

Are There Disadvantages?

Responsibility for problem Can’t point fingers

Time and effort Different results don’t happen with the same

procedures

Exposure You can’t hide or “take a free ride”

Isn’t This Just Good Collaboration?

Yes and No Must work collaboratively to achieve goals

Common target Collaborative protocols Shared tasks

Beyond Collaboration Elevating Responsibility and ownership

How Can Shared Leadership be Developed in Our PLC?

Break from traditional leadership What hierarchy currently exists?

How do you solve problems? Bump it up? Who provides answers and solutions

Change communication procedures Must do emails change to opportunities for

conversations that are open and honest Set norms and expectations for the work Define the problem clearly, and the need for

ownership for all participants

How Can Shared Leadership be Developed in Our PLC?

Begin to change the culture Relationships become professional, not just social Learning becomes the target of PLCs

Adult learning will grow as the answers to the PLC questions are tackled

Don’t expect overnight changes Long road toward change Reason for change must make sense

Last Word Activity

Take 10 minutes to read “Shared Leadership,” by Michele Erina Doyle and Mark K. Smith

Highlight portions that make you connect with or about which you have questions

Form a group of three One person begins the conversation by reading her

highlighted portion Both of the other two in the group comment on their

thoughts regarding the portion just read. The reader remains silent, and once the other two have

concluded, she makes her comments, getting “the last word.”

Repeat for the other two participants, and continue discussion of the article

Conclusion

References

Doyle, M. E., Smith, M.K “Shared Leadership” infed.org downloaded 11/6/08