
Creating a Culture that Thrives: Your First 100 Days as a New Principal
6 min read
By Stuart Robinson
Your appointment as the new principal of a school is an exciting yet daunting opportunity. The first 100 days are pivotal—not just for settling into your role but also for laying the groundwork to shape and sustain a thriving school culture.
Culture isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the invisible force that drives behaviour, decision-making, and relationships within a school. Research consistently shows that schools with strong, positive cultures experience higher staff satisfaction, more substantial student outcomes, and greater community engagement.
Culture also serves as the foundation upon which any new strategy is built.
A thriving culture aligns your community’s values and behaviours, ensuring that stakeholders are prepared for change and actively engaged in shaping it. A school’s cohesive and intentional culture creates a fertile ground for introducing new initiatives and navigating challenges.
Conversely, even the most well-crafted strategies can falter without a strong cultural foundation, hindered by misalignment, resistance, or lack of trust.
As a leader, you set the tone for the culture that will define your school.
Without deliberate action, you risk reinforcing the status quo or inadvertently creating fragmentation within your community. Worse still, accepting a mediocre culture might embed complacency and limit the school’s potential for growth and excellence.
Instead, by making culture your number one priority, you can unite staff, students, and parents around shared values and a common purpose. This unity not only strengthens relationships but also ensures your community is ready to embrace and implement strategic goals in the future.
The good news?
You don’t have to do it all at once.
You can set a course for meaningful and lasting change by breaking this journey into three strategic phases.
Month 1: Building Trust
The first 30 days are all about connection. Edgar Schein, an expert on organisational culture, describes three levels of culture—artifacts, espoused values, and basic underlying assumptions—that can guide how you approach trust-building. Here’s how to intertwine these levels:
- Artifacts: Observing the Visible Culture: Start by paying attention to the physical environment, routines, symbols, and behaviours you see around the school. What stories do these artifacts tell about the current culture? Use your observations to ask insightful questions during conversations with staff, students, and parents.
- Espoused Values: Understanding Shared Beliefs: Host informal meet-and-greet sessions to uncover the values the school community believes are important. Ask questions like, “What do you value most about our school?” and “What do we collectively stand for?” This will help you identify whether the espoused values align with the daily practices.
- Underlying Assumptions: Revealing the Core Beliefs: Over time, as you engage deeply with the community, try to uncover the less visible, ingrained assumptions that guide behaviour. These might include beliefs about leadership, learning, or collaboration that are taken for granted. By understanding these assumptions, you can start identifying areas where they either support or hinder the school’s growth.
As you aim to continue, could you consider integrating these actions into your daily routine over the next month?
- Listen Before You Lead: Integrate what you learn about artifacts, values, and assumptions to frame your discussions with key stakeholders. This will show that you are genuinely interested in the school’s unique identity while building a foundation of trust.
- Learn the Landscape: Dive into the school’s data, history, and policies. Look for patterns in student outcomes, staff turnover, and parent engagement. Relate these patterns to what you observe about the visible artifacts and the community’s shared values.
- Be Present and Visible: Attend events, visit classrooms, and spend time in shared spaces like the staff room. Your consistent presence helps you learn more about the culture’s visible aspects and demonstrates your commitment to understanding and improving it.
- Quick Wins: Identify small, symbolic actions that show you’re listening and aligning with the community’s values. For instance, if a visible artifact—like a neglected space—is mentioned in discussions, addressing it can send a powerful message of responsiveness.
How Did You Do This Month?:
Now, it’s your chance to review your efforts. Use this list and the reflection questions to ascertain and measure your results and identify any gaps that need to be addressed.
- Have I met with key stakeholders (staff, students, and parents) and actively listened to their concerns and hopes?
- Have I gathered data and reviewed the school’s history, policies, and performance metrics?
- Have I made myself visible and accessible to the community?
- Have I identified and acted on at least one quick win to build trust?
Key Questions for Reflection:
- What are the initial impressions of my leadership approach?
- Do staff, students, and parents feel heard and valued?
- Are there any concerns or priorities that I may have overlooked?
Month 2: Defining Direction
With trust beginning to take root, your second month should focus on clarifying and aligning the school’s cultural direction. John Kotter’s work on leading change underscores the importance of a clear vision—it energises people and gives their efforts purpose.
- Co-create a Shared Vision: Host workshops with staff, students, and parents to define or refine the school’s vision, mission, and values. Use simple prompts like, “What do we want to be known for?” and “What values should guide our daily actions?”
- Define Non-Negotiables: Clarify the behaviours and practices that align with the school’s values. For instance, if inclusivity is a core value, set clear expectations for how it’s reflected in teaching and interactions.
- Communicate Consistently: Use every opportunity—assemblies, newsletters, and meetings—to reinforce the shared vision and values. Consistent messaging ensures alignment and keeps the community focused.
How Aligned Are We?:
Again, these are the questions you need to be reflecting on this relating to this month’s effort.
- Have I engaged the community in co-creating or refining the school’s vision, mission, and values?
- Have I clearly articulated and linked the school’s non-negotiables to our values?
- Have I used multiple platforms to communicate our shared direction consistently?
What Are People Saying?:
- Do stakeholders feel a sense of ownership in the school’s vision and values?
- Are the non-negotiables clear and understood by all?
- Is the community beginning to align around the shared cultural direction?
Month 3: Laying Foundations for Change
By Month 3, you’ve built trust and defined a shared direction. It’s time to embed these ideas into the school’s daily life. Edgar Schein reminds us that culture is shaped by what leaders pay attention to and prioritise. This phase is about turning ideals into actions.
- Empower Leadership at All Levels: Form collaborative teams of staff, students, and parents to tackle key initiatives. Distribute leadership to build collective ownership and momentum for change.
- Celebrate Wins Publicly: Acknowledge and celebrate examples of staff and students living the school’s values. This reinforces desired behaviours and motivates others to follow suit.
- Embed Systems to Sustain Culture: Review policies, professional development, and feedback processes to ensure they align with the school’s values. For instance, questions about value alignment should be included in staff performance reviews or student surveys.
- Reflect and Refine: Schedule time to reflect on your progress. What’s working well? What needs adjustment? Engage your leadership team and key stakeholders in this evaluation to keep refining your approach.
Is the Culture Taking Root?:
- Have I empowered others by forming teams or committees to lead initiatives?
- Have I publicly celebrated examples of our values in action?
- Have I reviewed and adjusted systems to align with the school’s cultural priorities?
- Have I taken time to reflect on progress and identify areas for improvement?
Checking the Pulse:
- Are staff and students beginning to take ownership of cultural initiatives?
- Are there visible signs of alignment between our values and daily practices?
- What additional support or adjustments do stakeholders feel are needed?
Potential Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
- Moving Too Fast: Implementing sweeping changes too soon can alienate stakeholders. Take time to build understanding and buy-in.
- Ignoring Resistance: Resistance is natural, mainly from long-standing staff. Acknowledge concerns and involve them in shaping solutions. Start to employ your tipping point leadership learnings.
- Overcommitting: Focus on a few key priorities instead of spreading yourself too thin. Cultural change is a marathon, not a sprint.
- Accepting Mediocre Culture: Settling for a “good enough” culture can prevent your school from achieving excellence. Challenge complacency and inspire your community to aim higher.
Looking Ahead
By the end of your first 100 days, you’ll have laid a strong foundation for a thriving school culture. The trust you’ve built, the shared vision you’ve defined, and the systems you’ve put in place will position your school for long-term success.
Remember, culture isn’t built in a day, but you can make a lasting impact with deliberate action and a clear focus.
Stuart Robinson
Stuart Robinson: MBA, 25+ years in school management. Business degree, AICD graduate. Founder and author sharing expertise in educational leadership, strategy, and financial management.
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