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Mintzberg’s Managerial Roles
Unveiled Through Two Structured Interviews
Jennifer French ITDE 7001 Dr. Visser April 8, 2005
Overview Of Mintzberg’s Work
In 1969 Henry Mintzberg published his doctoral dissertation, “The Manager at Work –
Determining His Activities, and Programs by Structured Observation”. His work may have
varied from studies done by his predecessors in that Mintzberg focused on the roles played by a
manager rather than the styles or the ways in which managers carried out those roles. Mintzberg
contended that a structured observation would unveil ten interconnected roles that fell under
three types of managerial activities: interpersonal, informational, and decisional (Bass, 1990 p.
398). Mintzberg further expounded on his theories with work completed in 1973 which
included an intense observation of five CEOs, their organizations and calendars, over the period
of a month. Mintzberg’s work has been replicated and variations of his original study, have been
conducted by others, including Pavett and Lau (1983). In an attempt to better understand the
managerial roles fulfilled by K-12 school superintendents, a structured interview was conducted
with two school superintendents. The interview questions may be found in Appendix A and the
transcripts from both interviews may be found in Appendix B.
The Interviewees
The first superintendent, Dr. C, has been a superintendent for twenty years, fourteen of
which are for his current employer. In all he has twenty-six years of managerial experience. He
has two administrators and an advisory committee of eight who report directly to him. His
school system employs sixty-seven teachers and fifty-nine support staff members.
The second superintendent, Dr. R, has been a superintendent for two years, both for the
same school district. He has worked at the managerial level for seventeen years. Dr. R also has
Mitzberg Interviews Page 2 Jennifer French
two administrators and a cabinet of five advisors. His district employs fifty teachers and forty-
five support staff members.
Both Dr. C and Dr. R have completed doctoral programs in Educational Leadership,
attending Columbia University and Nova Southeastern University respectively. Both shared in
pre-interview statements that the majority of their leadership skills came from real life
experiences and that their coursework laid the theoretical foundations for their actions.
Interpersonal Roles
Mintzberg determined that when a manager acts in the roles of figurehead, leader or
liaison he is fulfilling interpersonal activities. Interpersonal roles are those which managers
coordinate and interact with employees and provide direction to the organization.
Managers perform symbolic actions each day as the figurehead of the organization. Dr.
C and Dr. R do many things on a daily basis in their figurehead role. Both men try to circulate
their respective buildings so that they are seen. Dr. C and Dr. R both want their staff members to
know they are available at all times. Dr. C mentioned the importance of attending after school
activities. His presence at events such as basketball games and concerts is symbolic of his role
as figurehead.
The leader role is the center of the manager-subordinate relationship. The leader shapes
the environment in which all his or her subordinates work. The leader must motivate his
employees to ensure the goals of the institution are met. The leader must work with subordinates
to balance the needs of the employees and the organization. Both Dr. C and Dr. R use their
administrative council as decision-making teams. Dr. C holds meetings where everyone has the
opportunity to contribute to discussions about emerging situations. Dr. C also meets with his
Mitzberg Interviews Page 3 Jennifer French
planning teams during the summer to establish goals for the upcoming school year. By utilizing
the power of the teams both superintendents are able to meet the goals of the institution.
Another way in which Dr. R motivates his staff is through praise for a job well done. He
has honest dialogue with staff members so they know what is expected. He said that he “keeps
people working on the work in front of them”. Dr. R also said, “if you give them the answer you
become autocratic, this way they are forced to be part of the solution.” People who are part of a
successful team are more likely to apply themselves to their job.
Both Dr. R and Dr. C talk a lot about goals and visions. Dr. C gathers a lot of
information from his staff and he often presents back a shared vision. Dr. R stated his top three
priorities are 1) mapping a vision, 2) planning change or action and 3) follow-up and monitoring.
Leading people to the vision so then can carry out the planned change exemplifies Dr. R’s
leadership qualities.
Dr. C has worked purposely to develop feelings of trust and integrity within his
employees. He credits his longevity as one reason his staff trusts his leadership and are willing
to try new things. They know he will support them even if their attempts don’t go well.
The third interpersonal role is that of liaison. The superintendent of schools must often
act as a liaison between parents and teachers, the school board and the teacher’s association as
well as between the community and the board of education. Both Dr. C and Dr. R maintain a
high level of communication that is shared with all stakeholders.
Dr. C shared the ways he communicated issues the teachers were having to the school
board. In situations where things were not going well he stated “We do not hide errors or
concerns. We try to diminish weaknesses and accentuate the positives.”
Mitzberg Interviews Page 4 Jennifer French
Informational Roles
Leaders must also fulfill informational roles such as monitor, disseminator and
spokesperson. These roles are associated with the tasks needed to obtain and transmit
information for management of the organization. Monitoring the district’s working environment
shows areas of excellence and areas in need of improvement (Van der Velde, Jansen, and
Vinkenburg, 1999) As monitor, the superintendent must actively seek information about
incidents that may affect his district. This information may be beneficial or detrimental to the
school system. The manager seeks and/or receives information from many sources to evaluate
the organization’s performance or well-being. Monitoring of the organization’s inner workings
is vital. This role is about building and using an intelligence system. The manager must install
and maintain this information system by building contacts and training staff to share vital
information.
As stated earlier, many of Mintzberg’s roles intertwine. The role of monitor becomes
much easier if the manager is a leader whom people trust. While maintaining the role of
figurehead, the manager will have many opportunities to converse with staff members. Dr. C
meets with his administrative council on a regular basis to discuss the state of affairs in the
district. He meets with parents of special education students to obtain feedback on the special
education program. Dr. C also observes various people and groups to obtain information about
their programs. It is not uncommon for Dr. C to pop into a meeting to hear what people have to
say.
Dr. R also maintains open communication with his staff. He begins each morning by
walking in and out of classrooms talking to the teachers. When asked how he obtains
information one response he gave was, “I visit people and ask questions such as why did you do
Mitzberg Interviews Page 5 Jennifer French
it this way? What are the advantages? Help me to see…. Or am I to understand?” These
informal visits give him a lot of information about what is going on both inside and outside the
classroom walls. Another way Dr. R obtains information is to call taxpayers in his district. His
mentor from a superintendents development program lives in the district. He often calls him or
one of a handful of others from the district to ask their opinion about a situation. Maintaining an
open line of communication with people in the community means he will hear perceptions and
facts from outside his district.
Another informational role is that of disseminator. Just as the manager needs to input
information from which decisions need to be made, he must also give out information that will
help staff members do their jobs better. As new regulations come down from the state or new
programs are to be implemented, there is a tremendous amount of information that must be
shared. Dr. C has a structured delivery system. He uses his administrative council to distribute
information down the chain. Dr. C has also built in up to six early dismissal days when the staff
can meet to work through important changes in curriculum and procedures.
Dr. R distributes information both formally and informally. On the formal side he shares
things with his administrative council. On the informal side he identifies the people who are
always the beginning of the gossip chain. He also finds people to whom the information will be
the hardest to sell to. One these people are accepting of new ideas then sharing it with the rest of
the staff becomes much easier. One problem that Dr. R may face is that the gossip chain does
not always deliver accurate information. Making sure information is shared consistently is an
important issue for the disseminator.
After obtaining information and sharing information, often from outside the
organization, the manager must take on the role of spokesperson. This is the public relations
Mitzberg Interviews Page 6 Jennifer French
role. The superintendent must do everything in his power to positively portray the district to the
community at large. The superintendents have both been faced with financial nightmares these
past couple of years. Sharing the vision for helping all students succeed and the costs associated
with helping the children has become the top issue for the superintendents in the spokesperson
role. Neither superintendent talked much about sharing advertising information back out to the
public but focused more on collecting information from the public.
Decisional Roles
Mintzberg’s last four roles include decision-making activities. No manager can work
without decisional roles such as entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator and
negotiator. Managers must make decisions that are appropriate, timely, and acceptable to
achieve the goals of the organization.
The role of entrepreneur requires the manager to make decisions that allow ongoing
investigation into new projects or programs to initiate within the district. The monitoring role
often identifies the needs of the district that must be improved. The manager initiates an action
plan to start the improvement cycle. Both Dr. C and Dr. R view student achievement as a
priority in their districts. Dr. C described how a new project was implemented from the needs
assessment stage through the follow up stage.
Dr. C explained, “I’ll give you an example. We wanted to start a new series, Saxon
Phonics. The kids in grades 3 and 4 didn’t have a lot of phonetic background. They did whole
language, which did not work with phonics. The teachers were concerned with how much more
work must I do. I found that Hermon DeKalb had a prepackaged program called Saxon Phonics.
Everything we needed was in there but the cost was prohibitive. I talked to the Board and our
teachers made visitations. We planned ahead for whom my hard sell teachers would shadow. I
Mitzberg Interviews Page 7 Jennifer French
explained to the other administrators that I have three teachers who will be hard to convince and
asked who at your site can help me? She connected them with people who would say, ‘when my
superintendent started the program I didn’t want to do this’ and then would go on to give a
testimonial. With teachers on board we could go to the board to convince them that it is a
worthwhile expense. Our kids have done very well. In third grade they now know sounds and
vocabulary.”
The role of disturbance handler is not foreign to either superintendent. The role involves
stepping in to calm matters at a time of crisis. One problem for the disturbance handler is that a
swift response is often important and many times there is no clear-cut answer to the problem.
When Dr. C was asked how he balances his time to give his priorities ample attention, he
responded, “some days I just can’t do that”. Dr. C related stories about days that he
accomplished nothing on his list because the day was filled with one crisis after another. He
said, “When a parent knocks at your door, he or she becomes your immediate priority.” Dr. R
commented that the role of superintendent affords him more time to make fewer decisions
compared to the principals in his building. Dr. R also shared a story about a teacher who
exhibited poor judgment in a situation and had to be dismissed immediately. Another area where
both superintendents must take charge of a constantly changing situation is in the budget
development process. The New York State legislature has passed late budgets for over twenty
years. The superintendents have to present a budget to their taxpayers based on revenues that are
uncertain. They receive inside information from local legislators as to anticipated revenues but
they never know for sure what the actual amount will be until the budget is passed.
When situations arise for Dr. R that need immediate response he said it is necessary to
make your best decision and stand by it. He claimed that he is not trying to impress anyone so
Mitzberg Interviews Page 8 Jennifer French
he must believe in the decisions he makes. Dr. C felt that sometimes you don’t need to rush to
make a decision. He stated that “we need to get the facts.” Sometimes the facts will lead to one
right decision. If that is not the case, Dr. C makes his ruling.
The resource manager oversees allocation of all resources including money, time and
staffing. The manager often schedules his own time planning for priorities. In a school system
the superintendent often helps set the master schedule into place and verifies that no teachers
exceed the maximum number of classes or students they can teach. Conversely the
superintendent monitors the number of classes and students to help determine the number of staff
members needed.
The superintendents are faced with shrinking revenues from the state. Dr. R alluded to
the fact that the business manager often constructs the budget in larger schools but in his district
he takes and active role in the budget decision-making process. Dr. R also expressed a concern
that shrinking revenues make it impossible to serve the needs of the individual students and that
some students are being hurt by the process. Unfortunately he has no choice but to cut needed
programs in an attempt to balance his school’s budget.
Equally controversial for these superintendents is the cuts they may need to make to
staffing in order to adjust for the declining revenues and increasing costs of health care, fuel and
other rapidly increasing expenses.
The final role that must be fulfilled by a decision-making manager is that of negotiator.
The negotiator takes charge over important negotiating activities with other organizations. The
superintendent fulfills this role when negotiating with the teacher and CSEA unions. The
superintendent also fills this role in the example given by Dr. C in describing the
Mitzberg Interviews Page 9 Jennifer French
communications to the state legislators that is made through negotiations with a local senator or
assemblyman.
Conclusion
Mintzberg contended that managers must fulfill ten executive roles falling into the categories of
interpersonal, informational, and decisional. The superintendents interviewed are both the top
managers of their respective districts. Their styles varied in many ways and their effectiveness
could not be measured based on a simple, structured interview. As no surprise, both
superintendents responded to the interview questions indicating that they fill all ten roles. Both
superintendents work collaboratively with their staff to form a vision and goals and both seem to
exhibit leadership qualities that motivate teachers to strive for these goals. The superintendents
keep a constant flow of information in and out of their offices and both gentlemen engage in
decision-making activities. Although Mintzberg’s work was originally done with CEOs in the
business world his theory seems to apply to superintendents in K-12 school districts.
Mitzberg Interviews Page 10 Jennifer French
Appendix A
Thank for taking time out of your busy day to discuss your leadership qualities. This interview
is based on Henry Mintzberg's (1973) summary of executive roles. Mintzberg noted that all
managers perform 10 managerial roles: (1) figurehead, (2) leader, (3) liaison, (4) monitor, (5)
disseminator, (6) spokesperson, (7) entrepreneur, (8) disturbance handler, (9) resource allocator,
and (10) negotiator. These managerial roles are interconnected with overlap. With your
permission, I would like to tape record this interview so I can transcribe it later without
misquoting you.
1. You are the CEO of a school district and fulfill a multitude of roles each day. What
types of symbolic ceremonial activities do participate in?
2. Teamwork is an important aspect of successful leadership. As the Leader of your
district how do you encourage teamwork among your staff?
3. How do you obtain information so that you can improve or maintain your
understanding of the institution and its environment?
4. How do you monitor the district’s working environment to make sure operations
are running smoothly?
5. As the organizational leader you fulfill many roles. What three priorities do you
focus on?
6. How do you balance your time so that your priorities receive ample attention?
7. As the disseminator of information, how do you ensure the information from the
State Education Department, such as the recent changes in the math standards, are
shared throughout the school district to all administrators and affected teachers?
Mitzberg Interviews Page 11 Jennifer French
8. How do you identify opportunities and situations that may require organizational
change?
9. What steps do you take to initiate and design the changes that need to be made?
10. How do you handle employees within your district who do not comply with the
district’s expectations for teachers?
11. As the superintendent of schools you are also the chief financial officer. How do you
determine where cuts will be made during this time of shrinking revenues and
increasing expenses?
12. What strategies do you employ when faced with individuals who do not agree such
as parent vs. teacher?
GENERAL QUESTIONS
• How many administrators report to you?
• How many teachers are in your institution?
• How many support staff (secretarial, cafeteria, maintenance etc) are in your
institution?
• How many years have you been employed in your current position?
• How many years have you worked for your current employer?
• How many years of managerial experience (department head or higher) do you
have?
Mitzberg Interviews Page 12 Jennifer French
Appendix B
A Structured Interview with Dr. R
Interview Questions: Thank for taking time out of your busy day to discuss your leadership qualities. This interview
is based on Henry Mintzberg's (1973) summary of executive roles. Mintzberg noted that all
managers perform 10 managerial roles: (1) figurehead, (2) leader, (3) liaison, (4) monitor, (5)
disseminator, (6) spokesperson, (7) entrepreneur, (8) disturbance handler, (9) resource allocator,
and (10) negotiator. These managerial roles are interconnected with overlap. With your
permission, I would like to tape record this interview so I can transcribe it later without
misquoting you.
1. You are the CEO of a school district and fulfill a multitude of roles each day. What
types of symbolic ceremonial activities do participate in?
I try to maintain visibility around the building with frequent contact with everyone in the
organization. I start each day going room-to-room so I can talk to teachers. I end each day
standing out by the busses so I can say goodbye to the kids. I also make it a point of attending
meetings and functions where I am not the leader. Sitting in on somebody else’s meeting shows
my support. I publish weekly bulletins to staff and the Board of Education. The information my
be similar but each is written with different tones. I’m very careful with tones. I not look
toward my own organization but also in other organizations such as superintendents meetings
where I have a voice. I can’t separate leadership and managerial qualities from my daily life. At
the family Christmas party and other family get together they look to me to keep things going. I
think my role as leader is more important than my role as a manager.
2. Teamwork is an important aspect of successful leadership. As the Leader of your
district how do you encourage teamwork among your staff?
First of all I am hesitant to take credit for anything. I am heavy in praise and encouragement for
my staff. I think you have to have honest dialogue with people. For example, in book called
Managing Transitions by William Bridges, he talks about different phases of transitions. He
talks about keeping people in a neutral state or in a planned state of agitation. I try to keep
Mitzberg Interviews Page 13 Jennifer French
people working on the work. If you give them the answer you become autocratic this way they
are forced to be part of the solution. An example is when we were doing a major curriculum-
mapping project in our district, some people caught it immediately and some had refused to get
on board. Instead of going ahead blindly I took a step backwards and gave them a day more than
I planned to work on it with small groups. Forcing them to work through the concerns turned
their confusion into enlightenment. That is by design because they have to work through it.
Now we’ll come back together to assess continued progress.
3. How do you obtain information so that you can improve or maintain your
understanding of the institution and its environment?
On the formal side I look at policies and procedures, no one wants to hear this but it is the
backbone of the institution. I visit people and ask questions such as why did you do it this way,
what are the advantages, help me to see, am I to understand? Let them tell you what is going on.
They like their voice to be heard. I ultimately get the information I need even when I don’t
agree. As for getting information out there are always three people in an organization who will
start the gossip chain. Tell these people what you want to others to know it will get out. I know
who to bring an unpopular decision to. Formal information always begins with the union
president and informal information starts with the known complainers and blockers. I often give
people options but sometimes just tell them that is the way it is going to be.
4. How do you monitor the district’s working environment to make sure operations are
running smoothly?
I try to be a neutral observer. You have to detach yourself. There is a danger that you may get
too close to actually see what is going on. Heifetz, talks about leading without authority. I
always try to get above a situation to observe it neutrally. Is it working or is it not working? If
not then I need to figure out why. I’m never too embarrassed or ashamed to call someone. My
mentor in the superintendents development program is a taxpayer in my district. His opinion
means a lot since a superintendent and a resident. I often ask him what do you think? What’s
your impression? I do this with a handful of people. You become part of the problem when you
are so close so asking others helps you to see clearer.
Mitzberg Interviews Page 14 Jennifer French
5. As the organizational leader you fulfill many roles. What three priorities do you focus
on?
a. Mapping a vision
b. Planning change or action
c. Follow up and monitor
6. How do you balance your time so that your priorities receive ample attention?
I’m a Covey man. I use the 4 quadrants and prioritize across the roles, school
superintendent, father, husband, friend, and lover. I then sharpen the saw as much as I can.
7. As the disseminator of information, how do you ensure the information from the State
Education Department, such as the recent changes in the math standards, are shared
throughout the school district to all administrators and affected teachers?
I distribute information on several levels, first, I don’t answer every question myself. I provide
broad information and point the people who need the information into the right direction. For
example, I asked my lead math teacher to tell me what the new changes looked like. She went
on the web and looked up the information and then she went to Albany to the dissemination
meeting. She gave a full report to the math staff and me. I also looked over to information to
verify that things were correctly shared. Ultimately it is my responsibility to make sure the
correct information is shared.
8. How do you identify opportunities and situations that may require organizational
change?
I think it is bigger than identifying, it’s having a vision ahead of time. When something happens
it is a problem or opportunity or both. I can plan accordingly. Charles Archilles, Problem or
Opportunity, from my NOVA reading list, had a major impact on me. An example this week
was we threw a kid out for 5 days. His parent came to the Board of Education meeting hostile
and angry. He said that we are incompetent administrators etc. It is a problem for me because
he makes me look bad to board, but an opportunity to educate the board and demonstrate how
my due process sheet works. I used this as an opportunity to look at policy and an opportunity to
do some staff development with my principal.
Mitzberg Interviews Page 15 Jennifer French
9. What steps do you take to initiate and design the changes that need to be made?
I map everything ahead of time. I use Inspiration software and map out the problem or situation
and then step it out. Principals and Superintendents have very different situations. A principal
makes hundreds of decisions all day long. A superintendent has more time to make few
decisions so he can map them out.
10. How do you handle employees within your district who do not comply with the
district’s expectations for teachers?
Districts quibble too much. You must be honest, direct and put everything in writing. Don’t beat
around the bush, my patience if growing thinner for those who don’t do. Use the open-ended
question. Call them on it. (ie curriculum mapping)
I had a teacher who did some tutoring after school with a student who was on an extended leave.
He was one of my best, young teachers. He put himself into a vicarious situation. I had not
choice but to let him go. I called him in with the union president. I put the facts on the table. I
told him that I had no option but to let him go. He hugged me on the way out and said Dr. R,
you’re a hell of a guy.
11. As the superintendent of schools you are also the chief financial officer. How do you
determine where cuts will be made during this time of shrinking revenues and
increasing expenses?
I’m making too many arbitrary decisions these days. I’ll give you an example. Right now I have
an $8 million budget. One million of which is being spent in special education an increase of
over 47% increase in the past two years. In that time we increased from eleven to eighteen
students with an IEP. I forecast a 42% tax increase in tax levy this year. My plan is to take 400
thousand in special education costs and shave 200 thousand by hiring my own staff and returning
two 12:1:1 programs to the building. I have to take a more direct role in the budget decision-
making, small district. We’re at the point where we are hurting kids, and the state is responsible.
Mitzberg Interviews Page 16 Jennifer French
They can’t afford to keep this district. I won’t tell them. I’ll give data and let them see it
themselves. I’ve trusted our business manager before; he’s hardheaded and tight with a buck.
12. What strategies do you employ when faced with individuals who do not agree such as
parent vs. teacher?
Don’t be a pussy. Make your best decision, have backup and support it. Don’t be a cupcake.
I’m not selling myself to please the board of education.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
• How many administrators report to you? 2 administrators and a cabinet of 5 people
• How many teachers are in your institution? 50
• How many support staff (secretarial, cafeteria, maintenance etc) are in your
institution? 45
• How many years have you been employed in your current position? 2
• How many years have you worked for your current employer? 2
• How many years of managerial experience (department head or higher) do you
have? 17
Mitzberg Interviews Page 17 Jennifer French
A Structured Interview with Dr. C
Interview Questions: Thank for taking time out of your busy day to discuss your leadership qualities. This interview
is based on Henry Mintzberg's (1973) summary of executive roles. Mintzberg noted that all
managers perform 10 managerial roles: (1) figurehead, (2) leader, (3) liaison, (4) monitor, (5)
disseminator, (6) spokesperson, (7) entrepreneur, (8) disturbance handler, (9) resource allocator,
and (10) negotiator. These managerial roles are interconnected with overlap. With your
permission, I would like to tape record this interview so I can transcribe it later without
misquoting you.
1. You are the CEO of a school district and fulfill a multitude of roles each day. What
types of symbolic ceremonial activities do participate in?
I make sure I circulate the building; I don’t stay in my office. It is symbolic of trying to gather
more information about the environment. I do teacher evaluations that are symbolic of letting
my staff know I care about the curriculum. You can’t implement something unless you know
some of the information. I want my administrators to attend workshops about the goals and
information we are trying to implement. I also disseminate statistical data that correlate test
scores and achievement. It has led to us creating new programs. For example, the school based
health clinic and GED program.
We also do symbolic things to show that we treat kids fairly. All kids are in the school except
those who are sent to the psych center. They are educated here and our own teachers need to be
educated in differences in instruction. The greatest variation in student potential is within the
regular classroom where students IQs range between 77.6 – 145. When they talk about special
education the students’ abilities are more restricted. Regular education teachers need to know
more about learning theory. Symbolically, I teach a Supervision of Instruction course at St.
Lawrence University and try to disseminate the information I learn back in my school.
Mitzberg Interviews Page 18 Jennifer French
I do not use a fully collaborative approach but try to get information from a variety of places.
There are times I must make the final decision but by using collective minds I hear all sides of
the problem.
2. Teamwork is an important aspect of successful leadership. As the Leader of your
district how do you encourage teamwork among your staff?
First I have an administrative council meeting with all the department heads including two
teachers, cafeteria manager, guidance counselor, transportation supervisor, and business
manager, once a month. Discuss issues with the group. I set the agenda they send areas of
concerns. Every meeting everyone has a chance to say what is on his or her mind. The
elementary and high schools have planning teams. They give me their ideas that they would like
to propose. Hiring has a four-step process that includes parents, students, teachers and
administrators. We ask applicants to teach a lesson to the teachers. We also set up a role-
playing situation for potential administrators.
We administrators make sure to involve ourselves to be available at all extra curriculum
activities including basketball games, dances, concerts etc. I’m the CSE chairperson and our
providers are excellent. I learn a lot a lot about what goes on in the programs by facilitating the
meetings. I let them, (special education providers) take control if they stay within district
objectives.
I also meet with teams of people throughout the summer to determine the year’s goals and
objectives. The board (board of education) evaluates the administrators based on the goals and
the progress toward the goals. It’s kind of like management by objectives.
3. How do you obtain information so that you can improve or maintain your
understanding of the institution and its environment?
The most important way is by circulating and joining meetings, meetings that are not mine, and
hearing what people have to say. I pop into faculty meetings and do teacher evaluations. I am
all over the place. I am the CSE chairperson so I have 130 CSE kids and I have the opportunity
to meet and talk with their parents. I listen to everyone.
Mitzberg Interviews Page 19 Jennifer French
Okay, so I get information by being accessible, circulating, and listening to people. I encourage
people to go out and learn new things so they can disseminate new ideas. Hopefully we have the
money and resources to implement new things.
4. How do you monitor the district’s working environment to make sure operations are
running smoothly?
The administrative council has people from every department and area where we discuss how
things are going. Information from these meetings also goes to teachers and the Board of
Education. We do not hide errors or concerns. We try to diminish weaknesses and accentuate
the positives. I email board members before they hear things elsewhere. We try to maintain a
family type orientation and be approachable by everyone. I am lucky to have experienced
administrators with a wealth of experiences. They have a cadre of different experiences. The
High School Principal was a special education teacher; the Elementary principal was a counselor
and high school principal. It helps smaller schools share their experience. We try to give our
kids the support they need. We advocate for the children and are willing to spend money for a k-
8 counselor and k-12 psychiatrist, and a universal pre-k program. Parents and kids know this and
they are willing to talk to us about concerns. We give in turn give the Board of Education
important information about various facets of the school.
5. As the organizational leader you fulfill many roles. What three priorities do focus on?
My top priority is learning. We focus on achievement having a depressed, poor area. Our 4th
grade scores are not that hot but by 8th we are in the top 5 schools at the eighth grade level. Our
regents grades are up there. Our kids don’t go to Yale, Harvard etc., but many of the kids do go
on to college. I try not to put too much pressure on the early elementary as many of our kids
come to school with limited skill. I have mainstreamed kids with a 65 IQ. We are big on field
trips and experiences so we can give our kids things they won’t get at home.
An orderly, safe environment is an equally important goal. After Columbine, thirty-two cameras
were installed around the school. This helped hallway procedures and vandalism. We use the
Mitzberg Interviews Page 20 Jennifer French
Second Step for bullying prevention. The high school principal takes the kids skiing. We have
more dances than anyone. I think there is a dance every other week. We want the kids to have a
feeling of belonging and knowing they are in a safe environment. We feel the more the kids are
involved the less they are ostracized. My teachers are humane; they still hug kids in the k-8.
I also want my employees to develop feelings of trust and integrity. They need to know that we
are supportive and understanding. We want everyone to have a high work ethic. We extended
the school day to 7:45 – 3:15. It is important to have a longer day to handle mandates of AIS
(academic intervention services) etc. Our kids need to be here longer. We implemented an after
school program that we modeled after Hermon DeKalb school.
6. How do you balance your time so that your priorities receive ample attention?
That is very difficult. Some days I just can’t do that. I have relinquished going to workshops.
As CSE chairperson, I have chosen to stay here. I get information from the other superintendents
and website. I depend on my principals. The high school principal is the coordinator of the
leadership academy in Lake Placid. He works with administrators from around the North
Country. I ask them to be leaders. We share responsibilities. If someone is out we consume
other jobs. If the high school principal is out I keep his shop going. I do the paperwork on the
students but I don’t do the judgment because I don’t know the child’s history. Sue and Jeff take
over for me sometimes. Camaraderie is the answer to our relationship.
7. As the disseminator of information, how do you ensure the information from the State
Education Department, such as the recent changes in the math standards, are shared
throughout the school district to all administrators and affected teachers?
Whether it comes to the principals or me, we have regular meetings to discuss these things. We
plan how to give out the information. We built in three curriculum days when we release early.
Mitzberg Interviews Page 21 Jennifer French
Probably it is six because of parent report cards . We built these in to share important
information. We also hold regular in school and after school meetings.
8. How do you identify opportunities and situations that may require organizational
change?
The way I look at that is I present either a problem or perceptions of what I see. I analyze the
reception I get from staff about this particular problem. If there is a big gap between where I
want to go and the staffs willingness to go then we scaffold steps toward success. If there is a
desire of people to move then we move. If not we work with them incrementally to take them
there. There are times the administrators or teachers ask for more educational rational. I listen.
I use the Socratic process to learn more and find out all my options. I learn from political and
educational power groups. I pay close attention to community reactions. Sometimes perception
is different from the right things to do.
We must also see what the school looks like. We must look at the data and ask, “is this the right
thing to do.” Down deep you feel some educated responses are not as valid as where you can
take them. There are times when the majority is not on board. Some times you take the lose
because you must pick your battles. It has to do with your objectives. Are you short term or
long term? If you are in for the long haul you don’t need to win every battle. If you are only in
for the short term you can push things so you can put them on the resume. The longer you stay
the better they know you and the better you know them. You establish more credibility.
9. What steps do you take to initiate and design the changes that need to be made?
You have to articulate the problem, diagnose who’s involved in the problem, and know the
people and their motivation. Do they react better to intrinsic or extrinsic motivation? You must
know and understand people so you can analyze their reactions. If you want to go from A to C
you might need to stop at B for a while. You must know your resources. Who in your staff can
you share with? Who is on board to convince them? Analyze and synthesize who can best
deliver information. What do they want?
Mitzberg Interviews Page 22 Jennifer French
I’ll give you an example. We wanted to start a new series, Saxon Phonics. The kids in grades 3
and 4 didn’t have a lot of phonetic background. They did whole language, which did not work
with phonics. The teachers were concerned with how much more work must I do. I found that
Hermon DeKalb had a prepackaged program called Saxon Phonics. Everything we needed was
in there but the cost was prohibitive. I talked to the Board and our teachers made visitations.
We planned ahead for who my hard sell teachers would shadow. I explained to the other
administrators that I have three teachers who will be hard to convince and asked who at your site
can help me? She connected them with people who would say, “when my superintendent started
the program I didn’t want to do this” and then would go on to give a testimonial. With teachers
on board we could go to the board to convince them that it is a worthwhile expense. Our kids
have done very well. In third grade they know sounds and vocabulary. Comprehension is the
area we are working on. We also know that without follow up any staff development is a waste.
We want things to be meaningful down the road. They know I will stay and look at this to see it
through.
10. How do you handle employees within your district who do not comply with the
district’s expectations for teachers?
If in the three years time I have any doubts about competency or work ethic, I don’t tenure. For
the first year and a half I will do a lot to help a new teacher. I know that sometimes the
undergraduate program may not give a new teacher enough help. If the work is not up to par, I
do mentors and send teachers to workshops. I evaluate quite a bit. I pick out a few small chunks
at a time. If I saw seven things of concern I will concentrate on three. We talk about these
things. Early on I ask things like, do you need help? Later on I insist you are going to this
workshop. If they don’t improve considerably by the end of the 1.5 to 2 years they are out!
Children should not have mediocre or bad teachers. I also use evaluations to praise people.
Teachers need positive strokes. They have a difficult job taking on the roles of counselor,
probation officer, mom and dad, and policeman. Teaching is a tough act and society has
changed. Kids don’t look at things the same way.
Mitzberg Interviews Page 23 Jennifer French
11. As the superintendent of schools you are also the chief financial officer. How do you
determine where cuts will be made during this time of shrinking revenues and
increasing expenses?
I try to give my kids the things they need. I would rather raise taxes than cut out something that
will hurt kids. I use my administrative council to get information about programs and people’s
perceptions. Ultimately when I need to cut money I try to do so across the board. That is one
reason I became the CSE chair.
The New York State legislature has passed late budgets for over twenty years. Schools have to
create a budget based on constantly changing revenue projections. Our local legislators share
information as it becomes available but it is like shooting at a moving target.
12. What strategies do you employ when faced with individuals who do not agree such as
parent vs. teacher?
We need to get the facts. I don’t feel the need to rush through a situation based on hearsay.
Once the facts are in I make the individuals aware of my findings. If this information is not
sufficient to end the problem I make a ruling.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
a. How many administrators report to you? 2
b. How many teachers are in your institution? 67
c. How many support staff (secretarial, cafeteria, maintenance etc) are in your
institution? 59
d. How many years have you been employed in your current position? 20
e. How many years have you worked for your current employer? 14
f. How many years of managerial experience (department head or higher) do you
have? 26
Mitzberg Interviews Page 24 Jennifer French
References
Bass, B.M. (1990) Bass & Stogdill’s handbook of leadership. Theory, Research, and managerial applications. 3rd Ed. New York: Free Press.
Mintzberg, Henry PhD.(1998). The role of the CEO, Issues www.di.net/article.php?article_id=23 - 19k Van der Velde, M.E.G., Jansen, P.G.W., Vinkenburg, C.J., (1999) Managerial activities
among top and middle managers: self versus other perceptions, Journal of Applied Management Studies, 8, 2, 161-74
.
Mitzberg Interviews Page 25 Jennifer French
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