DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 315 221 RC 017 277

AUTHOR Chance, Edward W.TITLE Developing Administrative Vision.PUB DATE Mar 89NOTE 13p.; In: Education and the Changing Rural Community:

Anticipating the 21st Century. Proceedings of the1989 ACRES/NRSSC Symposium. See RC 017 257.

PUB TYPE Speeches/Conference Papers (150) -- InformationAnalyses (070) -- Viewpoints (120)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Administrative Change; Administrative Principles;

*Administrator Role; Administrators; *EducationalAdministration; *Educational Planning; ElementarySecondary Education; Leaders; *Leadership Styles;Long Range Planning; *Management by Objectives; RuralEducation

ABSTRACT

Visionary leadership has emerged as a significantcharacteristic of high performing school administrators. Visionprovides a sense of direction for the school and facilitatesaccomplishment. Administrators must move from authoritarian andmanagerial modes of operation to proactive leadership, and maintain afocus on the vision through turmoil and change. In developing apersonal vision, one needs to ask questions about one's strengths andweaknesses as a leader and write the answers in a vision statement.In much the same manner, one can develop this into an organizationalvision, and then identify knowledge of the organization and involveothers to facilitate the implementation of the vision. The finalcomponent of vision is future vision which often uses metaphoricalstatements, symbols, or personal models. Administrators shoul,..allocate funding, materials, and time to sustain the vision, andapply various administrative strategies to pursue the vision. Thechanges in rural education demands visionary leadership. This papercontains 20 references. (GGH)

Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document.

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I 'III I IDNIDNINIF N I MN

Developing Administrative Vision

Edward W. Chance, Ph.D.Department of Educational Leadership and P licy Studies

College of EducationUniversity of OklahomaNorman, Oklahoma 73019

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Developing Administrative Vision

The decade of the 1980's will long be rememberedas a time that brought a semblance of reform to theAmerican educational system. Although it is clear thatmuch of the reform movement has been useful inrefocusing the mission of public education in thiscountry it has become obvious that the level of successof any reform depends upon the leadership manifested inschools in this country. Specifically, it can beunequivocally stated that there is a strong correlationbetween an effective building level administrator andthe ability of a school to accomplish its expressedgoals and objectives.

Educational studies have long stressed theimportance for administrators to possess both long andshort term goals, educational objectives, and a wellthought out educational philosophy. These have beenidentified as significant aspects in the researchrelating to effective leaders and leadership capacities(Sweeney, 1982; Leithwood and Montgomery, 1982;Manasse, 1985; and Russell, Maggarella, White, andMaurer, 1985). Recently there has appeared in theliterature a much broader and encompassing concept;that is the notion of vision. Visionary leadership hasemerged as a significant characteristic of highperforming building administrators (Blumberg andGreenfield, 1980). The U.S. Department of Educationpublication, Principal Selection Guide (1987), statesthat "effective school leaders have broad visions thatare clear, active, ambitious, and performance oriented"(p. 5). It further indicates that effectiveadministrators "create conditions to help them realizetheir vision" (p. 6).

As important as vision is to the effectiveness ofleadership, it is somehow very elusive. There is noitem analysis, no magic formula, and no one book thatcan recount how vision is formed, activated, orsustained. However, it is true that vision is theforce, the dream, towards which effectiveadministrators continually strive in the shaping oftheir individual schools for success. It is alsoobvious that rural administrators today when confrontedby a multitude of tasks, overwhelming economicrestrictions, and increased community concerns musthave a strong vision. 'vision provides the impetus andpower for rural schools to achieve success.

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This paper will provide assistance to the currentor potential administrator by addressing the followingquestions: "What is vision?", "Why is it important?",and "How can one further clarify or develop aneducational vision?"

What Is Visions

The literature provides a great many definitionsof vision. Some of these definitions are very generalwhile others are much more specific and relate to onlyone specialized aspect. Manasse (1985) provided a veryworkable generic definition by describing vision as"the development, transmission, and implementation of adesirable future" (p. 150). Batsis (1987) envisionedvision as more comprehensive than goals and objectivesbecause it allows one to see how these fit into thebroader structure of the organization. Hickman andSilva (1984) described vision as "a mental journey fromthe known to the unknown ... creating the future from amontage of facts, hopes, dreams ... and opportunities"(p. 151). Shieve and Shoenheit (1987) indicated that"a vision is a blueprint of a desired state. It is bnimage of a preferred condition that we work to achievein the future" (p. )4). Vision may also deeply impactthe organization because "exemplary leaders imagine anexciting ... and focused future for theirorganizations. ... They have visions of what might be,and they believe they can make it happen" (Kouzes andPosner, 1984, p. 1). In an extensive study of eighthighly effective principals, Blumberg and Greenfield(1980) found that those with vision attempt to createan environment where their personal values provide afirm foundation for the school. Manasse (1982) alsofound that personal values were important. Sheindicated that effective administrators have a visionof a school that is solidly established and entrenchedon publicly articulated values. These values areopenly discussed and explained within the educationalcommunity. An exhaustive study of leadership behaviorby a team of University of Texas researchers(Rutherford, 1985) found that effective administratorscould discuss the vision of their school withouthesitation and could readily identify both long rangeand short range goals. Interestingly, this study foundthat teachers within the school environment were wellaware of the administrative vision and could relate itto others. Perhaps, Bennis and Nanus (1985) said it

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best when they stated that "vision grabs" and is"compelling" (p. 28).

In a recent synthesis of the literature relatingto visionary leadership, Grady and LeSourd (1988)identified five dominant qualities of a leader withvision. They found that leaders with vision are deeplyguided and motivated by personal values. They alsoestablished that these leaders have an intensecommitment to the achievement of goals which they haveidentified as important for the organization.Additionally, visionary leaders strive to develop acommon sense of purpose and direction among- all membersof their organization. They also found that visionaryleaders are organizational innovators. Finally, theseleaders consistently project and attest to a futurethat represents something better.

However one defines vision, it is obvious thattruly effective administrators have one. Vision isoften highly personal although it conceivably can beshaped a plural parentage of teachers, parents, andstudents (Murphy, 1988). Vision is a destinationalbeit there may be many detours and roadblocks beforethe objective is achieved. Vision is essentiallyintangible. It can not be touched, felt, or seen butit is essential that it exist. Vision is a sweet dreamof the future regardless of organizational orenvironmental restraints. It provides a sense ofdirection for the school. A visionary administrator isnot afraid of stating, "This is what I believe; this iswhat the school can accomplish; and this is where weare going to be in one year, five years, and tenyears." Vision is a powerful force that guides,cajoles, directs, and facilitates accomplishment.

Why Is It Important?

Schools have functioned, but not alwayssuccessfully, for the past one hundred years under theprecept of the bureaucratic model. This meant thatrules, a system to enforce compliance, an explicitlydefined structure, and the specialization of .casks anddecision-making became the norm. Many administratorstraditionally utilized an authorative hierarchicalstyle of leadership (Barth, 1987). Control and orderwas more important than heretical concepts such ascreativity and flexibility. However, given the natureof teacher militancy and demands for active involvementin the daily functioning of the school, as well as ar.

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increased demand by the public for accountability, itshould be obvious that the old style of administrati edictat will no longer be acceptable.

Administrators must move from this authoritarian,managerial mode of operation to one of proactiveleadership. It is crucial that administrators developa vision that not only calls for excellence butestablishes an environment in which a school mayachieve excellence. Administrators must be willing toask the questions, "What are we doing, is it workingfor us, can it be done in a better way to accomplishour goals?" and to listen to the answers whether theyare good or bad. Administrators who are leaders, andnot simply managers, must be able to articulate andstrive towards the organization they envision.Sergiovanni (1987) hat. identified six principles vitalto administrators today. These are the principles ofcooperation, empowerment, responsibility,accountability, meaningfulness, and ability-authority.It must be understood that this movement towards a newleadership mode does not mean that aspects of thebureaucratic model that coordinate or enhance theorganization should be jettisoned. Rather, theexcesses and abuses of the bureaucratic model should beeliminated.

An administrator with vision is able to maintain afocus on that vision through any turmoil or change.Rutherford (1985) found that teachers recognize theexistence of an administrative vision with the resultbeing that both they and students identify school as agood place. He ascertained that visionary leadersprovide meaningful direction to seemingly insignificantdaily activities. A vision according to Littky andFried (1988) helps unify a school and raises theemotional mood of those in the organization. Allwithin the successful organization collegially worktogether to achieve the vision and believe theircontributions are important in achieving the vision(Manasse, 1985).

Vision serves as a guide for the school'sadministrators, faculty, students, and support staff.It helps set the climate for the school becauseexpectations, goals, and purposes are clear and cogent.Vision attains results and as it does teachers andstudents are aware of their accomplishments andexperience a sense of pride in th'ir involvement.

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NOW to Claritynevelop a Vision

When one first begins to really think of his/hereducational vision it is important to remember that itbegins within the individual leader. Vision originatesas a personal concept and remains so long after theorganization has bought into it. Vision reflectspersonal values, a personal assessment of theorganization, personal views of possibilities, andone's professional values.

In developing a personal vision, one needs to askthe following questions:

What are my five greatest strengths?What are my five greatest weaknesses?What are three things I value most in life?That style of leadership am I most comfortable

with?What are the most important things I want to

accomplish in this school?How would I like to be remembered as an

administrator?What do I want to prove as a leader?

Once these questions are honestly answered, thenit is possible to begin to formulate or further clarifyone's vision.

The next step is to carefully evaluate one'sanswers and then begin writing a vision statement foran individual school or district. That visionstatement can be personal or organizational and oftenwill reflect universal values such as equity andjustice (Shieve and Shoenheit, 1987). As one writesthis personal vision statement it must reflect what onewants to accomplish. This statement should not behampered by the reality of organizational or economicand political restraints. It should reflect what oneideally want to accomplish, what the organizationshould be in an idealistic sense. The total visionstatement should be short and no longer than 50 words.After this visionary statement is written, begin toidentify strategies for communicating that vision tothe faculty and students. Think of a daily scheduleand how one might convey that vision through normaloperational activities. This is important becausecommunication facilitates the validation of the vision.

A second component of developing and implementingvision is to establish an organizational one. This is

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done in much the same manner as for the personalvision. Some of the questions chat can be asked are:

What are the strengths of this school?What are its weaknesses?What are external factors that help or hinder the

proper functioning of this organization?What is the existing relationship between the

various components of this organization?What are the interpersonal st:engths and

weaknesses of this organization?

Additional questions that are useful have beenidentified by Kouzes and Posner (1987) as:

How would you like to change the world foryourself and your organization?

If you could invent the future, what future wouldyou invent for yourself ani yourorganization?

What does your ideal organization look like? (p.102)

After one has answered these questions, it is thenappropriate to identify how the knowledge of theorganization can be utilized to facilitate theimplementation of the vision statement. This is thetime to set priorities of what should and could beaccomplished in both the short and long term. This isa good time to begin to involve others in the processof establishing methodology for the implementation ofthe vision as well as areas of responsibility. Themore others are involved at this stage, the moreamenable they are to accept responsibility for thesuccessful comtletion of a specific task. This aspectof vision is not easy and not necessarily tidy. Itbehooves the administrator to not lose sight of his/herpersonal vision. It remains the guiding fotce.

The final component of vision is future vision.Manasse (1985) indicated that "leaders use futurevision to focus the attention of their organization onaccomplishing the possible rather than maintaining whatexists" (p. 158). Future vision often utilizesmetaphorical statements, symbols, or personal models.Pronouncements such as "Striving for Excellence","Excellence ant: Equity", and "A Time for Greatness"provide impetus and direction for the organization.Future vision reflects the use of creativity and

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imagination. It should indicate the ideal school.This provides a target for the organization to strivetowards. As the future vision is articulated again, itis crucial that the administrator models effectivebehaviors towards securing the vision.

Shieve and Shoenheit (1987) identified fivedistinct steps for the actualization of vision. Thesearea (1) see it, (2) own it, (3) make this personalvision a public/organizational one, (4) developstrategies to achieve it, and (5) begin acting on thevision (p. 99). The significant aspect is that avision must be acted upon. Involvement of others,selling the vision through effective communication andutilizing resources wisely all facilitateimplementation of the vision.

Sgstganing the Vision

Effective administrators allocate funding,materials, and time in pursuit of the vision. Theyalso systematically and judiciously utilizeinstructional management strategies, advantageousscheduling, and recognition and rewards to maintain theschool's focus. These leaders initiate, monitor,motivate, facilitate, and orchestrate to reach thevision. The effective visionary leader is constantlyin pursuit of a school climate that enhances learningand advances teacher productivity.

Communication of the vision is crucial. AsRutherford (1985) found, others have to know what thevision is and be able to articulate and publicize it intheir own way. That means the vision should becommunicated to everyone that will listen - teachers,custodians, bus drivers, students, cooks, parents, andthe community at large. People need to hear it,understand in it, and accept it before they can fullysupport it. The only roadblock to the scope andvariety of the communication is the limit of theadministrator's imagination. Visionary leaders are"people" oriented. They believe that the vision isimportant and because they exhibit essential humanrelation skills others also begin to exhibit theseattributes. This contagious reaction is one that movesthe school inexorably toward the reality of the vision.

Administrators with vision engage their staff indecision making and problem solving that shapeorganizational activities, teacher performance, andstudent behavior and learning. This involvement of the

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staff not only builds collegiality but exhibits to allwhat has been deemed organizationally important(Peterson, 1986). The RASA monograph, Challenges forSchool Leaders (1988), identified two important aspectsthat not only facilitate the implementation but assistin sustaining the vision. The first is to periodicallyfree administrators from daily tasks so that a renewalcan take place through attendanc ".s at meaningfulworkshops, conferences, or visits to other schoolswhich have been identified as effective. The secondsuggestion is to allow the administrative staff tospend quality time in the summer for strategicplanning. This planning could focus on how far theorganization has progressed and how can the school cancontinue to move towards the fulfillment of the visionin the coming year. If the vision is to be sustained,there must be an opportunity for renewal and anevaluation of programmatic approaches.

Conclusion

This past decade has seen tremendous demands andincreased expectations placed on the Americaneducational system. The effective school movement,national reform challenges, and increased claims totraditional authority by faculty and staff have had aprofound impact on both urban and rural schools andadministrators. Rural administrators must concernthemselves not only with these movements but also withdeclining economic resources, magnified communityexpectations, outmoded facilities, and shrinkingstudent populations. If these concerns are not enoughto overwhelm the typical rural administrator, then addthe fact that many rural administrators also teach andserve as counselors or coaches. It is no wonder thenthat time becomes the most precious commodity to theserural leaders. Now to all of this, theseadministrators are advised that they must also have avision.

A recent study by Chance and Lingren (1988) ofover five hundred rural principals found that a vastmajority considered themselves instructional leadersyet rarely spend time in teachers' classrooms. Thisstudy also ascertained that the predominant leadershipstyle of both male and female principals was moreconcerned with task completion than with individualneeds or school climate. When the data was further

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analyzed it was concluded that administrators oftenlack time to accomplish all their goals.

Despite these fine.ngs, examples of effectiveadministrators who actively practice instructionalleadership serve to illustrate that outstandingadministrators do find time to accomplish establishedgoals. These principals believe in effective schoolswhere teachers can instruct and all students can learn.These administrators possess vision. Successful ruraladministrators are more than officers; they areleaders. Leaders understand that without direction andpurpose; programs, facilities, and morale will slowlybegin to deteriorate, accelerating as time passes. Toprevent this rural administrators must prioritizeactivities and goals, involve others in decision*making, continue their professional growth, and provideimpetus and guidance to the school. They must also, asBarth (1988) states, believe in teachers, attributemuch success to them, and not be afraid to admit thatan administrator may not know everything and may needassistance. Simply rut, the successful, effectiveadministrator must develop, implement, and sustain thevision of not what the school should be but what theschool will, be. Vision, therefore, should be anadministrator's first priority.

Rural schools are a reality of the American publiceducational system. These schools should never assumethey are second class or handicapped because of thatruralness. Instead, with a vision, they can capitalizeon and utilize the attributes that ruralness andsmallness provides, and they can become great. Visionprovides only the destination, but when a visionaryleader collaborates with the stakeholders of theschool, the trip can be an exciting and rewarding one.

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ReferencesAmerican Association c.! School Administrators. (1988).

for school leaders. Reston, Virginia:Author.

Barth, R.S. (1987). The principal and the profession ofteaching. In W. Greenfield (Ed.), InstructionalLeadership: Concepts. issues and controversies(pp. 249-270). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Barth, R.S. (1988). Principals, teachers, and schoolleadership. phi Delta Kappan, fa (9), 639-647.

Batsis, T.M. (1987, April). Cheracteristips otexcg1Xent principals. Paper presented at theannual meeting of the National CatholicEducational Association, New Orleans, LA.

Bennis, W., & Nanus, B. (1985). Leaders: 1pstntegies for taking charge. New York: Harperand Row.

Blumberg, A., & Greenfield, W. (1980). The effectiveprincipal: Perspectives on school, leadership.Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Chance, E.W., & Lingren, C. (1988, September). Thegreat plains rural Principal: Characteristics andleadership style. A paper presented at theNational Rural Education Association Nationalconvention, Bismarck, ND.

Grady, M.L., & LeSourd, S.J. (1988, August).Principals' attitudes toward_visionary leadership.A paper presented at the National Council ofProfessors of Educational Administration NationalConference, Kalamazoo, MI.

Hickman, C.R., & Silva, M. (1984). Creating exce lgnce:Managing corporate culture. strateay. and changein the new age. New York: New American Library.

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B.Z. (1987). The leadershipchal1enge: liow to qgt extraordinarv_thinas donein organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Leithwood, K.A., & Montgomery, D.J. (1986). TheprIncipal pr,file. Toronto, Ontario: OatarioInstitute for StudiEs in Education.

Littky, D., & Fried, R. (1988, January). The Challengeto make good school great. TEA Today, pp. 4-8.

Manasse, A.L. (1982, March). Effective principals:Effective at what? Principal, Al (4), 10-15.

Manasse, A.L. (1985, Fall). Vision and leadership:Paying attention to intention. Peabody Journal ofEducation, 6 (1), 150-173.

Murphy, J.T. (1988, May). The unheroic side ofleadership: Notes from the swamp. Phi DeltaNarman, 12 (9), 654-659.

Peterson, X.D. (1985, }all). Vision and problemfinding in principals° work: Values and cognitionin administration. Peabody Journal of Education,&2 (1), 87-106.

Rutherford, W.L. (1985). School principals aseffective leaders. Phi_Poelta KagRAD, AI (1), 31-34.

Sergiovanni, T.J. (1987). The principalship: Areflective practice perspective. Boston: Allynand Bacon.

Shieve, & Shoenheit, M.B. (1987). Vision and thework life of educational leaders. In L.T. Shieve& M.D. Shoenheit (Eds.), hpa4ership: Examiningthe elusive (p. 93-104). Washington, D.C.:Association for Supervision and CurriculumDevelopment.

Sweeney, J.T. (1982). Research synthesis on effectiveschool leadership. Educational Leadership, 22(5), 346-352.

U.S Department of Education. (198,). Principalselection guide. Washington, D.C.: Author.

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