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Cultural Norms
Learning Forward, formerly called the National Staff Development Council, is dedicated to educators’ professional development. So it follows that the organization sets the bar high in terms of the level of professional behavior it expects from its staff. Learning Forward provides prospective employees with a copy of its Staff Agreements — which list those expected behaviors —“before they are formally interviewed for a position,” said Director of Learning Carol V. François. The Staff Agreements aren’t just dusted off for
interviewees, but are “norms that are included on our employee evaluations,” François said. “We are expected to enforce and adhere to them daily, both by reminding ourselves and others when we are and are not upholding them.” Such a rules-based workplace might sound off-
putting, but François said it’s just the opposite. She considers the Staff Agreements to be “one of our association’s most valuable tools for establishing an inviting and collaborative workplace.” They are as follows:
Keep your promises. Renegotiate before the deadline if you know you are unable to keep a commitment.
Do not offer excuses; excuses, good or bad, do not equal a kept agreement.
Take responsibility for your mistakes and fix your breakdowns. Be willing to be wrong and admit your mistakes.
Assume responsibility for your mistakes and figure out how to prevent them in the future.
Speak to people rather than about them. Speak directly to a person with whom you have a com- plaint, concern, issue, or problem (using the phone or face-to-face communication rather than by email), rather than about him or her to someone else.
Speak to a colleague about someone else only when seeking assistance in addressing another person directly.
Trust the competency of your colleagues. Respect the authority and trust the competency of your colleagues.
Assume all Learning Forward staffmembers work hard, are committed to Learning Forward, and are thorough in their areas of responsibility.
Use complaints as opportunities to find ways to improve.
Use laughter and humor to defuse stress. Use laughter and humor appropriately. Avoid jokes at the expense of others.
Celebrate contributions; demonstrate appreciation. Show appreciation for what others do. Be sincere in giving recognition — act with graciousness and humility.
Be open to other points of views. Stay unattached to your ideas. Support decisions made.