In the case of “The Superintendent’s Directive” the problem stems from the improper implementation of the change being initiated by Superintendent Porter. The first thing that Dr. Porter should have done is to call for a meeting among the principals of the schools under his supervision. During the meeting, he should discuss his proposal to the principals. He should explain why he thinks it would benefit the schools. It would be best if Porter invites the consultant to explain to the principals what the proposal is about and what advantages it will offer the schools. Porter should listen to the views of his principals to determine whether introducing the change is appropriate for the schools.
If the proposal is approved by the principals, the next step is to introduce the concept to the teachers. Again if possible, maybe schedule a talk with the consultant so he can explicitly explain the concept of making written performance objectives to the teachers.
In the case presented, it is clear that the teachers refused to make the written objectives because they do not know the reason why they should do it. They refuse to follow maybe because they do not know how to do it. The change was not explained to them; they were just required to follow. What Porter and Mr. Weigand should have done is to explain the change first, how it will be implemented and what benefits will the school get from it. The resistance to change is clear because the process of introducing it started on the wrong foot. It is best that the consultant be asked to train the teachers first on how to make the performance objectives before requiring them to create one and giving them a deadline for submission. It should be explained to the teachers that the change is being introduced not because there is something wrong with the way they are teaching now but because it would improve the current teaching process. One thinks too that it was improper for Mr. Weigand to make a follow-up memo which is quite threatening to the teachers. Asking them to contact Dr. Porter if they have any questions about the requirement gives the perception that he does not want to take responsibility for the change being implemented. It seems as if he does not want to have anything to do with the orders of Dr. Porter. He should at least be ready to explain it to his teachers and if there are any problems, he should relay it to Dr. Porter.
References
Mills, R. C., Quick, A. F., & Wolfe, M. P. (2008). The superintendent's directive. In R. L. Daft, & P. G. Lane, The Leadership Experience + Infotrac (p. 286). Cengage Learning.
