The article, “The Well Director,” is a compilation of ten attributes that describe a great director. This paper will discuss four of the attributes discussed in the paper that this writer deems most important; 1) a great director has vision, 2) results are obtained by guiding people to accomplish the predetermined goals of an organization, 3) an efficient management team is key to success, and 4) a great director causes people to want to work for him or her. All ten attributes are important, but this writer feels that these four are keys to the overall success of a great director. In order to be a great, or well director, it is not only important to try to attain these attributes, but it is vital to implement them on the job (Neugebauer, 1987, p.30-32).
Vision is what gives life and work meaning. If there is no direction or destination, then there is no way to evaluate whether you have arrived, or not. Vision is what gives people hope and inspires not only the director, but staff, to carry on when things get difficult. It is also part of the measurement to determine if people are succeeding in their quest. “Leader’s visions are compelling and pull people toward them” (Bennis, 1985). People with no vision have difficulty convincing others to follow them, because they do not know where they are headed in the first place. One vision I have in working with children is to instill in them the fact that through their efforts and kindness, they can change the life of another. By getting small children involved in charity work they can see how their efforts and compassion towards others can give those with less, a better life. The second attribute is guiding people in accomplishing the goals set for the organization (Neugebauer, 1987, p.30).
It is imperative to turn vision into achievable goals. These goals must be carefully thought out early, openly discussed, fixed in sight, and exaggerated throughout the process of completion. People cannot work to achieve a goal if they do not know what it is, do not understand it, are not reminded of it, and don’t get excited about it (Caplow, 1983). A good director focuses resources on achieving the goals that have been set. This allows the people working with the director access to resources needed to reach the goals. By setting up a canned food drive, children can bring in cans to help the poor. Posters with a goal of the number of cans desired for this project can be placed around the facility to remind staff, children, and parents to participate. Notices can be sent home to remind families to bring in cans. This is a simple way to show children how to participate in their community. The third attribute for a great director is the ability to put together an efficient management team (Neugebauer, 1987, p.30-31)
It is impossible to be effective in life if a person tries to do everything alone. A great director knows that building a team of efficient managers is essential to the cause. The life of the director is so much easier when they have a staff that can be counted on. Giving people new and bigger responsibilities when they show they are capable of handling them, is the way a team of efficient managers is built. When a person shows interest or aptitude in creative art projects, it would be wise to hand over additional responsibilities in that area. Eventually, that person can be put in charge of art throughout the school, ordering supplies, and even decorating the facility. As more and more staff members take on more managerial responsibilities they begin to feel that they have a more important role in the organization, and therefore generally do a far more superior job. The fourth attribute is getting people to want and enjoy working for the director (Neugebauer, 1987, p.32).
An employee’s desire to work hard for a supervisor correlates directly with their attitude towards the supervisor or director (McClellan, 1976). It is far easier to get employees to work hard if they feel like what they do counts and that their efforts help the organization achieve the goals that were presented from the beginning of their job. If employees have say in what the goals are from the beginning they also will feel like they have a stake in the overall success of the organization (McGregor, 1960). It is also important that a director be kind and thoughtful. When a person is trying to get another person to do something they want done, the old English proverb, “you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar” is true. No one wants to be “told” what to do. It is much more effective to ask nicely. In asking employees to perform a task, I will not only ask nicely, but often offer to assist in any way possible (Neugebauer, 1987, p.32). The ten attributes mentioned in this paper are all important, but four are the most significant to me.
In this paper, I have emphasized four attributes that are vital to being a great director; 1) having a clear vision is imperative to give direction to the organization and the staff, 2) setting goals and guiding staff to accomplish those goals is crucial to success 3) developing a team of competent managers to work together and accomplish the goals set by the organization is the only way to insure success and 4) inspiring people to want to work is a talent that a wise and intelligent director will try to instill within themselves (Neugebauer, 1987, p.30-32). This was an exceptionally concise and well written article. It has inspired me to investigate each one of these attributes and set goals on how I can improve each one within myself. As a director, it is my obligation to lead people with vision, and to have established and communicated goals for them to reach for. It is important to train staff up into a managerial position in the areas of their personal gifts and to recognize and reward those gifts. I found this article to be truly motivating.
References
Bennis, W., & Nanus, B. (1985). Leaders. New York: Harper and Row, Publishers.
Caplow, T. (1983). Managing an Organization. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
McClellan, D.G. (1976, March-April). Power is a Great Motivator. Harvard Business Review.
McGregor, D. (1960). The Human Side of Enterprise. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.
Neugebauer, R. (1987, March). The Well Director. Child Care Information Exchange.
