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SUFFOLK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 2013 The Academy for Leadership and Development

The Academy for Leadership and Development

www.chairacademy.com

OVERVIEW: POLICY AND POLITICS

        Explore aspects of policy and politics.

Defined Perceptions Job Requirements Forces Impacting Your Issues Complexity Case Study

GET SET!

Describe the POLICY or the POLITICS commonly associated with the following issues.

ISSUE Gun Control Health Care Immigration POLICY

Prevent gun abuse, reduce risk to citizens.

POLITICS

Background Checks OR Better Enforcement Ensure every citizen has access to affordable health care.

?????

??????

Better security; path to citizenship for those here; send illegals home and reapply.

College Issue ??????

??????

POLICY AND POLITICS DEFINED

Policy and Politics are two words that are often confused with regard to their connotations.

Policy

refers to the course or principle of action adopted or proposed by a government, party, business, or an individual. The word ‘policy’ was derived from the Latin word “politia.”

Politics

is all about organizational process. It is all about the theory and practice of government, the profession of government, the differences between governing groups and so on. In Latin the word is “publica.”

WHEN WE THINK ABOUT POLITICS When you think about politics what comes to mind?



Party?



Power?



??

PROCESS AND POLICY FORMULATION

IT’S EVERYWHERE

“I wish politics could be eliminated from education.” Wilbur Cohen – Dean, School of Education University of Michigan 1973

MYTHS-REALITIES

MYTHS

Politics has no place in the classroom. Politics and Power go hand in hand.

Politics is about Party.

REALITIES

At every level of government communities seek more control and accountability .

Politics is about expression as much as it is about persuasion. Party and politics may be inextricably linked in a democracy but one doesn’t necessarily rule the other.

Politics is generally bad in any organizational environment. Politics in and of itself is neither good nor bad, it’s passive; it may become bad when translated to policy form.

WHY ARE POLITICS SO PREVALENT?

We preach discourse, debate, and passion.

How ever much we mirror the community around us, we ARE different.

DOES IT FIT IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION?

Competencies for Community College Leaders AACC, 2005

Desired Competencies Advocacy

     

Organizational Resource Management Communication Collaboration Community College Advocacy Professionalism

   

Promote diversity, inclusion, equity , academic excellence Demonstrate passion . . . College . . .and student success . . . .

Advocate for the community college mission . . . .

Represent the community college in the local community . . . .

WHAT’S WORTH FIGHTING FOR?

Michael Fullan, Andy Hargreaves - Ontario “What is worth fighting for is not to allow our

organizations to be negative by default, but to make

them positive by design.”

Individualistic Culture Collaborative Culture

   The most common state for the teacher is not a collegial one.

Many teachers work alone, aside from one’s colleagues.

Root cause: high expectations, poorly defined limits.

   In a fully functioning collaborative [organization], many teachers (indeed all) are leaders.

[E]xplicitly committed to continuous improvement.

Examine existing practices critically, seek better alternatives. . . .

FORCES SEEKING TO INFLUENCE POLICY

In public organizations, almost every policy issue has some amount of internal and external interest.

INTERNAL

      

Governing Board Advisory Committees Administration Staff/Faculty Students Alumni Other???

EXTERNAL

     

City, State, Federal Govt.

Regional Accrediting Agency Press Educational Enterprises Competition Other???

WHAT ARE YOUR POLICY ISSUES?

List a few of the policy issues you have confronted or are confronting. What are the political implications? ISSUE Pets on Campus Smoking on Campus Covert all lights to Green. ????

????

POLICY

Service animals only.

NO smoking on campus.

Optimize energy use and efficiency.

POLITICAL ASPECTS

ASPCA says too many animals left home w/o proper care.

???????

Advocates to reduce campus footprint; cost?

Who are the primary stakeholders? Why does it matter?

CONSIDER COMPLEXITY

As you consider the policy and or the political considerations, be mindful of the lessons from our discussion on complexity.

What were the attributes and landscape related to the issue?

   

Attributes Interdependent Diverse Adapt Connected Landscape Matters

  

Simple Rugged Dancing

WHERE ARE THE DIALS TO SECURE AN OPTIMUM SOLUTION?

Interdependency Diversity Adaptability Connectedness

CASE STUDY

Case studies require us to analyze problem situations and reach our own conclusions concerning the outcome.

        Name the issue.

Review the facts, WHO is the ultimate decider?

List the key stakeholders.

Determine what matters.

Assess why it matters and to whom.

Assess your relationship with key stakeholders.

Make a recommendation

ASSIGNMENT Take 75 Minutes

      

Form into teams.

Review materials.

Designate roles.



Facilitator



Time Keeper



Reporter/Recorder Outline review process.

Record key observations.

Prepare summary report.

Report recommendation.

REPORT ON RESULTS

 What did you identify as the key issue?

 Who is the key decider?

 Why does the issue matter? To whom?

 Who are the key stakeholders?

 What is your recommendation?

 WHY?

SUMMARY

    

Policy and Politics

are inextricably linked in most organizational settings.

Politics influences/informs

the way it should be done.

our perception of what needs to be done, or

Policy is consequence

of our perceptions—the act itself.

Internal and external forces

unfold.

tug in various directions as policy issues In

collaborative cultures

leaders abound.

REFLECTION

Record 2-3 ideas, issues that came out of the discussion that were most meaningful to you.

PERSONAL INVESTMENT PLAN (PIP)

Personal/Professional Investment Plan 2013-2014 Personal Object of My Desire

   Time to complete.

Things to do.

Why this matters to me.

How will I know I’m done; what does success look/feel like?

   Journal Discussion with mentor/buddy.

Objective assessment.

Professional Object of my Desire

   Time to complete.

Things to do.

Why this matters to me.

How will I know I’m done; what does success look/feel like?

   Journal Discussion with mentor/buddy.

Objective assessment.