The Dangerous Inadequacy of Joy with Matthew Taylor Resilient Schools 14

Setting our sights on cultivating joy as the key to solving work culture malaise is inadequate and even dangerous. A singular focus on joy tempts us to view our culture woes as a technical rather than an adaptive challenge because technical challenges are much easier to solve. We take plug-and-play “joy factor” activities off the shelf and avoid anything that doesn’t feel good.  This creates dissonance for people when they are experiencing challenges. Even more dangerously, the focus on creating joy—even thoughtful joy—obscures or distracts from what our work culture truly needs to create the conditions for people to thrive.  Those conditions are built on connection, care and challenge. Pushing joy in the wrong moments leads to people becoming frustrated and focused on resenting you rather than collectively moving toward a collective awareness and intention that can truly shift your work culture.   Joy is important. But it is overused when used as a strategy. The overuse of joy as a strategy to build culture Positivity by Frederickson Conditions for joy - surroundings are safe and familiar. People who are going after joy can create dissonance. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs Social awareness What schools and educators need right now? They need to feel like they are not alone. What types of issues are the wrong focus on joy? Planned a lunch - we had some bumps, let’s move on. People were hurting, and needed to be affirmed. Trying to infuse positivity and camaraderie where people needed affirmation. Not meeting people where they were. People need three things to feel like they’re thriving   Connection - having real conversations. Care Challenged A space for emotional experience to be shared. Vulnerability is important Show up as their full selves Care is about compassion and belief in someone. Are they invested in my well-being? Do leaders care about their teachers’ well-being as much they care about the students’? Clear is kind. Connection and care without challenge is enabling. Challenge is still a necessary ingredient to improve culture Finding and owning their locus of control. Make it clear what is and is not in and out of control. Challenge - identify places where we do have locus of control. Hold each other accountable. How do you know the right thing to challenge on? What do people need right now? They need to feel seen, supported and they need hope. How to take control? Listening. We need to do a better job of creating those spaces.   About Matt Taylor   Matt Taylor is the CEO and founder of The Noble Story Group- a leadership coaching and training group that ignites thriving for individuals and equity for groups by operationalizing EI. Matt has coached and trained hundreds of education and non-profit leaders over the last 15 years, from CEOs to school principals. Matt’s 5 Square methodology is used as an anchor leadership development tool in non-profit organizations, school leader development programs, and executive coaching programs across the country. Matt began his leadership career at Amistad Academy Middle School after ten years of teaching. During Matt’s tenure as principal, Amistad distinguished itself as the #1 middle school in Connecticut for African American student achievement.  His book, The Noble School Leader, is a self-guided coaching journey for school leaders seeking to reduce suffering, spark hope, increase equity and inclusion, and help leaders and the people they lead thrive in their work and their lives.   About Jethro Jones Jethro Jones, 2017 Digital Principal of the Year, is a former principal and host of Transformative Principal, Cybertraps, and My Bonus Money podcasts. He is also the author of the books How to be a Transformative Principal and SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves! Jethro currently consults schools and districts on redesign efforts that don’t seem like another program. Jethro has worked as a principal at all K–12 levels, including a prison school, a district coach, distance learning team lead, and English teacher.