Creating and Maintaining a Positive Classified and Certificated (IBB) Climate

1. Creatingand Maintaininga Positive Classified and Certificated (IBB) Climate March 20, 2012 ERNN Annual Conference Yakima, WA

2. Overview of today’s session • Traditional Bargaining versus Interest-Based Bargaining (IBB) • WAYFO? • (We save lives!) • The Orting School District story • But first… Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

3. Daily Affirmations Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

4. Orting School District’s Story • History of Traditional Bargaining • And VERY antagonistic relationships with both PSE and OEA • History of rolling over contracts • History of guarded communications and intermittent trust • 2010: OEA bargained w IBB; PSE refused Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

5. IBB Defined • A problem-solving process • conducted in a principled manner • to create effective solutions • using “Consensus” decision-making • While improving the relationship between parties Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

6. What is IBB? • The Basic Principles: • Problem-solving is the objective; not winning or losing • Focus on the problem • Consider the concerns, needs, fears, worries and interests that underlie both teams’ perspectives • Generate a variety of options or solutions for mutual gain before deciding what to do • Base resolution on mutually agreed upon objective standards, procedures or values Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

7. Interest Based Bargaining • Is a discussion that allows for an understanding of the interests underlying positions • Moves people away from contending positions • Promotes mutual education • Allows a collaborative atmosphere to develop • Sets the stage for reframing the issue • Encourages the generation of multiple options • Permits the search for a creative solution Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

8. Traditional Bargaining (Hard) • By focusing on POSITIONS, the parties in a dispute: • See only a predetermined way to solve a problem • Spend time staking and defending opposing positions rather than dealing with the heart of the matter • Tend to settle with a compromise rather than what either side really needs • Limit creative options • Risk damaging ongoing relationships Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

9. IBB Behaviors • Focus on issues and interests, not on people or positions • Describe, not accuse • Understand issues. Do not judge them • Respect the roles and responsibilities of others • Seek to meet mutual and separate interests • Use consensus to decide • Avoid coercion and manipulation • Sustain the relationship and the process Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

10. Traditional Bargaining Behaviors • Proposal • Counter-proposal • Counter-to-counter-proposal • Counter-to-counter-to-counter-proposal • More Haggling (depending on how strong you feel your position is) • More Threatening (depending on howrightyou feel your position is) • Stressful holding-out until you’re SURE it’s their final offer • Agreement Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

11. Traditional Bargaining? (Duckman) Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

12. What is IBB? • The starting point: • A full understanding of your own interests • The strategy: • Open discussion of interests • Encourage other side to openly discuss their interests • Each team member is expected to contribute in some fashion in the sessions • Brainstorm options with an open mind • The solutions: • Evaluated according to objective standards • Agreed upon by consensus decision Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

13. What is IBB? (Car commercial) Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

14. An IBB Strategy is NOT about... • Exercising our limited power for narrow constituent gains • Seeking compromise solutions • Quick decisions • Addressing only issues we “have to” • Focusing on areas of disagreement • Questions of “Why?” for the purpose of blame • Seeing problems • Ultimatums • Believing primarily in the strength and knowledge of the individual Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

15. An IBB Strategy is NOT about... • Butting heads together • Commitment to positions based upon pressure • “This way” only • Monologue • Being mistrusting • Reconciling positions • Focusing on the mettle of the parties • Pushing each other back and forth • Individual focus • Insisting Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

16. Ppreoobplleem • Separate the People from the Problem! • Do not blame the other party for the problem • Discuss your perceptions • Imagine the issue from the other party’s perspective • Recognize and understand emotions • Do not assume the other party intends what you fear most • Communicate clearly and effectively Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

17. Traditional Bargaining? • The starting point: • Adversarial positions • The strategy: • Gradual adjustments • Advocate your position • Detract from your opponent’s position • Opportunistic behavior • The solutions: • Trade and compromise toward a midpoint • Decision based upon power Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

18. IBB Process • Select the issue • Ensure the issue is clearly stated and understood by all • Use a mutually acceptable method to decide the order in which issues will be discussed • Discuss interests • Establish standards • Generate options • Evaluate options • Develop the solution • And monitor the results… Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

19. IBB Process 2. Discuss the Interests behind the Issue • List the interests on a chart • Discuss and clarify each interest • Recognize the legitimacy of both parties interests to define the scope of the issue • Convert positions to interests – all positions are based upon interests • Identify mutual interests • Restate the issue if necessary Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

20. IBB Bargaining? (Dentist Negotiation) Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

21. Group Consensus 6. Develop the solution When all members agree upon a single solution and can honestly say: • “I believe you understand my point of view” • “I understand your point of view” • “Whether or not this is my preferred solution, I support it because it was reached openly and fairly and it is the best solution for us at this time.” Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

22. Consensus Guidelines • Listen – pay attention to others • Encourage participation – but do not embarrass anyone • Share information • Do not change your mind to avoid conflict • Do not agree too quickly….explore options Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

23. Comparison: Interest Based and Positional Strategies Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

24. Comparison: Interest Based and Positional Strategies Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

25. Comparison: Interest Based and Positional Strategies Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

26. Comparison: Interest Based and Positional Strategies ; Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

27. WAYFO? • Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate comes down to WAYFO? • What • Are • You • Focusing • On? Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

28. WAYFO? • If you focus on the negatives, the results will be negative • If you focus on your counterparts as “adversaries,” the negotiations will take on an adversarial flair • If you focus solely on what you want, then so will they • Unless “they” come up with a solution that is good for both sides (and decide to share it with you!) Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

29. WAYFO? • If you focus on the positives, the results will be positive • Our institutions are about students! Keep the focus positively on student learning! Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

30. The Dr. Cooley Story • In Teaching the Elephant to Dance, author Jim Belasco tells the story of Dr. Cooley, a famous brain surgeon. He followed Cooley on his rounds one day and, en route to the operating room, saw the surgeon stop and talk to a man mopping the hallway. They conversed for nearly 10 minutes before Cooley dashed into the operating room. His curiosity raised, Belasco commented, “That was a long conversation.” The man mopping the floor replied, “Dr. Cooley talks to me quite often.” The author asked, “What do you do at the hospital?” The man replied, “We save lives.” Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

31. What is our “We Save Lives?” • All Students Prepared for College, Careers, and Life • “We prepare students for college, careers, and life!” Mission Statement: Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

32. Orting School District’s Story • Every department of the District was asked to identify their “We Save Lives” • “How do YOU prepare students for college, careers, and life?” • 2010 LoA w PSE: Bus Drivers as Tutors • 2012 LoA w PSE: CTE/Sped placements w members for Job Shadows/Work Experience Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

33. Vision Statement: • All students will develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be successful life-long learners and engaged citizens in a diverse global society • Quality instruction in every classroom • Articulated, aligned curriculum and assessments across the system • 21st Century teaching, learning, and leading Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

34. In everything we do, we will: • Focus on learning, collaboration, results and continuous improvement • Ensure data-driven decisions • Provide equity of opportunities and resources • Communicate with and engage students, families, staff and community Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

35. Critical questions that guide our work: • What do students need to know? • How will we know they have learned it? • What will we do when they haven’t learned it? • What will we do when they already know it? Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate

36. Contact Information: • Jon Bell, Director of Special Services • bellj@orting.wednet.edu • 121 Whitesell Street NE, Orting, WA 98360 • (360) 893-6500 Creating and Maintaining a Positive Climate