EAD 801: Leadership and Organizational Development

Adaptive Leadership Portfolio

Elizabeth Mors
February 20, 2021
Part One: Adaptive Problem Selection

While my adaptive problem did not solely occur because of the COVID 19

pandemic. Through the changes made during pandemic teaching many teachers

have noticed the struggle of gaining and maintaining student engagement. Currently,

as a building we are struggling with engagement and creating lessons that are

engaging for all students whether they are in person or virtual. At this time, students

who are all virtual are in front of a screen all day for their lessons and the students

who are in person sit in one seat for all of class without being able to interact with

peers. The lack of interaction among students in class there is an additional challenge

in maintaining student engagement.

During my time reading Heifetz, Grashow, and Linsky I have been able to

identify different challenges in my adaptive problem especially when it comes to

moments of being involved in the problem solving versus taking a step back to

observe the problem from another point of view. This is known in Heifetz, Grashow,

and Linksky as playing field and balcony views. A playing field view could also mean

that this problem is only being discussed at the department level. Maybe all the

science teachers are trying the same engagement strategies and they’re not working.

This also means that the focus is primarily on the video conference engagement and

not the students’ progress overall in the class. A balcony view of my adaptive problem

comes from the underlying methods of problem solving the district uses for

encouraging student engagement. We spend a lot of time discussing who is using the

preferred program and not a lot of time discussing the strategies that are working

across grade levels and content areas. The goal is to get students engaged so how

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can we do that while still allowing teachers to use their preferred teaching styles or

methods and not micromanage them.

Part Two: Problem Diagnosis

Problem Context In the case of my problem, I feel the teachers have the authority over

the situation and the students have the power. The students can make or break the

energy of the lesson based on their engagement and input. While a teacher can keep

bulldozing through a lesson with their authority, it will not yield the outcome that is

desired without the participation and engagement. While both teachers and students are

accountable for the learning that occurs the stagnant interaction with the teachers could

result in less connection, relationship building, community establishment and therefore

less learning. In a time where so many other facets of life are very hard and incredibly

different teachers are trying to make school as normal as possible, yet it is still so

different students do not feel the need to interact like they normally would.

Problem Details and Characteristics My problem is considered an adaptive problem

because student engagement takes building relationships to foster an environment

where they feel they can participate. Since students do not feel required to talk to

their teachers in person/ over a video conference, they do not. When they are in

person they can sit at their desk and complete all their work on their own, so they do

not feel they need to discuss as a class about the topics. This is a very personality

and relationship-based problem. Only once students trust us and feel valued will they

engage in the conversations at hand. However, when we cannot make participation

mandatory there is little accountability for anyone involved.  

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We want our students to be engaged and learning all year every year. This year has an

added challenge that not all of our students are in-person, but we still need them to be

engaged in their learning process and our classes. Through this portfolio I hope to

address the diagnostic framing questions posed in Heifetz, Grashow, and Linsky (2009,

pg 75). According to Heifetz and Linsky (2009), my adaptive challenge fits Archetype 4:

Work Avoidance the best however, Archetype 3: Speaking the Unspeakable is a large

portion of this issue too. We are seeing now that everyone is blaming students poor

engagement on the pandemic and the inability to do the strategies the principal likes

due to COVID. No one wants to bring up during a staff meeting that student

engagement is suffering because that would cause ripples about what we are not doing

as teachers. Teachers are working hard and do not want to hear what they are doing

wrong.

Political Landscape

Stakeholder Relationship Preferred Noblest Loyalties? Potential

to the Issue? Outcome? Values? Losses?
Teachers Directly trying Consistent Learning Students Tine (trying
to engage Student Engagement Other out new
students engagement Teachers strategies).
Principals Managing Student Learning Upper Time
teachers Learning and Data administratio (learning new
styles across engagement Status n strategies for
the building. observations)
Control
Power
Students Directly Fun activities Learning Teachers Independence
impacted and lessons Status Peers Time
Table 7-1
Adaptive Capacity Description and Rating (1=very low, 10= very high)
Elephant in the room 4
The discussions from people’s heads to the general
group (department or grade level) is almost instant.
Once it comes out it may take some time for the
problems to emerge in a bigger setting. There is not
any benefit to speaking out (typically they are ignored
4

Shared Responsibility
Independent Judgement
Develop Leadership
Capacity
Institutionalized Reflection
and Continuous Learning
or said will be addressed later then are not). Crises are
identified quickly but do not involve the general
population in the solution.
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Most people are willing to discuss what will be
beneficial to the greater good. Most people do not feel
their position will be jeopardized for speaking out or for
working toward a group as a whole. We are willing to
do things for the group when we feel it will truly benefit
us all.
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Reasonable risk is only encouraged when it aligns with
the preferences of the administrations. People will
normally do what they feel is best for their own
classrooms but do not continue to when administration
is around for observations.
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People are very well aware of where they stand in the
organization. There is general encouragement for
growth and development through the course of their
career. Teachers are supported in their ventures for,
have mentors, and the administration is willing to
discuss growth and advancement.
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The organization does not allocate a ton of time and
space for veteran teachers to reflect or allocation of
resources for the strategies that would help. They will
provide and support many ventures of continuous
learning and will even sub the teachers out but many of
these experiences occur outside of the district and are
not provided by the district. However, they are very
supportive of new teachers development, reflection,
mentor mentee, resources etc.

Part 3 Mobilizing

Interpreting A couple different ways that my adaptive problem could be viewed depend

on the position someone is in. As a teacher the lack of student engagement could be

blamed on the distancing that is required in our classes right now or it can be blamed on

the strategies that are encouraged by the district. As a building principal the adaptive

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challenge could be viewed as a lack of effort on the part of the classroom teachers.

Right now, those two conflicting interpretations or views of the adaptive challenge is

posing a greater challenge.

Auditioning A strong way to audition interpretations would be to discuss some

engagement strategies at a department meeting that are not working. I would present

this in the mindset that we normally have about the strategies in our meetings and see

how people latch onto the strategies being poor overall. As a way to sell them more I

would task for new strategies that others are using to try them in my classroom. I would

try them and come to the meeting with some information on how it went in my room

then encourage my colleagues to help think of new ideas to help engage our students.

Pushing us to all think outside the box.

Intervening For my adaptive problem I would plan on starting small with reality testing.

For many of my students they do not love the engagement strategies that the school

prefers us to use because they feel very forced. I think that trying new things in my room

or in my virtual classroom would be a great way to begin the reality testing process for

my adaptive challenge. After I try new things, I would give them two to three more

attempts in my own room before taking them to my department. Once I have my

department’s attention, I would encourage them to try the strategies. As a next step I

would discuss with my evaluator to come in and observe the new strategies since they

are the ones who feel strongly about the strategies we already use. If we still have the

attention of the administrators in our building, I will propose we extend these new

strategies to a staff meeting for presentation and challenging others in the building to

attempt.

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Ripeness In my organization, readiness is seen when there are continued

conversations about the change. Not just during staff or department meetings but also

at lunch, during prep periods, in the hallway, before and after school. When more and

more people are beginning to come forward with solutions and ideas then we can tell

everyone is willing to hear some ideas for readiness.

Framing The framing for this problem would need to be focused on the student learning

and our ability to see their work/ how they are progressing in school despite COVID and

all the changes we have been up against. Encouraging not only leaders but other

teachers that strengthen our strategies for student engagement now can last even after

COVID would be the best approach. We are all hopeful that the pandemic teaching will

end, and I believe that framing this as something we can continue even after the

pandemic may encourage more buy in. There would also need to be a push for creating

an environment in our school that encourages a strong social emotional support system.

Right now, students are not engaged, and they are not talking with us or each other not

even on a personal chatting level. I think trying new engagement strategies will break

down some of the walls that COVID has forced up with needed to distance and

forbidding close small group work. I think my willingness to try new things in my

classroom could be a productive disruption I bring to my organization. Trying to push

some Next Generation Science Standard interactive activities into my classes instead of

falling back on the way science or other subjects were taught ten or more years ago.

Holding Steady A positive part of being a teacher with this organizational problem is

that I can still make whatever choices I feel are best for my students. I can start making

adaptive change with just my room and encourage others to find solutions to our

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adaptive problem. A large part of holding steady would begin by introducing a few

teachers to try the new strategies in their own classrooms. I believe this would give

teachers who are unsure the change to see different strategies in action. By introducing

new strategies slowly and utilizing teachers who are willing to try them first, we are

eliminating some of the resistance of teachers who are resistant to change and giving

them time for adjustment. This would potentially eliminate uncertainty and with every

small change, allow time for the building or classrooms to balance out again while

getting used to a new structure.

Alliances Some of my peers in the department are supportive of new ideas and are

willing to try anything. However, our department head does not hear other peoples’

opinions many times. Our assistant principal is willing to hear new ideas and discuss

them with other stakeholders but on the flipside our main principal does not normally

actively listen. If you escalate anything to our school board it seems to fall on deaf ears,

it is brought up during public expression and is not revisited during future board

meetings (this includes community/ parent concerns). 

Part Four: Orchestrating Conflict

Politics Our principal has a preferred system to engage students in learning activities

but if we do not use those in particular, there will be redirection to use them. There is a

clear list of teachers in our building who use this program of student engagement and

others who do not but there is not a requirement to be trained in this program.

Engagement is something we are evaluated on and it is becoming an issue in our

observation.

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Table 10-1.
 
ALLIES

Who might be Why might they be What their main How can this ally
your allies? allies? objective help you implement
your intervention

Other teachers Not everyone feels Being able to use This ally could share
the principal’s ideal the engagement the strategies they
engagement strategies in their use in their
strategies are the classroom that they classroom to engage
best. They may have feel works best for their students that
strategies of their their students. may be different than
own that are working. the ideal.

Administrators Some of our other For students to They could observe

who support admin have been learn and be different engagement
other teachers and know engaged in the strategies and share
engagement these strategies are learning process. which ones they felt
strategies. not a one size fits all worked best.
approach

OPPONENTS

Who might be Why might they be What do they How might you
your opponents? stand to lose neutralize their
opponents? from your opposition or get
initiative? them on your side?

They already have Power of decision Discuss the benefits

Administration the method they like making for the of the different
who endorse the to see it is obvious building. strategies and
ideal strategy and the teacher is in present data of
control. engagement from
students.

Teachers Teachers like having They could gain Allow them to

committed to the control and this more strategies to observe the different
engagement strategy gives them engage their strategies that others
strategies that. students in can use to engage
different ways. students.

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SENIOR AUTHORITIES

Which senior Why are they What signals are What might you say or
authorities important they giving about do to secure the
are most how the initiative is support?
critical to perceived
success of
the initiative?

Principal In our building They prefer their ideal Demonstrate other

they have the engagement methods strategies that work
most say in how and if they do not better for the students in
well the school work it is due to the my classroom. Show
prepares teachers lack of how the methods of
learners implementation. teaching I am using are
still giving students
opportunities to learn.

Curriculum They search for This person is more If you were to show
director programs that removed and would methods of student
are supposed to be willing to support engagement and provide
promote student other ideas with proof proof of how they are
engagement all they are working. working, there would be
the time. more support for them.
They are equally
desperate for students’
full engagement as
teachers are.

CASUALTIES

Who will be What will What new skills would How might you
casualties of they lose? help them survive and help them
your thrive in the new acquire those
interventions? conditions/ skills?
organization?

The company of They will lose They are not directly part The company
the unofficial the business of of our organization so needs no skills
student the school/ they would probably find from me.
engagement district if we are another school to work
program allowed to shy with.
away from the
system.

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Teachers They will also Skills on how to conduct Finding PD on
lose the full a class discussion, pose these strategies or
control of the questions, and discuss even presenting
classroom they with students frankly mini lessons at
enjoyed. would go a long way for staff meetings or
these people in this during department
situation. meetings.

DISSENTERS

Who are the What ideas are How might you How can you protect
dissenters who they bringing enable their them from being
typically voice forth that might ideas to have a marginalized or
radical ideas or be valuable to hearing? silenced?
unmentionables your
interventions

Other teachers Suggestions for Support by giving Be there for them and
engagement examples of listen. I am not an
strategies things that have authority figure in our
worked for you building but being
that are outside there since they are
the box supporting this idea is
helpful

Vice Principal Ideas from the Our VP is well I feel having this
administration respected and conversation in a
side for how to only a couple meeting where there
improve faith in years out of the is a less threatening
new engagement classroom. mood. (Not a staff
strategies. Allowing another meeting) will allow
perspective to more balanced
enlighten conversation that is
everyone in more of a level playing
another way. field.

Prepare The most important factor of the intervention is getting students to be engaged

in their learning in our classrooms. The way that teachers go about that is their own

choice but if they are getting students to interact with the lesson, the road they take is

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less important. I might start with a brainstorm about different methods everyone uses

that have worked in the past few months. 

Ground rules: Goals:

Avoid: -Ensure we find methods to engage our
-Making things personal students, so they are learning
-Speaking over each other -Stay focused on the goal
Encourage: -Productive comments only
-Being Honest -Allow all who want to speak to make
-Make your voice heard their point.

 
Get All Views Allowing participants to brainstorm ideas they may not have had time to

prepare will allow for a better discussion. After time to brainstorm I would want to go into

small groups to share with their small groups what they were able to think of. After small

group discussion, I would hope for a group discussion where we would go around the

room having people share what they are comfortable with building out our concerns and

conversation on the important things from our members. I feel having members address

the whole group is better than addressing individuals where it could be perceived as a

personal attack on someone if they have a differing opinion. 

Orchestrate Knowing how I feel I think it will be difficult to stay in the middle ground

when discussing what the differing opinions are. I will need to repeat back what I am

hearing in a way that allows me to summarize information but not put my own feelings

into the discussion obviously. I feel everyone may need to hear that it is okay for this to

sit differently with everyone. Some people are really accustomed to using the

engagement structures. Checking the box, they used them in a lesson but not really

paying attention to the students who may not be fully participating still. Students also

need room to learn and not just put into a box by a structure that is not helping them

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learn. This process will also allow time for them to question and discuss what they do/

do not like.

Managing Losses I feel the first thing that we should give people is time. Everyone

needs time to process. I believe that presenting the change at one meeting and then

diving into their thoughts once they have had time to sit on them will be the best

approach. Allowing members time to discuss in small groups and ask questions or

discuss with authority/ major stakeholders is the best approach. Potentially me staying

after the meeting for those who would like to process new ideas out loud would be a

way that I could help acknowledge the loss and still show support/ find ways to keep

them engaged. 

Explore Experiments, Pilot Testing Gaining the trust of some individuals who are

willing to test new engagement strategies would give us some concrete data to share at

meetings showing there are options for ways to get students working with us instead of

against us and really build the relationships to get their discussions going. This would

allow for data to show the skeptics and provide an opportunity for feedback from those

who are willing to give it a try.

Grow, Share, Distribute Leadership In a situation like this there are people who will

be willing to give things a try and share their experience and there will be others who

want to cling to the way that they have done it in the past. I feel the people who are

willing to give things a try would make for good peer leaders. Most of the time they are

spread across all grade levels and content areas so this would give a chance for them

to discuss in both of those areas what they feel is working and field some encouraging

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words to their peers who may be battling the structures changing from something they

are used to using and having control over.

Create Holding Environments I feel that people will have the most trouble with trying

to maintain the new attempts at student engagement and not fall back on their past

routines. Keeping students engaged takes a lot of energy as a teacher, to constantly be

“on” and involved in the conversations is a lot to keep track of all day. I think that this

holding pattern will be hardest on teachers who are very used to using the old methods

or who lack engagement in their classroom altogether. To keep encouraging teachers to

maintain this new routine, continuing the peer-to-peer discussions would keep morale

up in trying something new. I think when they feel like giving up on the new ideas,

talking to these peer aids will help reengage their faith in the process and would give

them the support that they need. Obviously trying any kind of new engagement

strategies would require students to buy in too and that will take time so giving these

teachers the support they need when they want to give up-especially because of

student engagement- will be the part that requires “moderation of heat”.

Part Five: Learning Reflection

Viewing my organization and the methods in which they solve adaptive problems

I can see that a major disconnect in communication and lack of value challenges our

ability to move forward. Many people will not speak up about issues they are seeing

because they feel they will be blamed. Others feel the issue is not their problem

because what they are doing is working for them. This is noted in the Opponents and

Causalities tables above. There is a major issue in communication of issues and solving

crises as seen in Table 7.1. When issues are brought up, there is likely no teachers

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involved in solving the problem despite teachers making up most of our building

population. An issue of student engagement is not something that just happens in one

classroom or changes over night. While the student engagement issue has been

amplified by the COVID 19 Pandemic, it did begin in March when we were all sent

online. This was an ongoing issue prior to this that was rooted in many locations and

spreading through our building.

Two to three ways that I can help challenge the lack of engagement going

forward can start on a small scale. First, I will build strong relationships with my

students, they will know my classroom is a safe place. Second, I will test new strategies

in my own room. I will share pros and cons with my colleagues in my grade level and

department. If they try the strategies, which I will encourage, we will discuss outcomes

in our biweekly meetings. From there I will call on our building administration to observe

the new strategies that are working. Challenging the administration to encourage new

strategies among all teachers. Encouraging administration to do so will be framed

against the Adaptive Capacity: Institutionalized Reflection and Continuous Learning in

table 7.1. This would be an opportunity for observation of our peers that allows time for

experience-based learning and reflection on an individual level and in small groups.

Going forward, I would push for staff meeting time to be allocated to discussing a

strategy a meeting that worked and testing it out or discussing what worked and what

did not. There is always a push for teachers not reinventing the wheel, I do not feel the

program we have for student engagement is working however, I do feel that we work

among experts and we can lift each other up with the support of our formal and informal

leaders. These new strategies will not only benefit our teaching styles that differ vastly

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from peer to peer but they will also improve the learning of our students and give each

of them an environment to thrive in while improving relationships with their teachers and

their peers.

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References

Heifetz, Ronald; Linsky, Marty & Grashow, Alexander. (2009). The Practice of Adaptive

Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World

Harvard Business Press.

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