Handling Prima Dons (and Donnas)

I had a colleague in a school ask me about how to handle a prima don on his staff.  He feels he is being held hostage by this individual. The individual is loved by parents, does great things with his students, is  creative in the classroom, and get his students (all of their students) to perform at their best.  He's also  also cranky, arrogant, and think the rules apply to everybody else but him.  This summer, the prima don may implicitly (or explicitly) say that if things don’t go his way, he will leave the school.

I suggested two filters to use at the outset-I had my suggestions, which you'll see below but I am quite curious about what readers of this blog suggest instead of or in addition to what I've suggested.

1.  Ethics and Policy:   If the person is violating any ethical canons or school board policy, you  have no choice but to confront and quickly use whatever disciplinary measures you have to in accordance with your local and state policies and procedures.  It’s one thing for a teacher to care about the children under her supervision or for a technology teacher to show how streaming video websites work, it is an entirely different matter for her to dispense pain medications or temporarily disable your system’s website filtering system  without following your district policies.  Whether the person is teacher of the year or a family member of the school board chair, you have to handle this person in the exact same manner as any other employee.

2. Consistent High Performance:  All three of these words matter.  If the person is not giving you consistent high performance, then you have a much easier decision-cut them no slack and look for removal, dismissal or nonrenewal.  If you have a person who is rude to everybody and doesn’t do a good job, you are under no obligation to keep them around.   We’d suggest that each time you work with a prima donna, you think through whether the person is still exhibiting consistent high performance.

A.    Find the combination: While many prima donnas exhibit the same annoying and destructive behavior, they generally have different sets of needs. Some may need additional “air time” to demonstrate their superior knowledge and intellect.  Others may want public recognition for the work they have done. Still others may want to be perceived as a “power player” by being asked to serve on a district level committee.  By looking for what you see that they want, you have a tool that you can use to help leverage better behavior from them.

B    Build a wall:  Prima donnas  know they are good and some may simply want to be left alone.  If your prima donna simply wants to be left alone, put their expertise to use on a lone ranger project that aligns with your strategic goals and they don’t have to spend time in what they consider wasted time in endless meetings. 

OR

  Build a fence: If your prima donna loves the limelight, and wants to be perceived as a leader, have them lead a committee, but with conditions.  Your conversation may go like this.  “I’m glad you’ve agreed to lead this committee.  Remember that one of the key aspects of this committee is to get a set of recommendations that that everybody will buy in to.  You’ve got a lot of skill and talent and your perspective is valuable.  One of the areas that will be important for you to focus upon is building upon the ideas of everybody in the group.  What ideas do you have to make sure that everybody is listened to and heard?” When the prima donna pushes back, you have an opening to discuss how their skills in this committee can help increase their credibility with the others on the team not only for her specific skills but also being perceived as someone who listens to others.

3.    Ensure accountability:   You can certainly include high performance in the interpersonal realm as well.  If one of your key values is client service and you have individuals who are rude and inconsiderate to others (internally and externally), you have to have this conversation with the prima donna.  Point out that he runs the risk of alienating and distancing himself from others with his actions.  Serving as a mirror to his behaviors serves as a start to demonstrate the linkage between his behavior and the actions and behaviors you want from him.

4.    Check the “will”:  You have to make the determination whether the prima donna is acting the way he is because of his interest in improving your school or if he is simply castigating you because he doesn’t like anybody telling him what to do or actively undercutting what you are trying to achieve.  If, in your conversations, you find out that the individual thinks there is a better way to do this, you should certainly listen.  On the other hand, if he is doing end runs, generating rumors, and generally trying to undermine you and what you are doing, you have an entirely different (and we hope, quick) resolution to the issue.

What other suggestions do you have in place of or in addition to what I have noted?
Chris

Comments

[tfteacher]

If the prima donna does an outstanding job, as you suggest in your example, why not try to learn from the prima donna instead of trying to make the prima donna conform to something? Why conform? For conformity's sake?

I think you hit on something rather important; teachers can be very good, and not need to conform to a principal's vision to produce results. Maybe the vision thing is just to esoteric for the immediacy of teaching, and when principals have teachers who do well, maybe the teachers should just be left alone!

[EnglishTeacher]

The prima don "...is loved by parents, does great things with his students, is creative in the classroom, and get his students (all of their students) to perform at their best" -- and your colleague wants to reel him in? As long as nothing illegal is happening, what's the problem?

I'm guessing that what your colleague perceives as arrogance and crankiness is actually the prima don's frustration and exasperation at having his practices questioned by an administrator. As the previous commenter suggests, maybe there's something to learn from this educator.

[TS]

This is a snark, right? A teacher doesn't kiss your behind and you ask for advice on how to fire him/her? Just for that, I'm going to park my jalopy in your parking space and call you by your first name.

[tfteacher]

The scary thing TS, besides my misspelling of "too" above, is that we both know this is not snark!

[pcteacher]

"The individual is loved by parents, does great things with his students, is creative in the classroom, and get his students (all of their students) to perform at their best. He's also also cranky, arrogant, and think the rules apply to everybody else but him. This summer, the prima don may implicitly (or explicitly) say that if things don’t go his way, he will leave the school."

If he/she is doing a good job than why try and remove this individual?

I'm new to the blog but have to say I've encountered a question like this in an interview for an a.p. position.

I see tfteacher's point on having the prima-don's teaching practices put into question. What if the prima-don is just out performing his fellow teachers and his expectations of self are also his expectations for his colleagues?

I've seen outstanding teachers estranged from their mediocre brethren because the mediocres feel threatened.

If your colleague is feeling threatened or feels like he/she is being held hostage, perhaps he or she should make the prima-don an ally?

[tfteacher]

pcteacher said:
"I see tfteacher's point on having the prima-don's teaching practices put into question."

Did I say that? I think a principal who tries to get rid of a good teacher should be gotten rid of. I certainly do not think a prima don(na), by virtue of their perceived status, deserve closer scrutiny than those who conform and have no creativity. Indeed, they deserve study and emulation, and the mediocres should just watch and learn, or leave!

[Peter Carlson]

TF, It appears I should have addressed English Teacher and I certainly wasn't clear in my post. My apologies.

What I attempted to write was prima-don is put off, frustrated, and angry because his practices are being put into question.

However, it is the job of the administrator to look at all teaching practices and move everyone forward. Even excellent teachers can improve. Sometimes toes will be stepped on.

Studying and emulating the prima-don is an interesting thought and I especially like your quote "the mediocres should just watch and learn, or leave!"

One thing is for sure I have a lot to learn in this business and hope Chris Hitch isn't a friend of my principal as I can be a prima-don at times.