Ground Rules Experience

Today was a day for learning a great deal about sitting together to establish ground rules. My role was to be a back up note taker and I realized both during the process and after the process that I have a tendency to speak up too often. I also nod my head and these are both areas I need to focus on when we meet next in the negotiation process. This was a day for reflecting on what I need to do in order to be more successful in this process. In other words, watch how I participate in the actual closed sessions with the other team.

My experiences as an administrator will help me do this, but it is not a foregone conclusion that I will be a great negotiator. It may be a key component for me to get the information together, prep my board negotiator and sit back and listen during the process when I am in the position of Superintendent. I want believe that when I feel secure with the collective bargaining policies and procedures, the experience will become more second nature to me.