Escolar Documentos
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William Morrow
educational institution. This blend allows for various dynamics that are not found anywhere else.
Today educators are facing new problems and a new generation of children, who are unlike their
predecessors. As such, a new positive mindset from the top level down is required to allow
everyone to be successful.
Chapter 1
People often learn the most important lessons in the least likely of places. Wes Kingsley
asks Dave Yardley about how the whales were trained at SeaWorld (Blanchard, 2003). He learns
from Dave that the whales were actually the teachers, given that they are the most fearsome sea
animals. Their success was a result of learning from the whales and acting accordingly. Dave
further explains that the first step is to build trust, which Wes responds by informing him of his
current ineffective managing. Dave counters Wes by saying trust and friendship are the basis of
everything.
The first piece of advice that Dave gives Wes in order to build that trust and friendship is
to “accentuate the positive,” (Blanchard, p. 10, 2003). In order to do this Dave tells Wes to
ignore the negative and redirect the behavior elsewhere, and that no matter if it is an animal or a
person, he or she will meet the expectations that are set for him or her. Wes thinks about the
possible implementation implications that this whale training could have for his managing
practice. Chapter 2
The presenter, Anne Marie Butler, ties the practice of managing connects to every aspect
of life. From work, to home, and even marriage there is always managing in one form or another.
Anne Marie starts by telling everyone that motivating others is all about what they focus on, and
that focus gives power over the energy and climate. If the focus is on the positive there will be
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positive energy and relationships. The “Whale Done!” method of managing works for
everything.
The ABC’s of Performance are defined by Anne Marie as being: A is the Activator, B
is Behavior, and C is Consequence. The Activator is something that facilities the desired
performance or behavior. Ensuring that there are clear goals and shared visions are important to
ensuring that performance is good. After the Activator, the behavior follows, and it must be
observed, in order to get through the ABC’s of Performance. The consequence stage is what
happens after the desired behavior occurs. There are four types of consequences: No Response,
Negative Response, Redirection, and Positive Response. The first two types are used the most;
however, redirection is the strongest way to address undesirable behavior because it is a set up
for a Positive Response. Anne Marie explains that the “WHALE DONE” system focuses on
immediate specific praise and encouragement, which allows for a no-harm approach to be
established. She further explains that the opposite of the ‘WHALE DONE” is the “GOTcha,”
Chapter 3
Anne Marie stresses the idea of managers as influences is established and the role of a
manager is to influence the people he or she manage to do what is wright when he or she are not
around. Essentially, through the positive interactions, a sense of integrity and self-efficacy are
ingrained in the people. The positive interactions are built by getting to know the people
personally and finding out what is their motivation. All feedback and interactions must be
sincere and honest so that the important and genuine foundation of trust and respect is built.
Chapter 4
The practical application and examples of the “Whale Done!” dialogue that could occur
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is used by Wes. As a result of using it and focusing on the positive performance of a worker,
Wes was able to turn around a once negative relationship. A sudden change in style can be seen
as suspicious, so transparency and honesty about the change are the keys, in order for
successful implementation.
Another clarification is made about ignoring bad or undesired behavior. The definition of
ignore that Anne Marie uses is not giving the usual amount of energy and attention as was
Chapter 5
Application of the Whale Done! system can allow both work as well as personal life to be
more positive, by shifting the focus off the negative things a child or spouse does and focusing
on the positively leads to a smoother life. Ripple effects come from both positive and negative
focuses and can affect every aspect of a person’s life. Wes demonstrated the far-reaching effects
of changing focus and how that improves work climate and productivity as well personal family
relationships.
Chapter 6
Change is hard for many people who are comfortable with the current conditions. With
change resistors are a bound to arise, and protest to any change that is presented. Change,
especially when it has to do with review and evaluation systems are difficult, because no one
wants to be unprepared for their evaluation. With Whale Done! the feedback and review are
connected, and kept separated, which allows people to know exactly how they will be reviewed.
The system allows everyone to be a winner and a top tier employee, because of the focus on the
positive means that if performance is not adequate at a specific role, that simply means that there
relates to controlling the climate and the morale of the workforce. Teachers for all intents and
purposes are working for the administrators and as such the dynamic between them can have
monumental effects on the productivity and effectiveness of the school. It is not acceptable for
the leaders of the schools, to be inhuman anymore. The administration will need be at the
teachers’ level more often to create the environment necessary for success of everyone at the
school.
The most salient idea that can be taken from this book, is no matter the dynamic of the
relationship a foundation based on trust and respect is key to success. Administrators must be
willing to show humanity to teachers, which is very contrary to how the appraisal system is
established. The focus is on what was not done right, and in order to show trust and respect, the
good positive aspects must be acknowledged and celebrated. This requires administration to
really get to know their staff, so that feedback, whether it be praise or constructive criticism, will
important must occur. Administrators must through their interactions and relationships try to
build self-efficacy in every member of the school community. The administration's style is
pressed on the teachers, who then press it on to the students. Through the positive relationships
coming from the administration down, the positive relationships and climate that result will
permeate every aspect of the school, which can only serve to improve the educational
experience.
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Reference
Blanchard, K. H. (2003). Whale done!: The power of positive relationships. London: Brealey.