He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero.
What is the food of the leader? It is knowledge. It is communication.
Module Objectives:
- Critically analyse and evaluate your own communication style and its impact on various stakeholder groups within the school and wider community.
- Strategically apply advanced communication techniques to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics and foster shared understanding amongst diverse teams.
- Develop and implement proactive strategies to cultivate and maintain high levels of relational trust with staff, students, whānau, and external partners, even amidst challenging circumstances.
- Articulate the nuanced relationship between relational trust, effective communication, and their role in leading school-wide initiatives and fostering a positive school culture.
- Evaluate and apply relevant leadership frameworks and research to inform their approach to communication and trust-building within a leadership context.
As Deputy and Associate Principals, you are pivotal in shaping the relational landscape of your kura. This module challenges you to consider communication and trust through a strategic leadership lens.
Deepening Understanding of Communication Styles:
For Deputy Principals, a nuanced understanding of communication involves:
- Contextual Agility: Recognising how different contexts necessitate adaptable communication approaches, considering power dynamics and potential sensitivities.
- Strategic Messaging: Crafting clear, consistent, and compelling messages aligned with the school’s vision and values.
- Active Listening and Inquiry: Employing sophisticated listening techniques to understand perspectives and facilitate constructive dialogue.
- Non-Verbal Communication and Presence: Cultivating a leadership presence that conveys confidence, empathy, and approachability.
- Conflict Navigation through Communication: Utilising advanced communication skills to mediate conflict and guide teams towards resolution.
Resources:
- MindTools – offers numerous articles and tools on communication skills. Explore what is useful for you, from effective written communication to listening skills and everything in between!: https://www.mindtools.com/c_CommunicationSkills.htm
- TED Talk: Julian Treasure – “How to speak so that people want to listen”: https://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_how_to_speak_so_that_people_want_to_listen
- Article: “Four Ways to Communicate with More Empathy” – Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2022/08/4-ways-to-communicate-with-more-empathy
Elevating Relational Trust in Leadership:
For Deputy Principals, building relational trust involves establishing a school-wide culture of trust through:
- Leading with Transparency and Integrity: Demonstrating consistent ethical behaviour and fostering open communication.
- Empowering and Distributing Leadership: Trusting staff with autonomy and fostering shared ownership.
- Strategic Vulnerability: Demonstrating appropriate vulnerability to encourage shared learning and support.
- Navigating Difficult Conversations with Empathy and Courage: Addressing challenging issues directly and with empathy.
- Building Trust with Diverse Communities: Adapting communication and engagement strategies to build meaningful partnerships.
- Accountability and Follow-Through: Consistently following through on commitments.
- Systemic Approaches to Trust Building: Implementing school-wide initiatives that promote trust.
Resources:
- Article: “The Trust Factor” – Educational Leadership (ASCD): https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-trust-factor
- Video: Brené Brown – “The power of vulnerability” (TED Talk) – while not education-specific, offers valuable insights into building trust through vulnerability: https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability
Task:
Reflecting on Communication and Trust in Practice:
Consider a recent situation where effective communication significantly contributed to building or maintaining relational trust within your school, or conversely, where a communication challenge impacted trust.
Discuss with your learning partner the key communication strategies employed (or not employed) and their impact on the level of trust. Post a summary of your discussion and key insights on the forum (150 words maximum).
Assessment:
- Completion of all readings.
- Participation in the online forum discussion.
- Conversation with learning partner and subsequent post on forum
3 Responses
Here is my summary Robert from our Meeting on Thursday:
Session 2: Term 2
Big focus for today’s coaching session:
Discussion around taking over my new role as the Deputy Principal as effective from the start of T2. How is it going? I am enjoying the role and the variety of tasks that come along with the job. I have always liked the big picture view so working across the whole school is proving to be rewarding. There are challenges and lots to learn so I am immersing myself in all tasks just to learn.
Whats on your mind? And what else:
Just relaying how it is going so far. That there are tasks I don’t know how to do and that if that is the case I will find out! Not overwhelmed at this stage.
Positives/successes:
Working in the Junior area of school to support transitioning children to school and working with families to assist as needed. I have been to the Year 0-3 team meetings to state that I know that curriculum wise it is not my area of strength but I willing to learn and for them to work alongside me increasing my capability and understanding.
Challenges/Struggles:
There is a lot to learn but feel supported by the other DP and past DP who is open to assisting me with admin tasks that I am unsure of, as in her previous role. I am inserting myself in all meetings so I can see how things are done and question ing the why in the decision making process.
Problem solving:
Still feel like it is early days for me in this role so currently no assistance is needed.
Goals for next meeting:
Saying Yes to any curriculum meetings at school and online to upskill my knowledge across the phases rather than just phase 2.
Saying No to being the school coordinator for Matariki celebration evening: i have proactively delegated a lot of these jobs and roles this year rather than doing it all. Having trust and faith in the Team to execute.
Well done Katharine. It looks like you found a satisfactory resolution to what was a tricky issue. I absolutely agree with meeting face to face in terms of removing ambiguity and getting a sense of how the other person feels about the issue. I look forward to discussing this issue further with you on Thursday.
I have recently taken over as the Deputy Principal as part of this role I am responsible for the day to day relieving and managing the part time teachers contracted for CRT release.
This term we have a Teacher only day as PL development and 2 public holidays: Kings Birthday and Matariki.
Due to the size of our school I sent an email to those teachers that were affected and asked that they swap the days where the CRT fell on these associated days, as I thought this was more manageable, as there were a sizable number of staff affected.
The way that contracts from the part time staff had not been available for me to preview so I then started to receive multiple emails as to whether this was a paid day, did they go to TOD or did they do an extra day.
It was here that I wasn’t actually able to accurately respond, so I had to seek clarification from the Principal, acting Dp who was interim until I started. I got conflicting messages which only further complicated the matter. I then relayed what the Principal stated.
One staff member began sending emails regarding what she was entitled to and another seeking clarification for multiple staff.
I ended up asking the staff member who was wanting clarification for multiple staff to come in and talk it through with me, as I find face to face less ambiguous.
On discussion, the staff member was quite angry in regard to a statement that had been made in the email from myself as to their rights in regard to public holiday. I acknowledged that I was learning the role and didn’t know how contracts had been set up or what the usual process was. We then broke down what was the usual process ( with past DP), we acknowledged that not all stakeholders may know how the previous Dp had sorted public holidays and I reassured her that I would follow what had previously been done, to ensure consistency. I acknowledged that Crt is a NZEI allocation and that where possible we will meet that obligation.
The staff member left happily and I asked her to communicate with me any changes or future issues with me face to face rather than by email. More of a collaborative approach.