Due: 12th May
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:
Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:
- Analyse your current communication style and its impact on interactions within the school community.
- Apply strategies for crafting clear, concise, and culturally responsive messages for diverse audiences.
- Demonstrate active listening techniques to enhance understanding and build stronger relationships.
- Facilitate open and honest communication within your team and across the school.
- Develop clear, concise, and appropriate written communication for various school contexts.
- Foster a culture of respectful and inclusive communication within your sphere of influence.
Learning Material:
As middle leaders, your ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, is fundamental to your success and the well-being of your teams and the wider school community. This module will explore key aspects of communication, empowering you to build stronger connections and foster a more collaborative environment.
Crafting Clear and Concise Messages:
Effective communication begins with clarity. To ensure your messages are easily understood and impactful, consider the principles outlined by the Plain Language Commission New Zealand. Their resources emphasise using clear and direct language, structuring information logically, and tailoring your message to the audience – crucial elements for effective communication within our diverse school environments. This article is a good place to start thinking about your own communications at your kura – https://www.newleaders.org/blog/inclusive-effective-communication-4-strategies-for-education-leaders Also have a look at this resource from TKI, which is aimed at principals but has many helpful points for all leaders in improving communication in a school environment – https://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Managing-your-school/Guides-for-managing-your-school/Effective-communications
The Power of Active Listening:
Truly understanding others requires more than just hearing their words. Julian Treasure’s TED Talk, “5 ways to listen better” (https://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_5_ways_to_listen_better), offers practical techniques to enhance your active listening skills. By focusing on presence, asking clarifying questions, and empathising with the speaker, you can build stronger relationships and gain a deeper understanding of perspectives within your teams.
Fostering Open Communication:
Creating a culture where open and honest dialogue thrives is essential for trust and collaboration. Explore this article for some tips on how to do this – https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2023/05/31/20-smart-ways-managers-can-foster-more-open-dialogue-in-the-workplace/
Developing Effective Written Communication:
In your role as a middle leader, you will frequently communicate in writing with various stakeholders. Focus on the strategies of clarity and conciseness, knowing your audience, providing opportunities for clarification, and being consistent and transparent. Again, this article is aimed at principals but has tips that are applicable to all. To ensure your written communication is professional, clear, and achieves its intended purpose, consider the guidance offered here – https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-principals-here-are-4-simple-tips-to-communicate-better/2023/06
Task: Reflecting on and Applying Communication Skills:
Consider a recent interaction (verbal or written) you had within the school community.
Discuss one of the following scenarios with your learning partner and post your collaborative response on the forum (max. 150 words):
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- Scenario A (Verbal): A staff member on your team consistently misses deadlines and their communication about progress is often vague. Brainstorm two distinct communication strategies you could use to address this verbally, incorporating principles of clear communication and active listening.
- Scenario B (Written): You need to inform parents about a change in the school’s drop-off procedure. Draft two key elements of your written communication (e.g., subject line and first sentence, or two key pieces of information conveyed) ensuring they are clear, concise, and audience-appropriate, drawing on the principles from the New Leaders article.
Assessment:
- Discussion with learning partner
- Collaborative post on the forum
- Engagement with reading materials
11 Responses
I have managed to meet up with my buddy Tim Haines . We had a wonderful discussion based on scenario A. Firstly, it is important to keep in mind that trust and your relationship with each other is the most important aspect of your next discussion. Therefore, explain that the goal is to leave the discussion with our respective ‘sense of selves’ intact.
The next part, remember…
“Be curious, not judgemental.”
There is a reason this is happening, and do not assume you know.
Start the discussion with something positive you have noticed. Move into the subject of the discussion, and adopt the FBI approach: Feelings, Behaviour and Impact
Share what you have noticed about their behaviour. Eg: I have noticed that there are some deadlines that have been missed in the past, and this has happened a few times.
Share examples if needed
Then, explain your feelings: I am worried that there may be something that is inhibiting you from meeting these deadlines, so I am very keen to find a way for us to all meet those deadlines.
Share the impact and explain the WHY/PURPOSE for what you are trying to achieve: Meeting those deadlines means as a team, we can move towards our goals faster, and can build trust too. We rely on each other, as all integral parts of our team, on the others in the team
Make sure you stay as positive and calm as possible.
Employ an active listening approach with this person. This includes:
Listening and making eye contact
Keeping friendly, non-threatening body language
Ask questions and clarify
Repeat back some parts of what is said
Once this is complete, often a solution may become apparent. The next approach to adopt is the GLAD, SAD, SURE approach:
I am glad you shared with me
I am sorry/sad that there is something inhibiting you
I am sure we can find a solution together
From here, using storytelling may often help. Share a scenario where you have done something like this, and this may take the tension away from the situation (knowing your leader has been there and can empathise is really powerful).
Find a solution, then give an action to complete with a timeframe. Follow up in writing in an email for accountability.
Vicki and Zach – Scenario B
Subject Line:
Update for Families: Safer, Smoother Morning Drop-Off – Starting Monday
Opening Sentence:
To enhance the safety of all children and minimise congestion at the gates, we are implementing a minor yet significant adjustment to our morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up areas, starting Monday.
Thanks Ronelle – it was great to be able to sit down with you and share our ideas and thoughts on this tricky subject. I also enjoyed sharing the readings and discussing the scenarios with you. Thank you for your input and references to the readings.
Whariki Whakawhānaungatanga (Building Effective Communication)
Collaborative response: Adele, Rachel and Ashleigh
Scenario A: A staff member on your team consistently misses deadlines and their communication about progress is often vague. Brainstorm two distinct communication strategies you could use to address this verbally, incorporating principles of clear communication and active listening.
Strategy One: Creating a safe place, using active listening skills and developing communication strategies
To begin with we would create a ‘safe place’ for the scheduled meeting, such as an office space or classroom after school (so they don’t have to then go back into the classroom after a hard, honest conversation). This needs to be a face to face communication, to show empathy, commitment and support as mentioned in Educational Leaders, Guides for Managing Your School, Effective Communications. The aim is to be clear, open, and transparent. Because we have built on trust within the team we are hoping this established relationship will help us to have this safe, hard conversation.
Before beginning the conversations, be mindful that your tone of voice and body language is open and non-judgemental. We would begin the conversation with, “I have noticed that meeting deadlines has become an area in your work that you are having difficulty with, is there something on your plate I don’t know about? I would really like to understand why you may be finding this tough and see if there is a way we can work together to make this easier for you.”
During the meeting, use active listening principles outlined in the article Educational Leaders, Guides for Managing Your School, Effective Communications. ‘asking questions instead of just giving answers, focusing on what you might learn instead of what you want to teach or instruct, seeking clarification and explanation, especially when the tone of the speaker is somewhat critical, restating what you think they have said in order to seek clarity and agreement, asking how you might help’
Strategy Two: R.A.S.A and Promoting Input
Before offering solutions, ask the respondent if they have any ideas on how they could improve on meeting deadlines and communication. Use the acronym suggested by Julian Treasure In his TED talk “ 5 ways to listen better’. Emphasise on the A – Ask. Ask them where to now, what steps can they take to make change, what support do they need? Make time to check in and see how they are going, this could be as simple as a pop in, a coffee or if they need it, another conversation. Hopefully by following these steps this will not only help with the missing deadlines and vague responses, but as they have contributed their own input they will feel and be seen as valued (listened to, supported and accrued on) therefore they will naturally become more vocal, Forbes – Fostering Communication.
By giving the respondent the agency to come up with a solution, you may find they have a new and better way to work, and even if they don’t, then at the very least, it is empowering to give people the opportunity to develop their own problem-solving processes and strategies. Give Employees Space For Creative Thinking.’Too many managers I work with assign work without giving employees any space for coming up with new and better ways to work. Allow time for brainstorming sessions where everyone can contribute.’ 20 Ways Managers Can Foster More Open Communication in the Work Place
Scenario A:
To address this, I would first schedule a one-on-one meeting to discuss concerns openly. Using clear communication, I’d express the impact of missed deadlines and vague updates on the team’s workflow, focusing on specific examples without blame. I’d then ask open-ended questions to understand any underlying challenges, actively listening and summarising their responses to ensure mutual understanding.
A second approach could involve collaboratively setting clear expectations moving forward. I’d outline desired communication expectations—like regular progress check-ins —and ask for their input on what support they need to meet these goals. This approach combines accountability with empathy, encouraging ownership while showing a willingness to help.
Task 4: Reflecting on and Applying Communication Skills:
Scenario A (Verbal): After meeting with my Learning Partner Maddie today we had an excellent discussed around scenario A
Approach One: Use clear communication and active listening to address the issue effectively:
Direct, Constructive Feedback with Open-Ended Inquiry
My Approach: Schedule a one-on-one meeting and begin with a clear, non-accusatory statement about observed behaviour. Follow up with open-ended questions to understand the root cause and engage in problem-solving together.Example Dialogue:
“I’ve noticed a pattern where some deadlines are being missed, and updates on progress have been unclear. I want to understand what’s getting in the way. Can you walk me through how you’re managing your workload and any challenges you’re facing?”
Communication Principles Used:
Clarity: State the specific issue without ambiguity.
Active Listening: Invite their perspective and listen without interruption.
Collaboration: Signal that you’re looking for solutions together, not assigning blame.Approach Two: Frame the conversation around team standards and future success. Reaffirm expectations and invite the person to co-create a plan to improve accountability and communication.
Example Dialogue:
“To keep our team running smoothly, it’s important we meet deadlines and communicate clearly about progress. I want to make sure we’re aligned moving forward. What support do you need to stay on track, and how can we improve how we check in with each other?”
Communication Principles Used:
Clear Expectations: Reinforce standards explicitly.
Engagement: Encourage ownership by involving them in setting improvement strategies.
Supportive Tone: Emphasise partnership and support rather than judgment.
Learning Partner: Rebecca Hill
Reflecting and applying communication skills – scenario A (verbal).“Hi M, thanks for meeting with me. I wanted to chat about the recent report comments deadlines. I’ve noticed that the last few haven’t been met,. I’m curious how things are progressing with them and how I can support you.” I believe this directly addresses the issue while offering support.Using Active Listening & clarifying:
Could you walk me through your process of writing your report comments? What are the key steps involved, and where are you currently at?” I have used an open-ended question to encourage detailed explanation.M’s Response: “Well, things got a bit held up with being busy with other tasks. I’m working on getting them finished. “Thanks for that, M. When you say ‘held up,’ could you be a bit more specific? Understanding the roadblocks will help us both. Also, when you say ‘getting them finished,’ what does that look like in terms of a realistic completion date?” I am trying to gently push for specifics and clarity.
“Okay, so what I’m hearing is …I am summarising M’s explanation.
What do you think are the main challenges preventing you from meeting the report deadlines? Are there any resources or support that would be helpful for you in managing your workload or specific tasks?” We can collaboratively explore solutions and i can offer assistance where necessary.
“Moving forward, to ensure we’re both on the same page, could we agree on breaking down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable steps with set deadlines?
“Let’s schedule a brief check-in [suggest a timeframe] to discuss progress on next term’s report comment deadlines.” This sets clear expectations for future communication and establishes accountability.
Response by email from Rebecca:
“Looks good – I think we have both used a similar process in using listening techniques to gain a solid understanding of the issue, then helping collaboratively solve the issue.
I like the bit on the end that connects to future check-ins to gain ownership!”
It was a robust discussion sharing the readings and discussing the scenarios with you Colleen. Thank you for your input and references to the readings.
Thanks Ronelle – it was great to be able to sit down with you and share our ideas and thoughts on this tricky subject. I also enjoyed sharing the readings and discussing the scenarios with you. Thank you also for your input and references to the readings.
Scenario A – working collaboratively with Ronelle Clarke on reflecting and applying communication skills – scenario A (verbal).
To approach the problem we decided that a collaborative problem-solving approach would be a great place to begin and we started the conversation off with “Could we chat briefly”.
We felt it was important to begin with what is going well and give some positive praise as to what we had noticed this particular staff member was doing really well.
Our next step was to address the issue and we decided that a good way to begin this was by saying “I have noticed a pattern with deadlines recently……..”. Can you help me to understand ………..
As the staff member is explaining, we are mindful of showing that we are listening by using non-verbal cues like nodding and leaning in to show engagement and using small verbal affirmations, for example “I see”, “Aha”,
Asking questions during the discussion will also help us to better understand the challenges our colleague is facing. We will try to be empathetic and understand their feelings and perspectives. For instance, we could use the statement, “I can see why you feel that way….”.
We feel that it is important to listen with an open mind and not be judgemental. Using clear communication strategies, we could brainstorm together to support the staff member meeting their deadlines. These skills will help us to address the missed deadlines and support our colleague in a way that is both direct fostering a productive working environment.