Communication isn ’ t just information transmission ; it ’ s relationships , politics and engagement . laboration systems . Co-creating solutions is enthralling and helps build trust between administration and teachers . However , if the feedback is not followed up or appears to be ignored , it can absolutely destroy a professional working culture .
The first step in designing your communication system is simple : Have your community tell stories . In pairs , let folks tell stories about a time that communication faltered , while their partner takes notes and listens . Was there a miscommunication ? Was information not received in time ? Why ? Asking folks to tell stories is liberating . Everyone has one , and it ’ s easy to facilitate as a leader . As you walk around , you ’ ll be surprised to hear what people are identifying as growth areas . Often , they aren ’ t what you expected .
From these stories , individuals will reflect on what they needed that they didn ’ t get . Have folks write them on a sticky note , and then group these needs to identify trends . Identifying trends is often surprising . When I completed this process for feedback on an instructional program in Oakland , teachers surprised me with their pain points . Despite working with them each week , I didn ’ t understand their lived experiences . Through this process , I was able to see what was actually challenging and create the needed supports for the next year , significantly increasing teacher buy-in .
These trends then inform the questions you are trying to solve . Translating needs into “ How might we …?” questions lets folks co-construct a communication system that works . Some examples from staff engagements that I ’ ve led have been : “ How might we create a communication system that prioritizes teacher expertise ?” “ How might we build more trust in a staff ?” “ How might we know that we are heard ?”
Often these communication systems underscore important climate and culture issues , and allow for an easier avenue for folks to identify their own social-emotional needs . Communication isn ’ t just information transmission ; it ’ s relationships , politics and engagement .
Once the right question is asked , have folks generate the who , how , what and where via a brainstorm . Primed with their needs , teachers are able to create a system that addresses their concerns or the guidelines for an administrator to focus on . This process can be transformational for staffs that are feeling disempowered , allowing them a cathartic release to both identify their needs and then construct the ideas of a new system .
A word of caution : Completing this design process and not following through with implementation or clear changes can be disastrous . It is important that the leadership team is ready to dive deeply into this work and follow-through with next steps . When teachers feel they have a voice and then it gets taken away , it can undermine any and all work at sites .
A note on inclusion
Designing new communication and doing school culture work is tough , especially if the process is new to your staff or you ’ re a new administrator . This process requires having a profound understanding of your community , trusting your own leadership , being able to see the bigger picture , and choosing a process that will ultimately have a positive impact for all of your stakeholders .
With any school-wide improvement process , it is important to reflect on both diversity and inclusion . Diversity signals who is in the design process , and inclusion means who can meaningfully contribute to the design process .
Throughout the process , identify universal , or near-universal , truths that exist for your underrepresented staff members . For example , are people of color having an entirely separate experience than your White teachers ? An effective communication system actively ensures that all of your staff members are included and part of the work .
In conclusion
Most change initiatives fail because we aren ’ t addressing the right concerns , and stakeholder voice is lost in translation . Using design thinking to facilitate discussions on communication often leads to an improved focus on professional culture , as communication is much more than information transmission .
At the beginning of the article , my issue wasn ’ t actually cupcakes , it was that I didn ’ t have an avenue to communicate effectively with a teammate . This process can be scary and should be completed by leaders who are genuinely willing to change or refine their systems . Leaders have to cede control and be open to addressing problems they don ’ t know about . The more open you are in distributing leadership and power , the more you ’ ll find the process to be renewing and restorative ( Aye 2017 ).
Resources :
• Aye , G . “ Design Education ’ s Big Gap : Understanding the Role of Power .” Medium . June 2 , 2017 .
• Razzouk , R . and Shute , V . ( 2012 ). “ What is Design Thinking and Why Is It Important ?” Review of Educational Research , Vol . 82 , Issue 3 , pp . 330-348
James Hilton Harrell is a network partner of instruction for the Elevation Network in Oakland USD . Email him for an agenda / PowerPoint at james . harrell @ ousd . org or check out his blog at www . jameshiltonharrell . com .
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