2. To
create an appreciation of the importance of good
communication in the context of school leadership.
To communicate with honesty and clarity, both
verbally and non verbally
To
increase self awareness and skills for good
communication.
To
encourage positive relationships between the
Principal and all of the school partners.
.
Aims of the Module
21st Century Leadership
3. The joy of working with people
21st Century Leadership
9. What happens when there is effective
communication ……
21st Century Leadership
10. What is my communication style?
An Effective Communicator
21st Century Leadership
11. High
D
I
R
E
C
T
N
E
S
S
Communication Styles
Openly Aggressive
Assertive
I am direct in expressing MY
needs, wants & opinions;
I give no thought to others.
I express clearly MY needs,
wants & opinions in a way which is
considerate of others.
I WIN, YOU LOSE
I WIN, YOU WIN
Passive Aggressive
Passive
I ensure indirectly that everyone
knows my needs, wants & opinions
& understand they take precedence.
I do not express my needs, wants
& opinions directly.
I put others’ needs above my own.
I LOSE, YOU LOSE
I LOSE, YOU WIN
Low
Low
THOUGHT GIVEN TO OTHERS
High
12. Key Characteristics of
Good Interpersonal Communications
Genuineness:
What you see is what you get
Empathy:
Stand in the other person’s
shoes
Positive Regard:
Value the person
listen!
21st Century Leadership
-
13. ACTIVE LISTENING
EXERCISE
GROUPS OF THREE
PERSON 1
speaks for 1 minute
passionate about
on any topic they feel
PERSON 2
Listens for the factual information – 1 minute feedback
PERSON 3
Listens for the emotions being expressed – 1 minute
feedback
FEEDBACK
21st Century Leadership
14. ACTIVE LISTENING
EXERCISE
One person in the room speaks for 2 minutes
on any topic she/he feels passionate about.
Group 1
Listens for the factual information
Group 2
Listens for the emotional undertones.
Group 3
Watches for body Language.
A reporter from each group gives the group’s
observations after4 minutes deliberations
4 minutes feedback.
21st Century Leadership
15. “ Most people do not listen with the intent to
understand; they listen with the intent to
reply.They ’ re filtering everything through
their own paradigms, reading their
autobiography into other people ’ s lives. ”
Stephen Covey
21st Century Leadership
16. Emotionally Literate Listening
Empathic listening is fundamental to
demonstrating concern as a leader. The following six
negative listening habits prevent us from being good
listeners. Monitor your listening habits over the next
number of weeks and if you are guilty of using any of
these poor listening habits, tick the box next to it.
The Faker
The Interrupter
The Logical Listener
Doing One Better
The Rebuttal Maker
The Advice Giver
21st Century Leadership
17. Empathy means putting yourself in
other people’s shoes without
throwing away your own
21st Century Leadership
18. Good Communication – with
whom?
Parents
Students
Principal
All staff
Others,
(media)
21st Century Leadership
20. Modes of Communication: In-house
Fortnightly notice
whiteboard
Today notice whiteboard
Weekly meetings
Notice in staff post boxes
Designated notice boards
Memos
Intercom
Texting/Emailing
Phone Calls/ Fax
TV screens in
corridors/staffroom
Interviews
E portal messaging
Circulars/Reports
Advertisements/Posters
Notices
Newsletters
School P.R.O.
Staff Handbook
Home School Liaison
Induction booklet
Phone tree
MBWA/person to person
21st Century Leadership
21. Concluding Reflection
Choose two key messages which you
picked up from this session.
How might they be of use to you in
your new role?
21st Century Leadership
22. Golden Rules
Listen and listen well
Be yourself
Banish negativity
Be as interesting and interested as
possible
Keep your people satisified
Be visible
Admit your mistakes
Take care of yourself! You can’t do
everything.
21st Century Leadership
Editor's Notes
Notes from team meeting March 09 – Communicating with the media and link to critical incident policy
Move the section on staff meetings from First Steps to this module.
Icebreaker:-
Introductions and contract development.
icebreaker ….
Share with your neighbour on your right, the answers ( his/hers and yours):
1. What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
2. What do you think will be your greatest challenge?
Haley’s Comet as an alternative
This slide should be screened twice: at the start and at the end to ask if these aims have been met
“The most commonly referred to qualities and attributes of effective leaders according to the literature are good communication and motivational skills, problem-solving ability along with the ability to organise and motivate people”. (Leadership Opportunities for Teachers: Is Gender an Issue? INTO 1999)
One of the key parts of being a Principal is dealing with people.It can be the greatest source of joy as well as the greatest challenge. It is also one of the keys to success.
“The leadership that counts is the kind that touches people diferently. It taps their emotions, appeals to their values, and responds to their connections with other people” (Sergiovanni 1992)
In schools we may not have the incentives or controls that exist in the business world – we are not always responsbile for choosing the people we work with and we cannot “get rid” of people who do not work the way we would like them to. That places a greater responsbility on us to set up and develop good professional practices and relationships with everybody in the school.
One of the keys to good relations is good communication…
How can you motivate people to give of their best?
How do you know what is the best a person can give? (You need to get to know them)
People tend to work at their best when they feel valued – how can you make them feel valued?
All of the above rely on good communiation skills …. The picture above shows a variety of emotions….
Do you think the way people feel can affect the way they perform?
Swimmers from Scotland in Commonwealth Games- David Carry when asked what was happening in Scottish team said that training always hard but always enjoyed meeting team members- great camaraderie good relationships made huge difference! EI emerges through relationships.
Expectations (the joy of working with people)
The new teacher with a new class in a new school starts to call the roll on the first morning. She noticed a number opposite each name. These numbers ran from 100 up to 120. She decided that she would redo her lesson plans and exercises in response to the capabilities of such a bright bunch.
When the Christmas test were held, her pupils shone out in her subject vis a vis the other subjects. The principal asked to see the scripts and was delighted to note that all marks were well deserved. He complimented the teacher very profusely on such high achievements from such a class. She replied why would they not do well. Look at their IQ’s in the roll book.
The principal then pointed out that each number was the number of that pupil’s locker!!
Ø Complex and Uncertain
Schools are complex organisations. Think of a ‘typical’ Monday morning: Teacher is absent; problem on the school bus; parents call without appointment; child falls in the yard; caretaker can’t find the keys; and the boiler won’t work etc. Principals deal with the pressures of the immediate along with the intense involvement of people both inside and outside the school.
Staff – 20 teachers, 300 pupils, 600 parents, 6 ancillary staff – This is a society in miniature. It is a complex and uncertain organisation as well as a school. Therefore communication is very important.
Ø Goals are Ambiguous
Schools are obviously different. School is not a business, yet it must work out what type of business it is in. Schools must decide their goals.
Ø Myths, Rituals and Ceremonies
These are often a manifestation of the kind of school the public sees – communion, confirmation, performance at sport, examination results. Together with the next point, schools demonstrate whether they are open or closed, organic or stagnant.
The schools that you, as new principals have inherited may add to the complexity of the job.
Ø Interactive decision making
Your school may be used to top-down decision making or a more democratic system. In the past schools were run as closed oligarchies. They may have been “comfortable” but were they open to change? What kind of an organisation is your school? What kind of an organisation would you like it to be?
Ø Role Switching
Your job as principal may be very fragmented. You may go from being an expert in curriculum to an expert on finance, to a social worker, guidance counsellor etc. etc. Role ambiguity can be a major cause of stress. If you don’t know who or what you are supposed to be in any given situation, it can be most unnerving. For the teacher there may be a comfort in not wishing to switch roles - once a teacher, always a teacher.
“Teachers tend to be teachers first and managers when they have to be”Charles Handy
DELEGATE SOME OF YOUR ROLES!!!
Invite participants to choose verbs to describe what they, as principals, actually do, or, as they haven’t yet started – what they think the Principal of their school does. In order to get things moving, it might be interesting to stimulate them into giving ideas by baiting them with a question such as: "Do you ever get the feeling that members of your staff would like to ask you to explain what is it you do all day?"
Ideas are accepted orally and rapidly from the floor. No written record is made. Presenter synopsises responses by introducing the above terms as possible descriptors.
Responses on next slide
Presenter’s slide only.
Responses ( verbs) might include (as per slide):
Typically a principal: –
Delegates
Manages
Negotiates
Makes Decisions
Sets Targets
Interacts/Teaches
Leads
Plans
Above all is communicating.
20% verbal 80% nonverbal.
The visible/invisible Principal is communicating continously.
She/he is sending messages out all the time.
The need to be aware of others’ state of readiness and of their ability to respond.
The need to prepare others in advance.
(Beware rumours)
"Should you need to be convinced further of the centrality of effective communication to effective leadership…
An article in the recently published book entitled Effective School Leadership: Responding to change, by Leif Moos, Pat Mahony and Jenny Reeves posed the question: "What Teachers, Parents, Governors and Pupils Want from their Heads[1]". Their research, conducted in England, Scotland and Denmark, uncovered some common themes including the critical finding that those questioned identified effective communication skills as a key attribute of their ideal principal. Of particular interest is the finding that, when asked to rank order leadership skills in principals, communication skills topped the pole in Scotland and were ranked second highest (good organiser/manager was deemed first) in England.
1] McBeath, John (Ed.), (1998), Effective School Leadership: Responding to Change, London: Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd., pp. 32-60.
When communication is good, the benefits are immediately apparent.
Brainstorm from the floor. Then simply list The school community collectively and individually- (principals, teachers, parents, auxiliary workers, children…):
Feel good; Do their jobs well; Work well together; Feel motivated
Understand and empathise more readily with each other and divergent views
Save time - there is a transparency about the place; Feel empowered and confident in taking risks; Assume/share responsibility and information
Respect, trust and like each other; Consciously listen and show due consideration and positive regard for all those who constitute collectively the school community.
Purpose:
To enable principals gain feedback on the effectiveness of their communication methods. To establish the different styles of communication and the impact they have on others. To permit them to evaluate the effectiveness of their own communication style.
Communication Styles:
The style, in which people communicate, as well as the channel they choose, can alter the effectiveness of the message that is received. This communication style questionnaire presents an opportunity for principals to identify their own communication style. Point out that there are no right or wrong answers in completing the questionnaire so people should answer this truthfully. Mention that they have the option of sharing or not sharing their results.
Exercise 1: Communication styles questionnaire. Allow participants 8 minutes to complete it. Then give a few minutes to score their themselves. Results may be confidential or they may wish to discuss with the person next to them.
Explain that it is important to understand the different communication styles, why people use them and the impact they have on others. The 4 statements, used in the next slide, allows discussion to be somewhat detached from the questionnaires completed by participants. It should allow for open discussion, based on the hypotheotical figures rather than their own results – if they so wish.
Exercise
4 statements will be read out (with the relevant emotion) by 4 participants – where do they fit on this diagram? Why?
(Mary is a teacher,Mrs Brown is a parent)
Top left: Mary, come and see Mrs. Brown now – she wants to talk to you about her daughter – you bullied her in class yesterday.
Bottom left:No Mary, I cannot see you now. Do you realise how tired I am? I was working here until 7.30pm last night. Anyway, didn’t I give you the answer to that problem yesterday.
Bottom right: (It is the first week of June and the Principal has been working late every evening to sort out the timetable and staffing for next year. Mary, the teacher, had a minor incident with a parent which has been successfully handled and both parent and student are happy.)
“Certainly, Mary, come on in. I realise you had a very difficult situation to deal with, and on top of your own problems at home, I appreciate this is a very difficult time for you. Can I make you a cup of tea?”
Top right (Situation as above)
“Well done yesterday – you handled that situation very well. Now I must get on with the contracts for the new teachers”.
Any comments ?
Is it as black or white as laid out ?
Are there times when a leader must drift from one quadrant to another ?
Discussion might centre around:
the appropriate time for sympathy,
identifying and dealing with your own needs,
making others feel bad or good and
the impact of all of these on the day-to-day running of the school
Ask your nearest and dearest what they think is your communication style.
Refer back to characteristics of effective leadership in Unpacking Leadership
Ø Genuiness
This is characterised by behaviour which conveys to others that you, too, are human, trustworthy, not hiding behind roles or facades, spontaneous and open in an appropriate manner. It involves coming across as being real-not a phoney. It is conveyed by:
Talking appropriately about yourself; Responding naturally; Sharing feelings appropriately; Being spontaneous and honest; Verbal behaviour consistent with non-verbal signs (give example); Not being defensive; Not pretending to be someone or something you are not.
Empathy
This is characterised by behaviour that shows you understand the other person’s world as they are experiencing it. In other words, ‘you see it their way’. It is shown by:
Reflecting back to the other persons feelings you are picking up – ‘you must have felt very angry’; ‘you sound very happy’; Sharing related experiences of your own (as a principal, this can definitely show that you have ‘been there before’ and can make you seem more approachable, BUT don’t patronise!!!)
Showing warmth
Let you body language try and reflect the other person’s feelings.
Positive Regard
This is put very simply – respect. This is characterised by behaviour which makes others feel they are important, worthwhile and special in some way. It can be shown by:
Giving positive attention; Active listening (we will be doing an exercise on this shortly)
Giving your time freely without making the other person feel intrusive (we all know how valuable time is and how often when we feel that we have found some space, someone else has found it too!!!!!); Remembering the other persons name; Introducing yourself (both of these are so important if one is a new principal of an established school); Basic courtesies-e.g. offering a chair, tea, coffee etc. (simple but effective); Asking questions gently; Checking out assumptions you have made about the other person (2 rules for a new principal 1. Never assume anything. 2. Write everything down. That is if you can find the time!!!)
Note for facilitator: (20 minutes)
Make sure the groups rotate so that each person experiences all three roles.
Discuss what it felt like for the person speaking – was there a difference between the different types of listening? How aware were you of it? Which did you prefer?
Elicit that people react in different ways – there is no right and wrong here. The important thing is that you become more aware of how the listening affects others and what kind of a listener you are.
Prompts for the 1 minute speech ….. Mobile phones while driving, queues at Dublin airport. Reality TV, Compulsory Irish, Aer Lingus discontinuing the Shannon-Heathrow flights!
Note for facilitator: (10 minutes)
Discuss what it felt like for the person speaking – was there a difference between the different types of listening? How aware were you of it? Which did you prefer?
Elicit that people react in different ways – there is no right and wrong here. The important thing is that you become more aware of how the listening affects others and what kind of a listener you are.
Prompts for the 2 minute speech ….. Mobile phones while driving, M50 tolls,Tribunals
Emotionally Literate Listening
TASK : Exercise sheet provided for homework
Empathic listening is fundamental to demonstrating concern as a leader. The following six negative listening habits prevent us from being good listeners. Monitor your listening habits over the next week and if you are guilty of using any of these poor listening habits, tick the box next to it.
The Faker – All the outward signs are there: nodding, making eye contact and giving the occasional ‘hm’ yip. However, the faker isn’t concentrating on the speaker. His / her mind is elsewhere.
The Interrupter – doesn’t allow the speaker to finish and doesn’t ask clarifying questions or seek more information from the speaker. He / she is too anxious to state his point of view and shows little concern for the speaker.
The Logical Listener – This person is busy interpreting and analysing what the speaker is saying so that he will have an appropriate response ready. He / she is judging the speaker’s words and rarely asks about the underlying feelings or emotions attached to the message.
Doing One Better – When the speaker says something, this listener steals the focus and changes it to his point of view, opinion, story or facts, e.g. “Oh, that’s nothing; here’s what my day has been like.”
The Rebuttal Maker – The listener only listens long enough to form a rebuttal. He / she always wants to make the speaker see his / her point of view and is quick to dismiss the speaker’s views and perspectives.
The Advice Giver – Giving advice is sometimes helpful. However, at other times, this behaviour interferes with good listening because it does not allow the speaker to articulate fully his feelings and thoughts; it doesn’t help the speaker to solve his own problems. Advice given at the wrong time may be unhelpful to the speaker.
At this point, we just want participants to be aware that emotions are central to communication.
LISTENING WITH INTENT TO UNDERSTAND
GETTING INSIDE THE OTHER PERSON’S FRAME OF REFERENCE
SEE THE WORLD THE WAY THEY SEE IT
LISTEN WITH EARS, EYES AND HEART
Stephen Covey
Getting to know your staff, and giving them opportunities to get to know you, is a prerequisite for building trust. They will want to know how you “do things”. Therefore, it is important that communication is as open and as transparent as possible.
Different levels of communication.
Media handout
(Small group discussion?)
Communication with whom? It may seem an obvious question – but, for example, how do you ensure that you know all the students, now that you no longer teach them?
Remembering that communication is a two-way process, how do you ensure that you are keeping on top date with staff issues, e.g. change of telephone numbers, addresses, systems for communicating when they are sick etc. etc.
What messages are parents receiving about the school (and how?)?
Exploring in-house means of communication is a practical application of some of the principles discussed in this session.See slide on communication “how?”
Participants should be asked to name communication means that they are aware of ….. Brainstorm.
This can then be focused on their communication priorities for the first month…
Reminders:-
Building trust is key to good relations in an effective school (the next three slides deal with relationships with deputy principal and middle leaders)
Good relations can only be built up where people know each other and respect the professional contributions of each other
Feelings matter! They say that emotional intelligence is a better predictor of success for a leader of people than I.Q.
Practical actions for September might include making time to listen, spending some time in the staffroom everyday, wearing a smile(!), preparing your opening of the school year assembly speech well (communicate your vision) …..
Exercise
Aim:
Participants reflect on the structures/relationship which would ensure an effective working partnership
Divide the participants into those who have worked as deputies and those who have not .Then divide into tables Ask them to discuss these questions
Flipchart/Discuss the answers as a group
General Discussion
Evaluate the importance of the quality of this relationship for the two individuals personally and professionally
Evaluate the importance of this relationship in relation to managing a school in today’s society
Suggest structures, procedures and human relationship issues which might be usefully addressed here?
The experience of participants who have previously acted as Deputies would be useful here. Flip Chart Them
Brainstorm 5/6 mins – Working with a disaffected colleague
What should you do in the event of your Deputy being a disappointed candidate or a disaffected colleague?
Suggestions – Aspirational!
Patience , Understanding, Sensitivity, A lot of investment in listening and communication. Work with and accentuate the positives. Be clear and firm re your own goals and vision.
Ultimately the key to a Working effectively with your Deputy is the development of a good relationship with him/her “ the way to prepare for the unknown is to attend to the quality of relationships “( Wheatley 2003, quoted in Ruth, 2006) This takes time, energy and attention but is worth it ( Quadrant 2 activity: Time Management). The following are some initial suggestions which need to be handled sensitively and respectfully. prepare for the unknown
Roles/ Responsibilities/Ground Rules:
It will not be possible to have an effective relationship unless there is clarity around who is responsible for what and under what circumstances. The Deputy’s contract should be available (see Handbook) . Roles and responsibilities are not set in stone. A good working relationship will evolve and develop as the people evolve and develop and this should be accommodated. However, clarifying roles in the beginning is advised. Individual Strengths; As you get to know your Deputy and s/he you, the ability to recognise each other’s strengths and adjust roles and responsibilities accordingly would be a very valuable use of time .e.g. timetabling might be your strength whereas your deputy might be an excellent person to manage finances. Aim towards interdependence rather than a demarcation of duties.
Remember that: delegation is not the right to perform tasks but rather the right to make decisions
Trust – those delegated to be quicker and better than you! , Clarify responsibilities and boundaries
Overall responsibility for a delegated task remains with you – check in regularly, Provide appropriate feedback, Delegate enjoyable tasks as well as unpleasant ones.
Establishing Ground Rules
Loyalty: An understanding of support and loyalty needs to be established. While the Deputy can act as a “middle person” between staff and the principal. Both the Principal and Deputy should undertake not to undermine each other in public irrespective of their private opinions. This will be particularly difficult where a Deputy is a disappointed candidate but it is important that the Principal will to invest time and energy in building a relationship with their Deputy. Have an agreed policy in relation to issues or agree to discuss issues before committing oneself , sometimes staff/parents/students will approach one or the other if they sense they have a better chance of obtaining something they wish. This is unhelpful.
Communication: Structure a meeting early in the morning when they are fewer interruptions before school starts to plan at the end of the day before going home. The latter can also help as a destressor if you and your Deputy have a good rapport . Days can be so busy that you may not meet otherwise! The Principal and Deputy should be aware of each other’s location during the day. ( A school mobile might be useful here). If one is out of the building the other should be aware and informed etc.
Interdependence: Work towards collaborative/reciprocal leadership eg the basketball team model where collaborative input from the Deputy and Principal is required for success rather than the cricket team where the principal/deputy bat and bowl separately or the relay team where the deputy passes on a task which needs to be taken further by the principal. (Spillane) However, such a relationship will not happen it needs to be nurtured and developed. Visionary, Coaching, Affiliative (building harmony) and democratic styles of leadership (The New Leaders: Goleman, Boyatzis, McKee: Time Warner) are required.
Working effectively with your middle management team
Recognise the current reality – posts not being replaced / reorganisation of duties / staff morale etc. However, capitalise on any recent developments such as training for post holders/year heads etc.
Are Roles and Responsibilities clearly defined? What is the breakdown of your posts under Pastoral, Curricular and Administrative. Have there been recent appointments. Working effectively with your middle management team
Are there structures for meeting with Senior Post Holders individually/in groups ( eg Year Heads) to support and develop their role within their own position as well as part of a middle management team. Are there structures in place for post –holders to substitute for the Principal and Deputy Principal in their absence?. Do post holders see themselves as working with the Principal as part of a management team. Has a review been carried out recently. Identify those people who are able and effective and work with them while supporting and coaching your less effective members. Invest in relationship building
Delegation: ie delegation means delegating decision making and trusting but checking in on a regular basis and providing feedback. Refer back to slide on DP, Developing an effective middle management team can be hugely challenging, time consuming and difficult but the long term benefits for yourself and the school are significant.
Many middle managers are challenged by the role particularly their role in relation to their colleagues. They are placed in what can be a “tricky” position between staff and management. Neither one nor the other. Dealing with colleagues is a significant stress factor for middle managers . Have they attended in-service recently
Exercise 5 ( 5 mins)
In pairs, ask participants to discuss their own contexts. Take general feedback/comment
Ask any people with middle leadership experience to comment
Participants should be asked to name communication modes (see next slide) that they are aware of ….. Brainstorm.
This can then be focused on their communication priorities for the first month…
Practical actions for September might include making time to listen, spending some time in the staffroom everyday, wearing a smile(!), preparing your opening of the school year assembly speech well (communicate your vision) …..
Compare with the answers from the brainstorm.
Should there be a mention of HSLO for school-family communication, role of PRO in a school,TV screens on corridor or staff room connected to pc for daily communications. Use of texting for urgent info or sudden news such as bereavement. Eportal messaging for staff and parents. Some of these might be relevant to last aim on the 'aims' slide.
This a presenter’s slide only.
Five minute reflection in pairs. Then 5 minutes for general discussion.
What are your communication priorities between now and the end of September?
