As part of the school leadership team there are times when tough conversations need to occur. The vast majority of my time at school is extremely positive and often times I stop and think, "I can't believe I'm getting paid to do this!" But, as I said, there are those other times. Times when a dialogue must occur between myself and a colleague, that, after all, is part of my job too. I once had a teacher tell me, "don't worry about being my friend, you're an administrator, we look to you for guidance." This teacher went on to say, "we're professionals, we can handle it if you tell us we are doing something we shouldn't be." I greatly admire this teacher, and their honesty, while harsh at times, is greatly appreciated.
I needed to have one of these conversations this week, and while my nerves told me not to, my brain knew I had to. We sat down in my office, I started the dialogue, but quickly my co-worker jumped in and started brainstorming ways to resolve the issue. This teacher was not defensive, insulted, hurt, or even angry. Rather, my colleague knew I had nothing but the very best intent for the students and as such the teacher was willing to work with me. My nerves quickly calmed and I'm sure my body language changed. In no time we had a plan that I felt kept the students' success at the fore while protecting the teacher's integrity and role in the classroom.
I am attaching a YouTube video from Simon Sinek. If you have not heard of him, you really need to listen to some of his presentations. In the attached video, Sinek talks about leaders, and how great leaders help make people around them feel safe. After reflecting on my conversation with the teacher, I believe that I formed a trusting relationship with the teachers I work with. I have done this through engaging in conversations with them, finding out about their interests, learning about what motivates them and what they are passionate about outside of school.
What do you do to foster relationships with those people you work with? How do you create a feeling of safety and trust?
As always, comments are welcome....and enjoy the video.