As a kid, I loved playing wiffle ball in the back park of my apartment building. Growing up in New York City, we didn't have our own sandlot- or even a patch of grass to call our own. The term "park" was a loose description of the fenced blacktop that existed between the apartment building and the local elementary school. A group of kids that lived in the building would get together and play almost every spring afternoon. We would use a rock to draw a strike zone on the brick wall behind home plate. We would use plastic bottles or discarded pizza boxes as bases. For an afternoon, we were big leaguers- and we loved it!
I, also, vividly remember, as a pitcher, how easy it was to make the wiffle ball dance and move and spin in unpredictable ways. Batters wouldn't stand a chance of making contact. Trying to hit a moving target, especially one that moves unpredictably, is next to impossible.
As an administrator in schools, communication can be like a wiffle ball. Finding the balance between providing enough information to constituents and inundating those same parties with too much information is a daunting challenge. It is one of the constant challenges in leading a classroom, grade level, department, division, and a school.
Over the years, I have investigated this challenge with friends and colleagues hundreds, if not thousands, of times. It is interesting to share perspectives and understand the philosophies behind how schools communicate with faculty and staff, students, parents, and perspective new members of the community. How can schools avoid swinging and missing, like an 8 year old attacking a wiffle ball to no avail?
What is the philosophy that guides communication?
This question must have an answer. Just as critical to having a philosophy is ensuring that al school constituents know and comprehend this philosophy. The reality is that a failure in either one of these areas will lead to significant consternation in other facets of school operation.
In my experience, I have used a simple guiding principal when it comes to communication- no surprises! If a constituent is surprised, whether it is by a decision that is made, an action being taken, or a final outcome, then trust will be lost. Create systems that allow for simple and robust communication.
In my classroom, I had guiding procedures about reaching out to parents that I communicated early in the school year and adhered to throughout the school year. This involved standards of student performance and behavior, and if a student was not meeting these standards, then parents would receive direct communication from me.
As a division director, I rely on similar principles. Division wide projects mean that communication needs to occur early and regularly and that leaders with the project need to be identified and communicated so that questions can be targeted. Reaching out one-to-one, when appropriate, is one of the most effective means of direct communication.
The goal should be to ensure an institution has a clear guiding principle about how communication will be managed and this philosophy should be understood and adhered to throughout the organization.
What will be the centralized communication vehicle?
Once a school defines the communication philosophy, there must be a central vehicle for delivering messages that are critical to operations. Schools have numerous tools for exercising message delivery and the constant improvements in digital tools and software allow for messages to be delivered quickly and across multiple channels.
What is the most effective tool for central communication? Simply put, it is the tool with which one feels most comfortable. Whether using a digital newsletter, a video message, or creation of a centralized hub, the type of tool used is less critical than than ensuring that the creator of content is comfortable with the functions of the tools. Another critical piece is consistency; commit to regular intervals of message delivery and stick with these intervals.
In my class, I used video messages that were sent to parents and students weekly. As a division director, I have followed this delivery model and timing. I am comfortable creating the content and confident in delivery timing. This centralized vehicle allows me to live up to my philosophy of no surprises. It is critical that the centralized vehicle of communication aligns with the communication philosophy.
Why should a school remember Abraham Lincoln?
As a teacher, division head, or head of school, you can define a clear communication philosophy. You can clearly communicate this philosophy to your constituents. You can find a central mechanism for communication. You can create useful content. You can reliably deliver messages. You can do everything right.
The reality is- you will still not hit every target with your communication.
As Abraham Lincoln once stated:
"...you can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time."
The reality of communication is this: a message is only as effective as it is clearly and timely communicated. The variables of clarity and timeliness are not only impacted by the deliverer of the message. These variables are also impacted by the recipient. If the most clearly worded message is received five minutes too late, it is ineffective to the recipient. If the message is delivered in a timely fashion, but the recipient does not engage in understand the intent, then the message is ineffective.
One of the realities that I have come to grips with is that 100% effectiveness in not achievable in communication. I have also learned to not allow this fact to govern how I continually try to grow as a communicator and affect how I process feedback. The best schools in the communication sphere comes to grips with this reality, as well.
Check out my YouTube channel: Chaka Cummings (The Dedicated Educator). Also, find me on LinkedIn and check out some of my published articles on education.
