Communication: Building Confidence from the Building Level

USD 261 Leadership AcademyUSD 261 Leadership Academy

10 October 2006

““It’s virtually impossible to It’s virtually impossible to communicate too much. I’ve communicate too much. I’ve

never heard a single employee never heard a single employee anywhere complain that he or anywhere complain that he or

she is being kept too informed.”she is being kept too informed.”——Jim BroadheadJim Broadhead

Common Communication Problems

1. If I know it, then everyone must know it.2. We hate bureaucracy -- we're "lean and mean." 3. I told everyone, or some people, or ...?4. Did you hear what I meant for you to hear? 5. Our problems are too big to have to listen to

each other!6. So what's to talk about?7. There's data and there's information.8. If I need your opinion, I'll tell it to you.

McNamara, Carter. 1999. Basics in internal organizational communications. Authenticity Consulting [cited 12 July 2003]. Available from http://www.managementhelp.org/mrktng/org_cmm.htm.

General: Aides• Books

– Tomlinson, Gerald, ed. 2003. The School Administrator's Complete Letter Book with CD-ROM. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

– Krisco, Kim H. 1997. Leadership and the art of conversation: Conversation as a management tool. Rocklin, CA: Prima Pub.

• Colleagues– More eyes = better communication

• Dictionary– Printed– Electronic

General: Verbal Type

• Written– Electronic

• Check tenor by reading it out loud before hitting SEND

• Don’t e-mail what you don’t want someone else to read

– Server Errors

– User Errors

General: Verbal Type

– Print• Formal

• Use when in doubt

• The Andre Rule: Image is Everything– Check Spelling

– White Space

– Clean Copy

– What do you expect from an educational institution?

General: Verbal Type

• Oral– Note date, time, location

– Specificity of note depends upon content/situation

– Consistency of note

Internal Constituents

• Faculty/Staff– Write the good/Say the bad– Documentation– Professionalism– Abide by the NA

Internal Constituents

““Even the smallest and seemingly Even the smallest and seemingly insignificant message, if it is withheld, insignificant message, if it is withheld,

will have a negative impact on your will have a negative impact on your relationships and your ability to create relationships and your ability to create

and maintain future-driven action.”and maintain future-driven action.”——Kim KriscoKim Krisco

Internal Constituents

• District Administration– Heads Up– Just in Case

• Board of Education– Less is More– “It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what

others say in a whole book.”—Friedrich Nietzsche

External Constituents

• Students & Parents– Consideration of Reading Level– Accuracy of Information– Confidentiality– Consistency– Mostly Informational

Summary

• Be as brief as possible while including as much as is necessary

• Be clear about your purpose

• Be consistent with your message

• Maintain confidentiality