Breaking Down Walls

I was participating in a twitter chat this week.

Sidebar: If you haven't participated in a chat before, I highly recommend it! It's a great way to engage professionally as well as grow your network. I have gotten inspiration and ideas from others as well as felt empowered through the encouragement of my own ideas. Twitter is full of top notch educators!

Back to the chat - the question posed was 'how does poor communication affect the culture of the school.' Sometimes I get so caught up in the fast pace of a twitter chat that I just start typing as I would if I were texting a friend. But, this time, I paused. I paused because communication is powerful. It has the ability to tear down walls. Unfortunately, it also has the potential to build them.

I remember working with a particularly difficult student a few years ago. He wasn't trying to be difficult, he just didn't share my enthusiasm for math, or apparently the four other classes he was also failing. He was incredibly unmotivated and most of the time noncompliant. Over the first few months of the school year we had built a positive rapport, as he was never disrespectful, but we still were not clicking the way I had hoped. I was missing something. One day, during my off period, I found him skipping class. He turned around quickly, probably considered running, but just stood there and said, "I guess we are going to the office." I had a choice to make. I could use this opportunity as leverage to tear down a wall or scold him and add some more bricks to the wall that was already between us. We took a walk and talked. We talked about school, his family and friends, his future, and his goals. That conversation changed his year around. We had more than a rapport, we had a relationship built on trust and communication. Of course, he still had his off days. But, from then on he always did his work and, by the end of the year, even passed his state test. The last day of school he told me thank you. I asked him what for. He said, for caring. He continued to say, I come to school because I have to, I want to come to school to make you proud. And it all started with a conversation.

Communication is powerful. What you say. What you don't say. Your crossed arms. Your smile. The 'heads up' email. A late response, or none at all. Your presence in the hallway. Your closed office door. Responding to feedback. Ignoring a request. Blaming others. Taking ownership. Everything sends a message. And as a leader, that message gets even louder. You're either tearing down a wall or you are building one.

Due to bowl season, I have watched a lot of football games the last couple of weeks. You can't win a football game with poor communication, or at least it makes it more difficult. The football coach doesn't keep the next play a secret. He tells the quarterback who tells the rest of the players. Then they run the play and, based on the outcome, the coach calls the next play. The head coach confers with the coordinators. The coordinators huddle up with the linemen between drives. The players consult with each other, congratulating good plays and providing encouragement after a bad one. There is constant communication, both on and off the field. When that breaks down, it results in a delay of game, an offsides, a loss of yards, an interception, a sack, a turnover. But, regardless of the outcome, the team always gets back together, evaluates the situation, and calls another play.

So how did I respond to the chat? Poor communication builds walls rather than breaks them down. It shows tremendous respect and commitment to those you serve to have open communication. We are all on the same team. We all have the same goal. Call the play. Break down some walls.