Never assume anything, as it can make an ass out of you and me.

This expression hangs over my head on a daily basis, especially when emotions begin to stir, often ignited by the actions of others.

As soon as I start to feel Angry Mike surfacing I know I only have minutes, if not seconds, to supress him. Angry Mike doesn’t want to think about why someone did something, he just wants to make sure they don’t do it again. Angry Mike, when left unchecked, will most likely explode elsewhere, typically when he feels unheard.

Has anyone on your team this year done something that made absolutely no sense to you? Perhaps a colleague was late to a meeting, unprepared or distracted by email during discussions. These moments can challenge our patience and feel like an attack on our values. Perhaps you are already being pressured by your supervisor to address a team members’ behaviour or performance. Developing effective feedback strategies can empower us to navigate these conversations with confidence and clarity.

So, what gives you the right to address any of the above or anything else for that matter?

Non-Negotiables

As Teacher Leaders, you’ve been entrusted with the responsibility to uphold specific non-negotiables. You have most likely been chosen for your role because you are really good at doing the non-negotiables.

This is your responsibility, therefore you have the right to address non-compliance with the non-negotiables. That is why you are a Teacher Leader. You haven’t been given this job only to be a mouth piece for Senor Leadership.

If your team members are unaware of what’s expected, you’ll find yourself dealing with unnecessary stress (mostly your own). If those non-negotiables aren’t transparent and haven’t discussed, then you better identify them ASAP, such as lesson and unit planning, assessment and reports. So, don’t ASSUME your team members know what is non-negotiable and to what standard they should be doing these things.

Expert Tip for Collaboration: To ensure that non-negotiables are met, it’s essential to foster an environment where feedback is not only welcomed but actively sought.

Once consensus on standards has been built, it serves as a foundation for improving teaching and learning.

Performance Improvement

Addressing performance deficiencies can be daunting. Many Teacher Leaders struggle with this for various reasons, including:

Unclear performance expectations
Unclear Roles and Responsibilities
No trust

Some specific performance deficiencies I have been helping Middle Leaders address are: 1) Adoption of a new learning management system; 2) implement a new curriculum, or 3) introduction of new pedagogical practices.

Unclear Performance Expectations

Often, staff are told what they need to do without a clear benchmark for what it looks like when done correctly. This can lead to frustration and miscommunication and is largely a problem of someone ASSUME’ing that the end result is evident and didn’t consider the different perspectives other may have about what is being asked, let alone if they have the time and resources to achieve the expected standard.

It’s vital to ensure everyone understands the expectations and what success looks like.

Expert Tip for Collaboration: Highlight the efforts of those meeting or exceeding the expectation. Tell them that You Want to See More of That. Ask them to help you work with colleagues that may be struggling or overburdened with other responsibilities and then Give Some Genuine Appreciation.

Unclear Roles and Responsibilities

Ambiguity is probably the greatest source of anxiety and friction when needing to address performance deficiencies. A teacher’s role and responsibilities are the non-negotiables. Yet, while regularly defined in an employee handbook, the language is often too broad on performance expectations and too narrow on transactional details.

Teacher Leader job descriptions, on the other hand, tend to be vague and very aspirational. At best, it outlines the non-negotiables they must hold colleagues to, at worst, the job description is the same for every middle leader in the school and has never been updated.

There are many ways to clarify a teacher leader’s role, but the most effective is building consensus with the team. I have a lot of tools to help with this, but to get the conversation going, within the context of this blog post, ask this question: Based on my role (supervisors expectations of me), what performance concerns can I directly address with you and how do you want them addressed?

Expert Tip for Collaboration: The above question will probably surface more questions than answers, which is great, as it will provide the opportunity to clarify standards, surface common performance issues and build trust.

Trust

Without question, the most taken for granted relationship attribute on any teaching team. This essential element can easily erode if we ASSUME professionalism (and our meaning of it) without fostering relationships. Building trust requires clear communication, and here’s the kicker; accountability.

Without trust, we don’t have the right to lead others. We can supervise and manage them, but we can’t lead them. And we certainly can’t ask more of them.

To build trust, you need to interpersonally relate with others. You need to constantly question your assumptions and seek to understand the assumptions of others. Teacher Leaders build trust by communicating clearly, demonstrating accountability and holding all team members equally accountable, which can be significantly enhanced through effective feedback practices designed to strengthen team dynamics.

Expert Tip for Collaboration: Always take time at the start of a meeting to team build and finish every meeting with identifying actions or questions that team members must work on together.

Looking Ahead

As we navigate these complexities, developing skills in providing and receiving feedback becomes increasingly vital. Engaging in professional development will empower you to enhance your leadership capabilities and confidence. Such experiences not only equip you with tools for better communication but support you in nourishing collaborative environments where trust can flourish.

I encourage you to explore the upcoming workshop “Effective Feedback Strategies for Middle Leaders” on November 15-16, 2024, at Xiamen International School.

Michael Iannini is an education management consultant that is recognized by the Council of International Schools as an expert in Strategic Planning, Governance, Human Resource Management, and Leadership Development. He is the author of Hidden in Plain Sight: Realizing the Full Potential of Middle Leaders. You can learn more about Michael and his work by visiting www.pdacademia.com and https://middleleader.com/articles.

What gives you the right?