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This article might have been inspired by the Super Bowl or it could be a gag reflex from all the articles I read in January about goal setting and New Year’s Resolutions, especially any article that mentioned SMART goals.
For most of the teams and leaders I work with the New Year began in August, so hopefully January was spent reflecting on the goals set in 2023. And if you did watch the Super Bowl, or heard about it, you will hopefully appreciate that you can bounce back from a bad first half and win the game.
Now is the time to rally your team, regroup and recommit to ending the year with a big win. To be quite honest, any collaborative work, including regular and constructive professional dialog that challenges current practice or introduces new ideas, will ensure a win for your students. BUT, I want your team to have a win so big that you will want to present on it at future conferences and interviews for leadership positions. So, how will you do this?
Below, I summarize 4 of my articles, with the intention to helping you outline a clear agenda and facilitation plan for your next meeting. The original post is linked to the section heading, and will have more detailed guidance on how to implement each recommendation.
It is essential to regroup and reflect on the team’s performance in 2023. I always remind leaders to ask their team these 3 questions:
- What is working well, that we need to continue doing?
- What do we need to be doing more of to collaborate transformatively?
- What should we immediately focus on (collaborative behaviours and work)?
By taking stock of your collective strengths and challenges encountered, educators lay the groundwork for future success. This reflective process enables teachers to identify areas for growth and adaptation, ensuring that their collaborative efforts are guided by informed decision-making.
Regrouping provides educators with the opportunity to recalibrate their approach and align their goals with the evolving needs of their students and community. It is very likely that what the needs of students, and teachers, were at the start of the school year, have changed.
Instead of prescribing specific objectives, I encourage you to pose thoughtful questions that ignite dialogue and reflection.
This approach shifts the focus from rigid targets to a shared exploration of possibilities. By engaging in meaningful inquiry, teachers empower themselves to co-create goals that align with their collective vision and values. Through open-ended questions like "What do we want to achieve?" and "How can we support each other?" educators invite diverse perspectives and foster a sense of ownership over the collaborative process.
Responsibility, accountability, and ownership are central tenets of transformative collaboration, and essentially why teams have Group Norms, or Social Contracts.
Team members must accept their role for contributing to the success of the team and take ownership for decisions made by the team. By holding themself and each other accountable, teachers create a culture of trust and mutual respect. This sense of collective responsibility fuels collaboration, as educators work together towards common goals with a shared sense of purpose.
By embracing these principles, educators empower themselves to take charge of their collaborative endeavors and drive meaningful change. In your next meeting it is definitely worth taking time to: 1) ensure a common understanding of these terms, 2) identify examples of what team members have done to demonstrate each principal, and 3) agree on norms that will specifically support the team’s goal.
Effective meeting facilitation is paramount to the success of collaborative endeavors. By employing facilitation techniques that promote active participation and inclusive decision-making, teacher leaders create an environment conducive to collaboration.
Facilitators must prioritize active listening, encourage diverse perspectives, and guide discussions towards actionable outcomes. Through thoughtful planning and skillful facilitation, team leaders and members can harness the collective intelligence of the group to engage in meaningful inquiry and drive impactful dialog. By leading productive meetings, team leaders can cultivate a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
One final reminder, one which I wrote about in December, the team leader must recognize the value of the gifts each member brings to the team. Each team member possesses unique talents, perspectives, and experiences that enrich the collective effort. By acknowledging and appreciating those gifts, you will cultivate a culture of inclusivity and mutual respect, laying the groundwork for collaborative success.
I hope that what I have shared will help you shift team member mindsets—from setting goals to asking questions, from dictating tasks to co-planning to achieve shared outcomes. By having a shared understanding of the principles of responsibility, accountability, and ownership, your team will be more mindful of it’s collaborative behavours. By demonstrating effective meeting facilitation, you will encourage team members to hold each other more accountable to the priorities of the team.
Happy Valentines day everyone 💛
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