Goodbye Grocery Cart
I recently led a group of Texas school leaders through a workshop focused on “Telling Your Story” along with my friend and colleague, Dr. Bobby Moore. This was one of a three-part series along with “Leveraging Time, Talent, and Resources” and “Creating a Positive School Culture.”
When this workshop opportunity arose, I instantly went to my mental and digital inventory of resources and research that can help school leaders become effective communicators: Simon Sinek, Kotter’s Change Model, the 5 Rights of Communicating, Communications Personalities, Messaging Frameworks, Gallup Research, Blackboard Research…the list goes on. Where do I start? This very question I was asking myself is one that faces school communicators and leaders on a regular basis.
In order to deliver two-and-a-half hours of effective professional development without everyone feeling like they just took a drink of water from the fire hydrant, I needed to take myself through the very content development process I implement with my clients. What needs to take priority? What resonates with the audience? What practical resources can I share? What research matters most?
In addition to partnering closely with the organizers of this PD session, I always try to bring in a metaphor of some kind. Something visual/tangible that I can organize around. With the meme game stronger than it’s ever been, my mind instantly went to Target, as many of the stores were just about to re-open. How does one get through this nirvana of endless shelves and things I “need” without breaking the bank? Well, I try to start with a list. In addition to that list of essentials, I often make the decision to limit myself to a basket vs. a cart. This seemingly small decision allows me to focus on working through my list and allowing myself a few other items, but not more than my basket can fit. Target is always going to be there (right?!?!?!), so I can return when I have the time and financial resources and get the other items I “need.”
During the 2 1/2 hours, we worked through our list, we filled our basket, and we left some things in the store that we didn’t need that day. We can go back!
By utilizing this metaphor as I worked through content, I was able to prioritize and organize the research, case studies, and tools so that the nearly 100 school leaders that attended this storytelling session left feeling accomplished, productive, and better prepared to tell their school story. Sometimes you just need to fill the basket.
