How can you overcome staff reluctance to participate in development and evaluation?

Seek to get back to everyone's "why?" Why did you choose this career? Why do you teach at this level? What do you hope to accomplish? Reignite the passion that is often lost in all of the requirements and details. People are "quiet-quitting" their jobs; students are "quiet-quitting." We need to overcome this tendency to just do the minimum to get the job done and put heart back into career.

Often this comes down to a lack of trust and a misalignment of expectations. If you can discuss these upfront, you might be able to listen to their views, and overcome barriers/misconceptions about the process. Also not forgetting to proactively communicate that ultimately development and evaluations can contribute towards making work more meaningful and that benefits all involved.

Do they know the why? Why are you do this? Is it a tick box exercise or is there meaning behind it? Relationship is key, as the resistance will be understood quicker if they feel safe with the person delivering the message.

Lead with humility and by example. I’m not perfect and I am evaluated, like every staff member. At a staff meeting recently,, I shared my top three observations from my own 360degree evaluation. It was awkward for me, because I was being vulnerable. It may have been awkward for them too, because that’s not been done before. But, I wanted to demonstrate that we’re all working towards being our best selves.

Communication is certainly key to overcoming staff reluctance. Ensuring that clearly defined expectations is important for staff.

It is essential that teachers are involved in the process as opposed to simply hearing the final product. When teachers have a voice in their own development, it simply hits different. One can do this by assembling teams of teachers from the inception of the development idea. Allow teachers to be a part of the process, take it back to their perspective teams to gather further input, and take suggestions back to the planning team. When teachers trust in that system of collaboration, voices are heard, and their voice is reflected in the development, not only will participation increase, but so will implementation.

The best way is to involve them into process and ask their advice. This works with the teachers since they may sometimes feel they are not noticed.

Understanding staff reluctance requires more than just surveys or interviews; it demands deep listening and keen observation. By truly grasping their concerns and expectations, we can develop tailored strategies that foster trust and transform resistance into cooperative engagement. This approach is about building a bridge of understanding, paving the way for meaningful change within our team.

Allow staff to showcase their expertise. Most staff members with have educational and hands on experience and will have diverse contributions. Staff members who are allowed to provide their own contributions tend to feel a sense of commitment to making sure that implementation is a success. You might also find that they will become advocates for development.

Empowering staff begins with their active involvement in shaping development and evaluation processes. Encouraging their input on methods and tools, and incorporating their ideas, fosters a sense of ownership and accountability. By promoting peer coaching and collaborative learning, we not only harness collective wisdom but also build a supportive, empowering environment. This approach transforms passive participants into active architects of their own growth and development.

I have found it really helpful for overcoming staff reluctance is to add fun to the environment. Everything does not always have to be so structured and rigid.

As a teacher, I've always reflected on my experience as a student to be the teacher that I know my peers and I needed or wanted. I'd get them to "roleplay" being the higher-ups or those designing the exercise starting with their "dream" evaluation - encourage fun and outrageous ideas - then move in to make it serious. It loosens them up to be willing to share their real concerns, however trivial.

It is imperative that the development process be just that - actual development. Staff resistance is typically based in the fear that the evaluation is a "gotcha" and a way to identify failings versus offering opportunities for growth. Constructive feedback is necessary, but so is providing meaningful resources and tools to help staff reach their full potential.

Check the training is relevant and practical, not too theory based and difficult to put into practice. Most people want to learn, however the time needed to learn is often seen as a burden. If the training enhances the job then it becomes an essential.

Foster a climate of psychological safety. In a healthy organisation development and evaluation are something to look forward to. A significant discrepancy between the needs and the offering may be symptom of deeper issues within the company.

When possible, notice their active engagement during and after the session. For example, notice that a question they posed during the session was insightful and moved the conversation forward. Another example of an opportunity to notice is after the training, if you see them implementing something from the session, notice it and offer feedback for their effort to take on a new behavior. Noticing matters!

Continuous support and feedback are great tools for overcoming staff reluctance. Offering a range of resources and incentives, like training and coaching, can assist staff in reaching their objectives. Delivering timely, specific feedback that acknowledges strengths and areas for improvement is equally vital. This approach fosters confidence, motivation, and a stronger commitment to the development and evaluation process. No one wants to be ambushed during an evaluation with something they may have been able to work on had it come to their attention sooner.

Open door policies go a long way. Offer to sub for a teacher so they can observe a coworker. Make it a habit to drop into classrooms unofficially and leave positive feedback in a short note or email. Evaluations are far more useful if staff feel like administration is welcome in their classrooms, that they see them often enough to really know their teaching styles, and that they are supported. Feedback then feels like true help instead of some kind of discipline, and it takes most of the fear out of the evaluation process.

Always celebrate your successes, no matter how small! This will help create a culture where organizations will be open to learning from failures, as the successes will overwhelmingly appear to be greater than failure. Ultimately, helping team members develop a growth mindset will make it easier to create a supportive environment. For example, the more you celebrate the “wins”, the easier it will be to talk about the “losses” and moving on without dwelling on them. Failure will be seen more and more as an opportunity to grow on the path to success.

This has to be carefully moderated, there are instances where individuals might use this opportunity to personally critique others and this can't be done insensitively. Sessions or feedback must be objective yet beneficial and communicated diplomatically. Either way, whether is it to celebrate success or recognise failures.

Recognizing and celebrating achievements is a great way to set both leaders and staff up for success in subsequent development and future evaluation processes. Acknowledge and reward staff for substantive contributions and ongoing improvement. Share success stories and best practices to inspire others through modeling, and validating the work done by those you recognize. Additionally, encourage staff to reflect on failures as opportunities for growth and innovation. This approach fosters a positive and supportive culture of learning and improvement within your school or organization.

Encouraging peer coaching and collaborative learning builds a sense of ownership, accountability, and empowerment among educators. Together, we can drive positive change in education.

Regularly reviewing and enhancing the development and evaluation process is as important as successfully implementing it. Analyze data to gauge effectiveness and impact, identifying areas for improvement. Seek feedback from staff and stakeholders to inform decisions. This ongoing review process ensures that development and evaluation remain relevant, of high quality, and sustainable.

If you're going to solicit feedback, you'd better be prepared to implement it. Research and evaluation without ongoing program adjustments and growth breeds dissatisfaction and a lack of buy in. You can't implement everything, but you can explain what you are implementing and where other feedback is being considered and weighed against company resources, politics, and ability.

Lead by Example: Demonstrate a commitment to development and evaluation as a leader or manager. When employees see their leaders actively participating in these processes, they are more likely to follow suit. Make sure to differentiate between Leader and manger

Staff development and evaluation should never be considered as a standalone entity. If an organisation is built on a culture of trust and collaboration and the leadership leads by example, the staff will automatically get the feeling of belonging. Appropriate and regular communication stressing the importance of development and involving them in designing the development solutions will eventually build a continuous learning culture. Making the evaluation objective and transparent will lead to minimal resistance and maximum adoption. The entire process of staff development and evaluation should be reviewed and enhanced regularly for relevance and maximum impact for the benefit of the organisation

Integrate it into the classroom. Focus on making professional development practical and immediate. It shouldn't be something done on personal time and if this happens, ensure your teachers are fairly compensated for it.

Assuming that you have a strong development program that provides value, is effective, engaging, that facilitates behavior changes, then a key is to creating a learning culture which will mean that you need to get the leaders engaged. Leaders need to lead by example, participate in development programs & support their teams to do so as well. One organization that I transformed to have a strong learning culture had everyone from the top throughout the organization engaged in their development, a strong & diverse array of development programs, created a common language from some of the courses, a strong management training curriculum, & lots of learning opportunities in different forms with some fun and easy accessible. A powerful experience.

In a culture of trust, appreciation and continuous improvement there is less reluctance. In such a culture, development opportunities and evaluation is valued and embraced.