What gives you the right?

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.

To continue reading about the 3 reasons why leaders struggle to give good performance feedback, and more importantly how you can improve giving performance feedback, please click here.

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.