Posted on by hildaweisburg

How to Give Effective Feedback

We give feedback almost constantly in our lives and receive it as well. From complimenting someone on their service to getting honked when we’re driving. At school, we are likely most aware of offering it when we are interacting with students, but we also do it with teachers and administrators as well as our family and friends. What words we choose affects how our feedback is taken in – and whether or not it’s accepted.

In his Edutopia article, “Guiding Students to Receive Feedback as Information to Improve Their Skills,” Michael McDowell describes the two opposing ways the recipient internalizes feedback. He says they either take it “as information to improve their skills, or as a judgment about who they are.” We know what we want them to do with our feedback, but how can we ensure that they take it in a way they can use it?

McDowell presents these three concepts to be mindful of when  giving feedback – and some of these work for everyone, not just students:

  • Describe the Work, Not the Student –  McDowell explains when we say “you,” we have made it personal, a judgement of the person’s worth. When we focus on the work, we have made it  correctable. One example given is to replace “You didn’t explain your reasoning” with “The reasoning is incomplete. The link between evidence and claim is missing.”  The first seems so natural to say and yet it can affect students’ self-worth. Working to discover how often “you” is applied when interacting with others will help make us more aware of that habit. Notice it in those giving you feedback. How do you react to it?
  • Ensure That Every Student Gets Feedback – When you are working with 20+ students, that seems like an impossible task.  McDowell makes is easier by recommending you offer “Blind feedback with success criteria.”  Have students do just an introductory task. When they complete that, then they are given the success criteria and self-assess to see how they did. This is a very productive use of their time and yours. They are not waiting for you to call on them next. You can circulate among them to make specific comments. They already know how they did because they measured their work against the success  criteria. Another strategy is using the “dot protocol.” To do this, McDowell recommends you “[P]lace a small dot on a specific part of a student’s work. The dot isn’t labeled as “good” or “bad.” It simply signals a place to look.” This gives feedback while having students self-assess against the success criteria.
  • Encourage Students to Use Work-Centered Protocols – Consider putting students in groups with members in charge of giving feedback to each other. Left to their own devices, they are not likely to give meaningful feedback, so McDowell prescribes giving them protocols to follow. One method he recommends is to give simpler protocols like sentence stems (“The solution is clear because…” or “One part that could improve is…” When students use this method, they are automatically describing the work rather than the student (back to the first recommendation). An additional benefit of this approach is that it trains students in how to give feedback.

While McDowell’s approach is directed to students, it is a good idea to be mindful of how the feedback you give others as part of your daily interactions should never feel like personal criticism. (And this is not a criticism of what you have done in the past.) Watch for body language as well as verbal responses to tell you how the feedback you’ve offered is being received.

Posted on by hildaweisburg

Keep It Short

(Fauzi Muda/Getty Images)

Are you deluged with too many emails and social media posts? I am. How about new initiatives from the administration? Requests from teachers? It’s a lot and wading through all of it saps your concentration. You probably need to go over it several times.  And who has time for everything?

If you dislike receiving all those long messages, you can be sure recipients of your communications feel the same way. In his blog post, “I’ll be brief: the power of just a few words”, Larry Robertson reminds us that it’s not the number of words that matter. It’s the power they contain.  And frequently, shorter is better.

Google’s 12-word road map – You can get a lot done with very few words. When they raised money to found Google Larry Page and Sergey Brin used twelve words to get people on board: “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” That’s a Vision Statement. Robertson points to its clarity and brevity. Brevity doesn’t work without clarity.  Choose your words carefully whether you are crafting a Vision or sending an email to your principal. Prepare your opening statements to students when introducing a learning opportunity. Too many words and you lose them. Think about what will most capture their interest?

Look for words that provide clarity and direction – You probably don’t need to give as much detail as you think The usual step-by-step directions often locks students into a pre-conceived approach. Allowing for their creativity while aiming for a goal will get them engaged. In your dealings with the principal, if you highlight what you want to achieve and why, you are telling them you are not locked into one approach. Rather, you are open to a discussion of how best to achieve the results and why it’s important.

Words as guides for success – There are so many synonyms for powerful words, but they don’t mean exactly the same thing. They each convey a slightly different sense and will draw different reactions. I regularly rewrite sentences and my editor take the rewrites further. For example, before settling on “regularly,” I considered “often,” “usually,” and “frequently.” (How did I do?) Robertson says, “The right words can offer guidance to success, for the leader, to be sure, but also for her team, its external partners and even for their marketplace.” He is talking to the business world, but  it’s equally applicable to our interactions with students, teachers, administrators, and the outside communities.

And to show I am following his advice, I am keeping this blog short.  Our time is a precious commodity. We all need to spend it wisely.

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Silence is Golden

Librarians have been fighting the stereotype of the “shushing librarian” for years, but silence can be a powerful tool. As one who was called a “chatterbox” as a child and still talks a lot, this is still one I’m learning to use better and more often. Is it one you could use to better incorporate it into your leadership toolbox.

In his blog article, “The Power of Silence: How to Use Pauses Effectively When You Speak,” Gary Genard focuses on public speaking, however it’s more than that. You also want to remember this when leading students through a learning opportunity, when you have a meeting with the principal, or work with teachers as you collaboratively or corporately plan a research project.

When you are involved in any of those activities, you might discover you have a lot to say, but Genard cautions, “you need to provide audiences with an occasional oasis, i.e., a place of refreshment and recuperation. Without these stopping places, your narrative may begin to feel like a long trek across a featureless desert.” As a result, your audience stops listening in part because they don’t feel they have a part to play in the conversation. Genard offers these four reasons to employ the “power of the pause.”

  1. To separate the main segments. – Whatever you are trying to impart has sections that build on each other. Body language is always an important communicator. When you pause, you are saying, “I have completed the first part of what I want you to know. Here comes the next part.” You also invite comments on what you’ve said already.
  2. To let something sink in. – What you are saying is familiar to you, but new to your audience. They need time to absorb and consider it. Even if it’s something they have heard before, you want to be certain they understand how it fits in with what you will say next. This is true whether you are working with a students, teachers, or speaking to the principal. It gives them time to raise questions and make points of their own which lets you know if you’re being understood.
  3. As transitions. – Genard says, “while we know how the elements of our presentations fit together, the audience doesn’t.” In addition to giving your audience time to process what you just said, the pause is a reassurance that you will connect it to your purpose –and theirs.
  4. To help listeners stay tuned. – You don’t want to lose your audience. Every school librarian knows how quickly students can become disengaged. When you take too long, their attention wanders. Pauses bring them back to where you are leading them. You certainly don’t want the principal’s mind to think about non-library issues, nor do you want teachers to feel you aren’t listening to them. A moment of silence actually pulls them into the moment with you.

In his conclusion, Gerard adds Two More Ways Pauses Help You In a Speech – First, the pause turns your “speech” into a conversation. As noted, when talking to teachers and the principal, the pause shows them you seriously consider what they bring to the subject and discussion.  Second, the pause slows you down so you aren’t rushing through what you are saying. It shows your confidence in what you are communicating and makes them open to trusting you.

As a result of your pauses, Gerard says, “Your audience will gain sustenance not only from your content, but from your credibility, confidence, and as the icing on the cake, your leadership.” The word “leadership” is at the heart of this. In all our interactions, we need to be seen as strong leaders.  Our silence can speak to it.

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Six Steps to Improve Your Active Listening

Can you hear me now? A familiar question when one is presenting and you’re worried if there’s a problem with the equipment. But the question is even more important when we are communicating with others. Active listening builds trust, and, as you know, trust is the foundation of relationships which we need with students, teachers, administrators and more.

Communication consists of three parts: the sender, the message, and the receiver. Once the message reaches the receiver, the process is reversed. The receiver becomes the sender, a new message is sent, and the former sender is now the receiver. When this works perfectly, the parties involved get and give the necessary information. However, all too often, there is static on the line affecting one or more of the three parts. By learning to be an active listener you eliminate or at least minimize this static.

In his blog article Why Active Listening May Be the Most Underrated Leadership Skill, John Mattoneprovides six steps to ensure you are really listening. Here are his recommendations, along with my comments on how it plays out in our library world:

  1. Listening Fully – This seems obvious, but Mattone explains this means, “giving your complete attention, reducing personal bias, and processing what the speaker intends to communicate.” You probably are seeing the problem already. In your overly busy day, you have multiple demands coming at you almost simultaneously. Also consider Mattone’s reference to reducing personal bias. Is the student always a pest, nitpicking details to delay getting to work? Is the teacher one who invariably rejects all your help? (Maybe that’s because you aren’t listening fully?) No matter the sender or the method, it is vital that you fully listen to the message you are being given. While it is most apparent in your verbal communication, your emails and texts also need your attention.
  2. Observing Nonverbal Cues – We communicate on the subconscious level in our nonverbal cues. Our body language conveys an enormous amount of information. Starting with our lips, eyes, and brows, moving down to our shoulders, and our posture in general, we are sending information. In your next conversation, notice the ones you are being sent. Does the sender seem nervous or self-assured? When you’re having a meeting with your principal, do they seem engaged, rushed, or concerned? By noticing these cues, you can give better responses. Need practice? The next time you’re in the supermarket or other public places observe the people you pass and see if you can determine what messages they are sending.
  3. Staying Present and Attentive – Mattone says, “Leaders must quiet internal noise, avoid mental drift, and stay centered so the person speaking feels valued.” While the student or teacher is talking, is your mind wandering? We have so much to do, we often are multi-tasking even in the middle of a conversation. Stay present as much as possible. Keep this in mind when during casual interactions. Watch and listen when you sign in or out. Observe and interact with students as they come in for a class. You can anticipate how a student or the class will respond to the learning experience and make adjustments when needed.
  4. Summarizing Key Points – When you do this after the other person finishes speaking, you demonstrate you have been listening. It is also an opportunity to identify what you might have misunderstood. As Mattone points out, “When leaders reflect back what they heard, they confirm accuracy and demonstrate respect for the speaker.” The summary allows both the receiver and you a chance to expand or focus on the essentials of the communication. (For those comfortable with AI – Gmail and other email services frequently include summary points of what was included in the exchange. It’s a helpful addition.)
  5. Asking Open-Ended Questions – Open-ended questions stimulate deeper thought into the desired outcomes along with the possibility of revising some of what a teacher wants or helping a student see what they need to do to pursue their investigation. In a conversation with your principal, it alerts you to their goals giving you the ability to tie your plan to their needs. Mattone says these questions, “uncover insights that support better coaching and developmental outcomes.”
  6. Maintaining Eye Contact – While only possible during face-to-face communication, this is a core component of Active Listening. It shows you are solely focused on the speaker. In Matton’s words, “It signals attentiveness, interest, and credibility.” He continues, “When leaders maintain appropriate eye contact, they communicate respect and commitment, reinforcing trust in the relationship and helping the other person feel fully heard.”

Active Listening isn’t an easy skill to master, but it is one you need in your leadership toolkit. You won’t always do it, but the more you are aware of it, the better you’ll get. Do you hear me?

Posted on by hildaweisburg

SOAR When Speaking to Your Principal

You need to have a relationship with your principal in order for your library to thrive. So how is that relationship going? Do you have a strong, positive one where your principal supports everything you do? Or do you have one who claims to believe in libraries but is not fully aware of how they have changed. Maybe your principal feel you are not very valuable and a drag on the school budget. If you and your principal share common values about what the school library is and needs to be, you don’t have a problem. But if your relationship falls into the second or third category, how do you change it to be more like the first one?

In their article Dealing With a Difficult Boss for Psychology Today, Wes Adams and Tamara Myles write about the importance of “managing up,” ways to deal with managers who are challenging and/or unproductive. Many of us have experienced difficulties in getting through to principals who hold to preconceived ideas and attitudes about libraries. Adams and Myles recommend a SOAR approach to open communication. This may help to build that important relationship. Here’s their explanation of putting SOAR to work along with my usual tweaks to align it more in our education world:

S-Shared Goals – Start by drawing on what you have in common. Students are at the core of what you both care about and support. But there are other common areas you might address, such as keeping parents included in their child’s education or supporting the mandates of the Superintendent of Schools who is concerned about test results.

O-Opportunities – Point to what can be used to reach those common goals. You both want the school budget to pass. Look for ways to show the value the library brings. Your library can be a perfect location to welcome the business community. They can be invited to share the skills of their trade with students in a related class, such as a business class or a course on future careers. They might also be willing to sponsor an author visit which in turn would bring the local newspaper to cover it, giving the business publicity and the school some vital community visibilily.

A-Alignment – Turn these opportunities into a true conversation by drawing you principal into the discussion. What do they like about what you have presented? What questions do they have? Do they have recommendations for improvement or modifications? Don’t become argumentative with any of their proposals. This is a time to see how to incorporate their suggestions, deepening your professional relationship.

R-Results – Share your goal for the outcome of whatever you have proposed. Let the principal know you will be keeping them posted on how things are going. Make sure they know both the progress and final results. You can do it in meetings or via email. Be open to their responses. If you don’t hear from them after emailing them, schedule a brief meeting.

Adams and Myles further recommend that “when the project is complete, remember to tie the results back to those same priorities and goals to build credibility and gain influence. Doing so consistently reminds your [principal]that you are delivering, which earns trust.” And as I keep saying, trust is the foundation of relationships.

Your relationship with your principal is vital to your long-term success, maybe even your job security. The more your principal sees you as making them look good, the faster and more willing they will approve your next proposal. You will be seen as a valuable leader and the library will thrive.

Posted on by hildaweisburg

Your Inner Voice Is Speaking Out Loud

Do you talk to yourself? Probably. Most people do whether we realize it or not. While these silent talks are about a lot of things, much of our inner conversations are about ourselves. So, here’s the important question: Do you speak kindly or harshly?

The truth is we are far more insulting of ourselves than we ever would be with anyone else. This would be bad enough if our internal diatribe remained silent, but we are unknowingly broadcasting these thoughts in our interactions with others. And the messages we are sending out keep us from reaching our full potential as leaders.

Suzy Burke, Ryan Berman, and Rhett Power deal with this common syndrome in their article, 5 Proven Self-Talk Strategies to Strengthen Leadership. In their opening, the authors state: “Leading others starts with self-leadership.” It always starts with you. You are the face of the library. Others take in the messages you send and, from there, they decide if you are sure of your goals and know how to get there. Yu are telling them, intentionally or not, whether they should trust you.  And trust is the foundation of relationship, which in turn leads to the cooperation/collaboration and advocacy you need.

Here are their five strategies along with my tweaks which makes their business focus more appropriate for us:

  1. Self-talk is the hidden saboteur of leadership. In the authors terms, we are involved in worry-wars on many levels and almost constantly. The current Worry War is, for most of us, the societal/political one which has turned the librarians and libraries into prime targets. Additional wars involve budget and staff cuts along with personal ones including financial stresses, family relationships, responsibilities, and whatever else is going on in your life. When any one of these areas show up, your self-critic starts talking and the negative talk adds to the worry.
  2. Every leader has a monster. Many of us, me included, see how talented, skilled, and resourceful other librarians are. We compare and see ourselves as falling short of them. But that comparison is a monster lying in wait. The authors say, “That voice doesn’t just shape your day, it shapes everything.” It shows up in how you hear, what you believe of yourself and how you respond. You do not want to leave this “monster” in charge of your work.
  3. Your mindset isn’t fixed. As lifelong learners, we understand this. Many of us have successfully changed a negative mindset into a positive one. The authors acknowledge that since you will never keep the negative mindset away forever, they offer a three step approach to make the need shift: Catch – Identify when a monster is taking over. Your anxiety is one way to recognize its presence; Confront – Challenge you mindset with facts. For me, it’s when the word “never” is in my thoughts:, Change – Now reframe the thought with a more positive, truthful one.
  4. There is more than one type of monster. – Just what you needed to hear.  According to the authors we must deal with these five monsters:
    • Catastrophizer -This is going to be a disaster.
    • Always Righter – This needs to be perfect, and I’m never going to get it right.
    • Mind Reader –  I know how you are going to react to this situation.
    • Over-generalizer  – This didn’t work, and it’s all downhill from there.
    • Should-er – I should have known better. And now of course, it’s too late.

      The more practice we have spotting each of these monsters within ourselves, the better we get at not letting them be the ones to lead.
  5. Self-talk can be your leadership plutonium. – When you know how to reverse (or lower the decibel level) of negative self-talk, you power up your leadership. While we are talking to ourselves, our bodies are sending out the message of our thoughts. Our face, arms, and tone of voice combine to tell the world what we are thinking—and what monster is in charge. This is why that earlier quote, “Leading others starts with self-leadership” is so important to remember.

Leaders keep growing and learning new skills. Have you seen yourself here? If so, this can be an important lesson for you to incorporate into your leadership. Your interactions students, teachers, administrators, and others you interact with will be more productive as a result. And you might just find yourself feeling better overall!

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Lead Like a Politician

Did the title make you pause? Did you want to reject it? These days, most people have a negative view of politicians, but like them or not, they do lead. And they are able to get people to vote for them.

As school librarians we need to get out the “vote” for us. Whether it’s our students, teachers, administrators, or parents, we need their support and recognition of our value to them. In Jed Brewer’s article, “You Are a Politician: Four Lessons From Local Politics That Make for Better Organizational Leaders,” his lessons for business leaders apply equally well to our ability to be leaders in our educational setting. Here are the four for you with my tweaks.

  1. It’s About the Problem — Always – To be heard, you need to speak to the listener’s wants and needs. With students it’s usually about the grade or the inability to see the value in what they are doing. Hopefully, you are creating engaging lessons, giving learners agency in working on the assignment or project. Teachers want students to learn and do well on high stakes tests. Focus on what you can bring that will advance their goals when you suggest they do a cooperative or collaborative project with you. Your principal worries about the superintendent and the Board of Education and especially the budget. Keep them informed about student successes, sending them things they can use in their reports, such as pictures/videos of student creations tying them to state standards. Parents are always concerned about their children and how they are doing. Make sure they know how your LibGuide and website keep them informed and allow opportunities for them to access you. In dealing with all these different wants and needs, Brewer recommends you find opportunities to connect with each group to be sure you know what they see as their problems and concerns.
  2. Nothing Beats the Personal Touch — Ever – Getting to know students individually is a challenge for us, but it is important to keep working at it. Offering coffee and snacks for teachers is a tried and true way to bring them in and get an opportunity to talk one-on-one. While sending regular reports to principals is necessary, also invite them in when kids are working on projects so they can see the work in action. Also, make sure to have some face-to-face time with your principal. Ask them for their opinion on where they want to see the library go. Be prepared to respond positively but provide data where necessary to correct any negative ideas.
  3. No One Succeeds Alone — Really – Draw on your PLN, your Professional Learning Network. Between the national and state library associations as well as the social network and people you follow, you have ample “partners” in creative ways to address your own wants and needs. Build your own support team so that when things become challenging, you have resources and places to go.
  4. Compromise Is Success — Truly – Important goals aren’t achieved quickly. Trust and relationships need time to build. Even if you have done all the proper preparation, you won’t likely get a complete acceptance of anything you propose. That’s where negation comes in. If you get a partial buy-in, it means they see things they like in what you are saying. Modify, tweak, or do whatever is appropriate for achieving your goal, and then come back. I had a superintendent who once told me her first answer was always, “No.” If someone came back, she could be sure they were serious. Keep looking for new avenues – break a project down into a several year plan, show short and long term benefits, offer ideas for modifications.

Brewer concludes by telling business people they are politicians. This is true for you, too. You have to meet the needs and wants of diverse groups. By using the skills of a politician, you and the library will grow and thrive.

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Quality Answers Require Quality Questions

Rhetorical questions are those with such obvious answers no one needs to respond. Simple questions get one word or even one syllable answers. If we want useful, useable answers, we need to ask better questions. Even if we fear a negative response. We cannot build the collaborative relationships we want or improve what we’re doing if we don’t ask questions that give us quality answers. Even if we don’t always like those answers.

Asking quality questions gives us information. “What would you want to do differently next time?” rather than “What did you think?”. If you’re in the midst of a project with students, ask “What was the hardest part of this so far?” In building a connection with your principal, ask, “What would you like to see changed about the library?” Here, you may want to get a little more specific based on your purpose is for this discussion.

In his article, Asking the right questions, Paul Thornton offers eight tips on how to ask questions that get quality answers. As he is addressing the business world, I will add my comments to show how to use the tips in our education world.

  1. Be clear about your purpose – Everyone, even students, are pressed for time and often under stress. Get to the point quickly. See the sample questions given above for suggestions on doing this.
  2. Prepare in advance – This is not the time for improvisation. Once you know the purpose you can decide what questions you plan to ask. In what order? Have them written down. Limit the number to no more than three and memorize them.
  3. Ask one question at a time – Whomever you are talking to needs time hear what you said and form an answer. And you need to be listening to each response. Your focus is on the information you are receiving, not rushing to ask your next question. Thornton reminds you not to ask rhetorical questions. You won’t get usable answers.
  4. Challenge assumptions – Whether you want students to think more critically, extend collaboration with a teacher, or enlighten a principal about how libraries have and need to change, we all carry a level of bias on what we think we know about the subject. Be clear about what you’re asking and don’t assume the basis/background of the answers you are being given.
  5. Connect ideas – Thornton says when asked properly and clearly, your questions will get your listener to gain new insights into whatever you are presenting. It will give them an opportunity. When it’s possible, connect the purpose of your questions (see the first item on the list) to your Mission Statement.
  6. Be comfortable with silence – If you want quality answers you need to allow people time to think. This goes back to Number Three. As you wait for the response, use the time to read body language to see where they are in the process. Giving people space and time to answer tells them you value their response.
  7. Encourage broad participation – With students, a pair/share exercise or having a group post their response on a whiteboard will allow you to see where the class is. With teachers, you might have them share several student projects in the library. A wider net gives you more answers and more information.
  8. Capture notes promptly – You want to have a record of what you were asking about and what the response was. Depending on whom you are talking to, it could be analog, digital, photo, or even a recording. In our fast-paced world, you could lose some information as you turn to the next thing. Give these answers the weight and time they deserve.

Improving the quality of your questions will help propel you forward in increasing the library’s value in the minds and behaviors of the populations you serve. What you learn in the process will be invaluable and further your growth as a leader.

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Tips for Managing the Library Classroom

As every school librarian knows, managing the library classroom is not the same as managing a typical classroom. Not only do students not come to the library on a daily or even a weekly basis, in some cases, but you have to add in the fact that the kids don’t see you as their real teacher. You can see where it becomes challenging. Plus, you have the ongoing possibility of drop-ins.

What is needed is a Classroom Management plan that encompasses all that happens in the library, ties into your Mission and Vision, and is cognizant of unforeseen circumstances cropping up. You need to keep yourself centered to manage it and make it a vital part of the school community. A tall order.

In Confident Classroom Management. A. Keith Young offers four tips for the traditional classroom. I have adapted to make them work for you.

  1. Let Each Day Start Fresh – Focus on today. Yesterday is over. Take time to review why something went off track yesterday or why it worked. Next, come up with a strategy to keep it from happening again or find a way to repeat it. Once you have your positive mindset in place—especially important after a tough day—move forward. Greet students with a smile and welcoming comments, even the ones who caused a conflict of some type on their last visit. Reset the tone for today.
  2. Maintain Relationships Separate from Behavior – This is not easy. We have a tendency to be wary when a frequent troublemaker comes in. A focused positive comment is vital here. Choose an article of clothing, hairstyle or some other personal connection for your comment. It will signal to the student that you are not holding onto what happened last time. Talk to the person, not the action.
  3. Redirect with Calm, Neutral Phrases – When a student acts up, rather than telling them to stop, ask a question related to the topic at hand without indicating the student is off track and not behaving appropriately. Offer an approving comment when they respond positively. If the student continues to be disruptive you can hand them paper and pencil and suggest they write what is upsetting them. Or you can ask if they need time away from the group. Each of these give the student agency to resettle themselves and allows you to remain focused.
  4. Conduct Social Audits for Better Interactions – While much easier to do in a typical classroom, you can incorporate it into your strategy, particularly with students who repeatedly have problems in the library. Young suggests you “guide students through reviewing a situation that occurred, identifying missteps, and outlining future actions—(then) offers clear and precise empathetic direction.” You will likely not have time to do this while the class is in session. Instead, have step-by-step directions for them doing it. Tell them to ask you for help if they have difficulties answering the questions. Also, consult with the class teacher and the guidance counselor for advice on dealing with this student. Working together my have a much bigger impact

Incorporate these four steps into your personal lesson plans, different from what you might submit to your principal. The more frequently you put it this management into effect, the more natural it will become to you. As a leader and school librarian in difficult times, it’s more important than ever for your library not to become a problem for the administration or add to the challenges of teachers. Instead, demonstrate every day how the library contributes to the success of students and teachers.

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Start at the End to Gain Support

TLDR. Have you come across this acronym? It stands for “too long; didn’t read.” It’s a warning given by the author, frequently followed by a summary, if they are concerned people might skip what was written. We are flooded with information without enough time to take it all in. You must have heard someone say, “Get to the point already?” Or said it yourself on occasion.

So what’s the solution?

Share your point – your end – at the beginning. When you make your point early, people know where you are heading and have a reason to focus quickly. We tend to build our argument to show why approving it is important and make the “ask” at the end. John Millen in his blog The Biggest Presentation Mistake Smart People Make explains why this approach rarely works and how to reverse the sequence of your requests.

These are his four steps with my usual connections to our school world:

  • Flip It: Start with the bottom line – Millen observes if you start at the end, even if people don’t have time to read the full message, they know what your point is. Think about wanting your principal to approve a project. You tend to build toward that idea, showing how well thought out your proposal is. Your principal is pressed for time. If you start at the end, letting them know what you want to accomplish, they are going to be listening for your arguments even if their first reaction is to reject it.
  • Executives think inductively – This is true for all decision makers. They are as much under stress as the rest of us, maybe more. But putting your ask first, your focus becomes: What I am proposing; three reasons why and how I will do it, and, finally, what questions do you have about it? Simple and fast. I have always recommended you keep meetings with your principal brief. This is how to do it.
  • Data builds credibility. Clarity builds influence. – We are so accustomed to “showing the data” we forget it needs to be put in an understandable context. Give the context – the result – first. Then share keep the data short and clear, using language that is understood by the listener. Millen recommends the order of information should be:
    • What’s the problem?
    • What’s your recommendation?
    • Why should they care?
  • A simple shift, a big payoff – Move more a deductive approach to giving information to an inductive approach. For example, instead of talking to you principal about genrefication like this: “I have been reading about the success many libraries have had by genrefying their fiction collection.” Use an inductive approach starts with showing a benefit to students and say, “I want to arrange the fiction collection by genres, allowing students to find books by subjects and focus rather than solely by author to help them get what they need quicker.” The difference is striking.

Millen concludes by reminding us to give listeners “the point, not the process.” Most recommendations and ideas are turned down because our audience got lost in all the information we offered, and they lost a connection to the outcome.

Don’t forget to try this with students, so they know from the beginning how your instruction will help them, and with teachers, so they immediately see the benefit of a collaboration. Even with presentations, if you give your audience the end results, they will remain more engaged in your topic to see how to get there. Start with the end in mind and you will lead your audience to the goal you’ve set.