Listening Meetings
Most of the meetings scheduled by principals with others is for the purpose of transmitting information or news, asking questions, or reviewing lessons and students. However, one of the essential types of meetings that successful principals have are one on one Listening Meetings.
In a Listening Meeting, the primary goal is to truly lean in and deeply listen to the ideas, critique, and anything that the employee has to say. It is how a leader demonstrates their care and appreciation for the employee, and their ability to set the school on a path of continuous growth and improvement.
In a Listening Meeting, the principal’s body language and actions show true interest and commitment to understanding the employee. Your phone and laptop are away, you are taking notes, your eyes and face are paying true and deep attention. You ask questions to clarify and deepen understanding, and you paraphrase to ensure the employee is being understood. It does not mean you must agree to do whatever the employee says or to admit any criticism, but it does show you are open to hearing ideas, concerns, and varying viewpoints. By having Listening Meetings with each teacher and employee a few times a year, the principal gets a good read on the pulse of the school as a whole, and on the viewpoints of the faculty. One also gets a glimpse into what may be occurring in the employee’s personal life that can be contributing to or detracting from his/her work, and to see in what areas you may be helpful in offering support or helping the employee attain personal goals.
Be sure to inform the employee what your intent of the meeting is and some things you would like him to think about in preparation for the meeting. The key is to be curious, pay true deep attention, and follow up with some open- ended questions. Some ideas may include:
What is working well for you? What is not?
What ideas do you have to make things better?
What may help you perform even better?
What do you wish for, professionally?
Are there areas in which you feel you can contribute more to the school?
How can I be of help to you?
Before concluding the Listening Meeting, ask if there may be anything else he/she may want to share or clarify. Then, be most appreciative for the employee’s time and candor in sharing, and say how helpful the information is to you for future planning decision making. If you decide to use the information to make a change or actualize an idea, be sure to give full credit to the employee.
Rather than making the school leader appear weak or requiring help, Listening Meetings actually enhance the leadership role in the eyes of employees and provides helpful information. It is a sign of healthy leadership when your staff shows the trust to share openly and be an active participant. On the other hand, should the principal find the employees not showing up (forgetting), having little or nothing to share, or never offering ideas or critique, then the valuable “take-away” for you is there may be a lack of trust and openness which can be impeding both your growth, the growth of your staff, and the overall enhancement of your school. This should indicate to the principal to embark on some serious introspection and reflection, getting the insight of some of your confidantes to build greater degrees of teamwork and leadership.
