One thing we know for sure – high levels of trust are necessary for high levels of performance! The research findings of Megan Tschannen-Moran clearly support this assertion. Coach leaders who have internalized this premise are intentional about employing trust-building strategies on a daily basis. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Make relationships a priority. We are in the people business and relationships are everything. Treat them as such. Susan Scott reinforces this concept in her book, Fierce Conversations when she says, “The conversation is the relationship.”
- Show personal regard. Invest time in personally knowing others . . . their hopes, fears, and dreams, what they care deeply about. It can be as simple as speaking to someone about her grandchildren, acknowledging the college from which someone has graduated, or asking about a sick child. It might also include knowing that I love chocolate, giving me a pat on the back for a job well done, asking my opinion about something important to the school, or dropping me a note of appreciation for being a masterful educator.
- Make daily deposits. Relational trust is built on a day-to-day basis. It’s the small things that make a BIG difference. Find authentic ways to make deposits into my emotional bank account every day.
- Be a committed listener. Offer full presence to others. Listen twice as much as you speak as suggested by the fact that we have two ears and one mouth. It is a gift that people are hungry for.
- Keep your promises. When you say you will do something, do it without fail. This demonstrates your trustworthiness and integrity which opens the door for even greater trust in the relationship.
- Use reflective feedback. The language we use is a signal of trust in the relationship. Choosing to offer feedback that is reflective in nature, delivers the message AND enhances the relationship. It clarifies, acknowledges the value potential, and promotes the thinking of the receiver as one considers additional possibilities and options for future action.
- Promote thinking rather than advice giving. David Rock’s book, Quiet Leadership, asserts that the best way to improve the performance of another is to improve his thinking. Asking reflective questions over telling mediates the thinking of the other person, creating new hardwiring that substitutes short-term solutions for long-term capacity building.
- Articulate expectations and standards. Be clear about what you expect with regard to performance. What are the drop dead essentials for working in your school or district? In what ways do you communicate these essentials to those who are most affected?
- Trust others. As ironic as this may seem, increasing our own trust of others, can build trust. Presume positive intent by believing that they “can do!”
- Celebrate successes. Say “thank you” on a regular basis to individuals as well as the collective group. We all “crave” recognition and want to know that we are doing something worthwhile and doing it well.
While this may sound like good common sense, we know that common sense is often not common. Putting these strategies into practice requires our constant intention, commitment, and focus. How will you intentionally build trust in your relationships with others on a daily basis? What are your top ten ways to build trust?
By Karen Anderson, PCC
Coaching For Results, Inc.
He was young to be an Assistant Principal, but had demonstrated great gifts in the classroom; thoughtful, intelligent, bursting with energy and dedication. The veteran principal new to the building understood why her predecessor would promote someone with so much potential, yet the students and staff had great needs.
She, and the school, would endure significant negative consequences without clear positive achievement. Her approach to the other member of her administrative “team” was the first critical decision in leading the troubled school to optimum well-being.
Her analysis came down to these options:
- She could insist that the Superintendent allow her to select her assistant.
- She could mentor the young administrator; tell him what he should do, when he should do it, and how long he should continue.
- She could coach the young administrator, adhering to International Coach Federation (ICF) competencies for facilitating learning and results.
She chose to coach and it made all the difference. Over time the young administrator, the members of the staff, and the students appreciated her commitment to create awareness, design actions, plan and set goals, and manage progress and accountability. Her first critical decision aligned with creating the kind of learning environment that she wanted the school to become:
- Unshakable in commitment to each learner’s worth and to professionals’ ability to integrate and accurately evaluate multiple sources of information;
- A creative partnership among learners and leaders upholding the equilibrium between individual learning aspirations and system learning requirements;
- Structured for sustained progress toward achievement identified as worthwhile and achievement appreciated only in retrospect;
- Focused on results and open to multiple paths for achieving the results
ICF honed these competencies out of the practice of successful leaders and the research of effective learning. There is nothing easy or natural about adhering to these competencies. There is less immediate gratification to the coach as opposed to the “sage-on-the-stage” adherent.
There is significant pressure from learners who do not want to be accountable for their own learning and from critics who want command to be all that’s necessary. Competencies that complement relationships are hard to recognize in this age of instant gratification, whiz-bang audio-visuals.
The veteran principal, new to the building, chose to coach. In so doing, she aligned herself for the time when she would be the retired principal, new to her capstone career, and gratified that her successor would lead a culture embedded with the competencies for facilitating learning and results.
By David Winans, PCC
Coaching For Results, Inc.
One thing we know for sure is that rarely do high levels of performance exist without high levels of trust! Additionally, the research of Bryk and Schnieder reported in Trust in Schools offers the eye-opening correlate that low achievement always includes low levels of TRUST.
Thus, the question of whether to trust or not to trust is irrelevant. We MUST develop high levels of trust if we want peak performance of everyone in the school environment. And, the standard or expectation begins with us – the school leader.
Megan Tschannen-Moran gives us this definition of trust, “. . . one’s willingness to be vulnerable to another based on the confidence that the other is benevolent, honest, open, reliable, and competent.”
Let’s consider a deeper understanding of the origin and make up of trust. Draw a Venn Diagram of two overlapping circles. Label one circle as “trustworthiness” and the other as “trusting.”
Complete this sentence by naming three words that are synonymous with being trustworthy. “For me, trustworthiness is the same as being __________, ___________, and ___________.”
Perhaps you named synonyms such as dependable, reliable, or one who is able to hold a confidence. Other possibilities might include responsible, honest, or truthful.
Now, do the same for trusting. “When one is trusting, she is __________, ___________, and ____________.”
Hopeful, believing, and naïve may have come to mind. This is where the notion of vulnerability expressed in Tschannen-Moran’s definition emerges. One must have faith, confidence, and even a degree of gullibility to be truly trusting of others.
Where these two circles intersect is where TRUST resides. The goal is to continue to increase this area so that there is more and more overlap. This happens as equal amounts of trustworthiness and trusting grow within a school or organization.
Almost without fail, educators report that one of these concepts is easier to demonstrate than the other. Consider this for yourself. Of “trustworthiness” or “trusting” which is easier for you to do?” My hunch is that you said what most say; “trustworthiness” is easier because it’s about greater control and less vulnerability. There is less risk when being trustworthy over being trusting.
The bottom line, however, is regardless of which is easier, both must be evident for high levels of trust to be present. Knowing this compels us to take the risk to be more vulnerable and to model what we want by trusting others. What are your strategies for increasing the degree of trust in your school? . . . with your teachers? . . . with your students?
By Karen Anderson, PCC
Coaching for Results, Inc.
Karen is the co-authored of the book, RESULTS Coaching: The New Essential for School Leaders
References:
Byrk, A. & Schneider, B. (2002). Trust in schools: A Core Resource for Improvement. New York: Russell Sage Foundation Pub.
Tschannen-Moran, M. (2004) Trust matters: Leadership for Successful Schools. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
I wonder why it is so difficult to change my language pattern particularly as it relates to building positive presuppositions into my repertoire. I have finally come to realize that a positive presupposition is simply speaking into existence what I believe another person can accomplish before I have actually seen evidence to that effect. As this relates to education, my positive presuppositions are based upon my universally held beliefs about teachers. Some of these beliefs include:
I believe that all teachers care about students. - I believe that all teachers plan lessons using the curriculum guide and correlate student outcomes to state standards and appropriate resources or want to learn how to do that.
- I believe that all teachers interact with the parents of their students.
I know that I act upon these beliefs when I interact with teachers whether I have known this teacher in the past or if this is my first encounter with him.
I know that when I am seeking additional information in an interaction or if I am trying to help a teacher to gain clarity around an issue, I can use positive presuppositions. Positive presuppositions meet the International Coach Federation (ICF) standard of powerful questioning—“ability to ask questions that reveal the information needed for maximum benefit to the coaching relationship and the client.” This language pattern “evokes [the client’s own] discovery, insight and commitment to action.” Using the belief statements above, some possible positive presuppositions might be:
- “When you think about the needs of your students, what guides the decisions that you make? (presupposes that the teacher cares)
- “As you planned this lesson, which planning documents—the curriculum guide or the state standards was the most helpful to you?” (presupposes that the teacher planned and/or knew to use the curriculum guide and state standards)
- “What was the parent’s reaction when you talked with her?” (presupposes that the teacher contacted the parent)
I realize that sincere positive presuppositions send a deeper meaning than the words I speak. They convey to the teacher that I have faith in him and trust him to make good decisions about students. These words also convey that the teacher is a good problem solver and that he has thought about the action he took. Even if the teacher did not complete the action specified in the positive presupposition, he probably will do so in the future because he now sees it as an expectation and a strategy to address a possible concern. I have the ability through the use of positive presuppositions to send a powerful message without being negative or punitive.
The language of positive presuppositions does not come naturally to me. I believe it will be an acquired skill that I will have to continually plan for and practice. Since I understand the dynamic impact positive presuppositions have upon the listener and the subsequent impact upon students, I will continue to strive to incorporate them into my conversations with others.
By Edna Harris, PCC
Coaching School Results, Inc.
The ICF coaching competency of Co-Creating the Relationship combines the “best friends” of Establishing Trust and Intimacy and Coaching Presence. In our journey for mastery and excellence, coaching presence is the hallmark of an excellent coach. It is being open, flexible, and confident with your clients. You are giving them the gift of time, full attention, and deep listening. Coaching presence helps create a special and strong bond between coach and client.
How do you create this “coaching presence?” It is about letting your real self show through. It begins as you get centered before the call and put aside problems from your own life events for the moment to be there for your clients. “Centering” means remembering the person you want to be as a coach. It helps you be respectful and to listen without bias. When you show up as your real, caring self, you earn deep trust from your client. You are open to not knowing and willing to take risks. You see many ways to work with your clients and trust your gut to choose in the moment what might be most effective. You use gentle humor to create lightness and energy that conveys your presence.
Professional coaching frequently happens over the phone. So voice tone and deep listening for underlying themes and assumptions communicates your presence.
Coaching also occurs face-to-face. This can sometimes be more difficult because of the distractions involved with the visuals of context, body language, and dress. These distractions can interfere with your listening skills. But it can also be fun getting to know your client in this personal way, if you are lucky enough to live near each other. You can select a place for your conversation that is consistent with who you are as a coach. Will you meet in a park? A coffee shop? A study room in the library?
When you coach through email, your presence is felt in your careful word choices. Use of caps and punctuation is essential to communicating your intentions. Use of emoticons can help with visualizing your facial expressions and getting your meaning accurate.
Your coaching presence is confirmed not only by your words, but also by your chosen vocabulary, and how comfortable you are in your identity. Letting your presence show through means setting aside your own issues, and committing to being there for the other person in a friendly way. The client will read your presence and will sense your intention. Your presence will linger with the client like a delicate perfume long after the session ends.
By Linda Michael, PCC and Marceta Reilly, PCC
Coaching School Results, Inc.
