Receiving Online Feedback

As a leader, how do you handle online feedback to your school/organization? 

Whether you're a small or large school/organization, feedback matters from those you serve. But it can be tough to navigate online feedback.  Consider the following when dealing with the negative feedback:

• Seek a solution. Post a response and offer a way to turn the situation around. Always extend an olive branch if you can.
• Don't treat all comments equally. Anonymous comments should never receive the same attention as authored comments.  In fact, you may wish not to respond to anonymous comments. 
• Invite comments. If you're open to hearing input, you're more likely to hear positive things. Create forums for discussions about the service you provide.  Allow people to 'have their say' by posting testimonials and keeping social media lines open for their comments.

Adapted from "What Angie's List Knows About Customer Reviews" by Angie Hicks.

In Difficult Situations, Stop and Wait

As a leader, when meetings or projects get stuck, what strategies do you have to handle it?

When a project or meeting gets difficult, it can be tempting to use your positional authority to push things through to try to get it over with. But it's better to do the same as you might do for a slow-moving computer: shut it off and wait a minute. Give yourself the opportunity to regain your composure and collect your thoughts. In a meeting that's going nowhere? Take a break. Not making headway on a document you need to write? Take a walk. During the break, don't think of new strategies or ideas. By taking yourself out of the situation, you allow your brain to rest so that when you return—with a fresh perspective and a calm mind—you are more likely to find a new solution.


Adapted from "Restore Yourself to Your Factory Default Settings" by Peter Bregman.

Challenging Conversations - more

As a leader, what principles guide your thinking when you face challenging conversations? 

Engaging in Challenging Conversations....

Most challenging conversations are in fact negotiations.  We are negotiating the terms of a relationship, how it will unfold, and which expectations each party brings to the relationship.  We are also often negotiating about who gets what or who will do what in the future.  Following are the key principles that inform a safe process for having challenging conversations:

• solution focused, not blame focused
• problem focused, not people focused
• nonadversarial approach, not adversarial approach
• dialogue, not diatribe - inclusive, not exclusive
• interest and needs focused, not position focused
• win-win orientation, not win-lose orientation

From:  The Principal as Leader of Challenging Conversations (Leading Student Achievement Series)
Published by: Corwin Press, OPC - The Ontario Principals' Council