Building Relationships

Pandora BedfordAstrid Fossum

Laura MalyCynthia Rodriguez

October 2009, MTL meetingThe Milwaukee Mathematics Partnership (MMP), an initiative of the Milwaukee Partnership Academy (MPA),

is supported with funding from the National Science Foundation

A Framework for Leadership

Michael Fullan, Leading in a Culture of Change, 2004

Session Goals:

To deepen our understanding of the importance of relationships and trust in our work as MTLs.

To understand the role emotional intelligence has for effective leaders.

To learn to see resistance as an opportunity, rather then a roadblock.

To articulate leadership areas for personal growth and development.

Activity

Individually read and complete the Initial Thoughts column for each of the 8 key points about building relationships.

How do these key points relate to your work as an MTL?

Key Points Initial Thoughts Examples of what it looks like in action

1) It’s the interactions and relationships among people, not the people themselves that make the difference in organizational success.

2) Leaders must be able to build relationships with and among diverse people and groups, especially with people

different from themselves. 3) Most people want to be part

of their organization, to know

the organization’s purpose, and

to make a difference or

contribute to a larger purpose. 4) Leaders need to pay as much attention to how they treat people as they pay to structure, strategies, and statistics.

Debrief

Take a quick moment to decide which key points to begin conversation with at your table.

Share your initial thoughts around the idea with the table group.

Record an example of what the key point would look like in action.

Key Points About Relationships

1) It’s the interactions and relationships among people, not the people themselves, that make the difference in organizational success.

2) Leaders must be able to build relationships with and among diverse people and groups, especially with people different from themselves.

3) Most people want to be part of their organization, to know the organization’s purpose, and to make a difference or contribute to a larger purpose.

4) Leaders need to pay as much attention to how they treat people as they pay to structures, strategies, and statistics.

5) Leaders must create professional learning communities that enhance the skills and knowledge of the people in the organization.

6) There must be a common culture of expectations; individuals must be held accountable for their contributions to the collective result.

7) Collegial communities are effective if members collaborate to share knowledge and make breakthroughs in learning.

8) The role of the leader is to ensure that the organization develops relationships that help produce desirable results.

Michael Fullan, Leading in a Culture of Change, 2004

Elements of Relationships

Emotional Intelligence

Resistance

Relational Trust

Read – Write – ReflectElements of Relationships

Read pp. 10 -12 on Emotional Intelligence Read pp. 13 – 16 on Resistance Read pp. 16 – 18 on Trust

1.) Jot down the main ideas from each section.

2.) Make connections between the reading and your role as an MTL.

What does this mean?

What do I need to work on?

Sharing Connections

Share your initial reactions and responses with your small group.

Commit to one area for growth and write a personal goal, focused on the elements of relationships.

My Personal “Building Relationships” Goal

Goal:

Action Steps: Results:

Session Goals:

To deepen our understanding of the importance of relationships and trust in our work as MTLs.

To understand the role emotional intelligence has for effective leaders.

To learn to see resistance as an opportunity, rather then a roadblock.

To articulate leadership areas for personal growth and development.

Reflections

Talking about these issues with others helps you to widen your lens. What have you learned about “Building Relationships” that you will hold onto and revisit as you continue to develop your leadership abilities?