Fact: School leaders spend 80% of their time communicating.

ISLLC Standards require the principal to facilitate, advocate, ensure, collaborate, promote, and influence stakeholders. In order to meet these expectations, the principal must have various and effective communication skills.

Effective communication builds relationships, establishes trust and gains respect (Green, 2009).

What is Communication?Communication is the process of transmitting and

receiving information.

What is Effective Communication?Effective communication is the process of transmitting, receiving, and agreeing on the information transmitted.

Barriers to Effective Communication

Information Overload

Status Difference

Semantics

Filtering

Paralanguage

Interpersonal relationships

Reducing Barriers to Communication

Establish effective interpersonal relationships

Manage position power

Acquire feedback

Develop an understanding of cognitive dissonance theory

Practice active listening

Develop an understanding of communication accommodation theory

Display empathy

Understand the ethics of conversation

Interpersonal Relationships

• Establish a culture of trust

• Reduce the amount of defensiveness in conversations

• Create equity in relationships with stakeholders

• Acquire an understanding of your communication style

(Gibbs, 2007)

Position Power Uses the position as principal to gain compliance of stakeholders by

threatening to impose sanctions or punishment

Uses the position as principal to gain compliance of stakeholders by offering rewards or recognition

Influences the activities or actions of other stakeholders based on the titleof principal

Acquire Feedback

Inquire how message was received

What action was taken

Solicit ideas

Advances a sense of equity

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

When attitudes or behaviors are in opposition to the beliefs of an individual; brings about unpleasant physical reactions

Individual will try to eliminate dissonance through avoidance

Can be reduced by adding new cognitions or changing old ones

A humorous look at cognitive dissonance theory to gain understanding:

Active ListeningSensing – process of receiving signals from a sender

and paying attention to them. Don’t form an opinion until speaker is finished Avoid interrupting Remain involved with the speaker

Evaluation – understanding the message, evaluating the message, and remembering the message

Empathize with the speaker Organize ideas about the message

Responding – giving feedback to the sender Nonverbal cues (eye contact, nodding, facial expression Send back signals using “I” messages Clarify the message

Communication Accommodation Theory

To gain approval and emphasize or minimize social differences, individuals tailor their communication to the listener by changing the language, accent, dialect or paralinguistic Features. Nonverbal behaviors can be changed as well. This behavior can be unwelcome by others if it is perceived as presumptuous (McCann & Giles, 2006).

Display Empathy

The ability of the sender of information to put themselves in the place of the receivers. This sends the message to the receiver(s) that they are valued, their opinions matter, and their feedback is appreciated. Principals who display empathy build respect for individuals (Green, 2009).

Ethics of Conversation

Principals that lead conversations that include ethics advance a sense of value, equity, trust, and acceptance. If these qualities are not part of the conversation, people do not communicate effectively. They often feel misunderstood, frustrated, defensive, or angry (Sobel & Ornstein, 1996).

“In the area of leadership, these is no talent more essential than one’s ability to communicate” (Guarino, 1974, p.1).

ReferencesAdams, S. (1992, August 9). Dilbert. [Cartoon].

Gibbs, J. (2007). Defensive communication. In D.A. Kolb, J.S. Osland, & I.M. Rubin (Eds), The organizational behavior reader (pp. 225-229). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Green, R. (2009). Practicing the art of leadership: A problem-based approach to implementing the ISLLC standards. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

McCann, R., & Giles, H. (2006). Communication with people of different ages in the workplace: Thai and American data. Human Communication Research, 32(1), 74-108.

Sobel, D., & Ornstein, R. (1996). The healthy mind, healthy body handbook. New York, NY: Time Life Medical.