Crucial Conversation
Are the stakes high? Do emotions run strong? Are opinions different?
If the answer is: YES, YES, YES, then you are in the proximity of a crucial conversation!
​As a prospective leader of change, I must be vigilant in identifying when a discussion is about to turn into a crucial conversation. It is imperative that team members (fellow teachers/staff) feel safe enough to speak up to share their thoughts and ideas. If they trust the leader's motives and know that the leader is capable, they will feel secure enough to believe that their thoughts will be valued. When discussion goes poorly, team members may become "silent or violent" as is stated in Crucial Conversations (Patterson, 2012). Silence is shown by withdrawing, masking, and avoiding; while violence is demonstrated by labeling, controlling, and attacking. As I read this, I realized our family in general, tends toward the violent style in crucial conversations. This awareness has led me to understand just how important it will be for me to be vigilant during team meetings and SEE how others are reacting, while maintaining the safety of our discussion. Stepping out if things become unsafe is imperative. Return when safety has been restored. Usually, an apology and clearing up the misunderstanding by contrasting what was said with what was intended.
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The key is to "start with heart"! This begins with Mutual Purpose and respect.
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References
Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2012). Crucial conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Contribution of learning
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Throughout course 5304 Leading Organization Change, I have experienced some exciting learning experiences and I have been challenged to reflect frequently on what I thought I knew and recognize that there many aspects to creating and sustaining change that I had never before considered. It's pretty funny now but I had my moments where I was confused and I didn't know if I would make it. Thankfully I am not alone in the learning. The members in this course serve in many different roles and bring fresh perspectives and ideas that they share weekly in our course meetings and through multiple written discussions. I delighted in reflecting on their posts, sharing my lenses and ideas with them throughout the course. I also responded to at least two discussion posts with citations each time. This was something new but worth it. I engaged in all of the class sessions and breakouts and shared frequently. All media and readings were viewed/read and all assignments were turned in prior to the deadlines. I returned to each of my assignments after receiving feedback and addressed everything that was suggested "well, I tried my best". I also had to return to some assignments to bring them into alignment with more recent learning. My peer group, consisting of James, Maria , Eddricka , and myself met weekly on Thursday nights throughout the course and held ongoing discussions via text. I was even able to help support Maria by providing feed-forward on one of her projects for EDLD 5317. We reviewed each others' work throughout, provided feed-forward, and discussed multiple aspects of the course materials each week. I am very fortunate to be a part of such an open and sharing group. I anticipate a score of 95/100 for this course. I would have expected higher, except that I did not cite sources on my initial discussion responses as I misunderstood the expectation. I feel that I gave my best effort throughout this course with the exception of my discussion post responses. I feel that I could give a little more time to providing a deeper and more substantive response in some cases.
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