Educators are Negotiators (and More)

Undeveloped negotiation skills contribute to the downfall of too many educators, but these are skills that can be easily learned and mastered. You can be a problem solver who creates win-win conversations and agreements rather than competitive situations that force winners and losers.

Learn more about negotiating skills, exciting new technology solutions, and support for the self-managed head search.

Executive Coaching: Negotiating Skills are Crucial for School Leadership

Members of the School Growth Network (SGN) are learning to master negotiating skills that are crucial in sustaining their school ecosystem. They understand that success is directly impacted by the ability to navigate conflict in a manner that sustains relationships.  

Your work includes frequent negotiations with administrators, teachers, students, parents, board members, and perhaps donors. It may be about a policy, a leadership decision, performance feedback, a discipline matter, etc. 

Here are three questions (from Getting to Yes) to consider when trying to create a wise agreement:

1. Have you satisfied the legitimate interests of everyone involved?

2. Have you resolved points of conflict fairly and in a manner that builds trust?

3. Is the outcome consistent with your mission, core values, and goals?

CLICK HERE to schedule a call to learn more about our Executive Coaching for heads/superintendents, enrollment directors, business officers, and division heads. 

Two 2021 School Technology Solutions to Watch: PeerPal & Growth Engineering

PeerPal is going to be a game changer for your enrollment marketing strategy, giving you a very powerful way to connect prospective families with your fully engaged parent ambassadors. The interface and functionality is beautifully designed because they took the time to really listen to admissions directors to create a completely new approach.

We review hundreds of new Edtech apps, and PeerPal is a TOP STANDOUT!

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If you're looking for a more powerful learning management system that is actually built on best practices for teaching and learning, you definitely want to check out Growth Engineering. They even offer a free guide for online learning design: The Ultimate eLearning Instructional Design Guidebook. 

Digital Promise recently selected Growth Engineering's LMS as their platform of choice after a thorough evaluation. We are very impressed with their innovative online instruction platform, which includes gamification and tools to build engagement with students. 

Board Search Coaching: The Self-Managed Head Search

No decision of your board has greater impact than the recruitment and hiring of a new head, superintendent, or president. Starting in the middle of the enrollment season causes even more stress. The good news is that your board has some great options to consider as they determine how to navigate this critical process.

Contracting with a retained search firm is one option, giving you the freedom to outsource the process. This can reduce the workload of the board, but does require a significant financial obligation and deep engagement at certain points to ensure clarity and commitment. Schools with a strong mission should be very selective about the screening techniques used to attract and evaluate applicants.

Many boards opt for a self-managed search in order to avoid the retained search fees and to have greater ownership of the process. This isn't a dress rehearsal, though, and requires wisdom and expertise that are uncommon on a board. 

We offer a unique hybrid option through Executive Search Coaching, giving the board a proven process along with the tools and guidance to successfully find the next school leader. And, you will build stronger relationships and a healthier organization throughout the search journey. 

“It’s hard to put into words just how powerful this search process has been for our school. The School Growth team has been amazingly supportive and wise in helping us become an even better board as we went through each stage. We have been blessed to find our next head of school while also becoming a stronger organization!”
—Lori C., Search Committee Co-Chair

CLICK HERE to schedule a call to learn more about our Executive Search Coaching.