Collaborative culture
A collaborative, high-performing partnership is possible — some assembly required
By Learning Forward
October 2011
Vol. 32 No. 5
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There’s a story I like about an ad in a magazine. I don’t know if it’s true. The ad said, “How to write a novel. Simple, easy-to-follow directions. $20.” When people sent in their 20 bucks, they received a dictionary, with the instructions, “Some assembly required.” Isn’t that the truth! And we know the same could be said for relationships. Perhaps I’ve just been asked to work with you and our shared goal is a collaborative, high-performance partnership — some assembly required. Or I’ve come into a new school, classroom, or group of students and their parents, and I want to partner with those folks so that we can do amazing things together and enjoy the process — some assembly required. That assembly occurs one conversation at a time, as Angela Brooks-Rallins explains.
— Susan Scott
Susan Scott
In each issue of JSD, Susan Scott ([email protected]) explores aspects of communication that encourage meaningful collaboration. Scott, author of Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success At Work & In Life, One Conversation at a Time (Penguin, 2002) and Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst “Best” Practices of Business Today (Broadway Business, 2009), leads Fierce Inc. (www.fierceinc.com), which helps companies around the world transform the conversations that are central to their success. Fierce in the Schools carries this work into schools and higher education.
Columns are available at www.lf.wphlab.com. © Copyright, Fierce Inc., 2011.
Learning Forward is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. We help our members plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning so they can achieve success with their systems, schools, and students.
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