Collaborative Culture

A willingness to speak the truth serves as a call to action and an important first step

Vol. 33 No. 2

13Shortly after coming to Rose Elementary School, our site leadership team had a retreat. We assembled off-campus in La Jolla, Calif., the socioeconomic antithesis of our school community, to ride Segway personal scooters. As a school in the midst of a professional learning initiative, we needed to get from the proverbial point A to point B, but in an expeditious and innovative manner. The Segway ride was analogous to this journey. We needed to move, we needed to move fast, and we needed to move forward in an innovative and expeditious manner. At the conclusion of our two-hour tour, we assembled in a rustic hut near a cliff. We had read the first two chapters of Fierce Conversations and were prepared to discuss our perceptions.

Read the remaining content with membership access. Join or log in below to continue.

Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

Authors

Susan Scott

Deb Ganderton is principal of Rose Elementary School in Escondido, Calif.

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., 2012.

The Segway is an amazing invention. Lean slightly to the right or left and it moves in that direction. Hesitate and it stops, quivering beneath the rider like a horse anticipating the nudge of a knee. Our conversations are equally responsive to subtle signals, particularly from the person who calls a meeting. How much truth shall we tell today? A little bit, just enough to make us nervous? None at all, to keep us temporarily safe, while our fate unfolds before us? Or, like Deb Ganderton, will you give permission to lean forward and navigate quickly, as best you can, toward the heart of the matter?

— Susan Scott

Learning Forward

+ posts

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.

Categories: Collaboration

Search
The Learning Professional

Published Date

Reset

CURRENT ISSUE

Recent Issues

APPLYING THE SCIENCE OF LEARNING

April 2026

Cognitive science illuminates how people learn. This issue shows how...

LEARNING WITH AI

February 2026

Generative AI can be a powerful tool for professional learning design and...

WHAT STUDENTS NEED NOW

December 2025

For all students to thrive, we need to understand who they are and what...

LEARNING COMMUNITIES FOR LEADERS

October 2025

Leaders need opportunities to connect, learn, and grow with peers just as...

Coaching for All

June 2026