Most people do not think of themselves are salespeople. As Daniel Pink points out in his book To Sell is Human, most of us are in fact in the business of selling our ideas, our image, and ourselves (selling our skill+time for salary) most of the time. Teachers, in particular, are not such great salespeople when it comes to telling their story, showing their work, and showcasing the product of their efforts.
I learned something the other day. In conversation with someone who has deep experience working with Boards, I heard something that profoundly changes the way I see how we communicate with Boards, and in a way, the public at large. I learned that Boards are usually comprised of people that (1) are powerful/influential, (2) are not educators/academics, and (3) are mostly in dark as far as the impact of the work of teachers day in and day out. As members of the senior leadership team, we can not (1) make Board members less powerful/influential or (2) turn them into educators/academics. But we can (3) shine the light on the work going on at the school so that they are not so much in the dark. I never really thought about this in this way, which is why the feedback was so profound for me.
Now I’m on a mission. To showcase the good work being done in our school. This article about the signing of a new partnership is part of that effort. More will come soon.
Educators may not make great salespeople, but if I can help it, I will shine a light on the incredible work being done in classrooms day in and day out.
Stay tuned 🙂
RBaldizon 