Craig Verley

In the communications world, a lot gets said about the importance of two-way communication and listening. A great deal of importance is given to listening via more formal mechanisms like surveys and focus groups. These can be extremely important and make it somewhat easy to gauge results after campaigns, etc.

I firmly believe that a school district PR/Communications person should be actively involved in less formal listening to help get feedback and keep a pulse on what your various audiences care about throughout the year.

One of the main ways to go about informal listening is to get out from behind your desk. Yes, using all our technology to quickly message and communicate can be great, but the opportunities to learn more about what folks are saying and thinking about all sorts of district-related topics are easier to get if you are not in front of your computer screen. I was always in and out of my office walking the halls of our central office building. I would regularly escape my desk when I needed something from someone in another part of the building. This allowed for interactions with all sorts of people of varying stations along the way. Each interaction was an opportunity for listening and learning about what was going on, what concerns they might have about an aspect of their operation, what they were excited about; the list goes on. I would internalize each tidbit and keep updating my feelings for things in a way that would help me make informed decisions in various aspects of my job. Plus, it is a whole lot more difficult to ignore me or tell me “no” on something when my skinny, 6’4” frame is standing in your doorway.

Listening by escaping your desk goes way beyond the confines of your central office building (or whatever structure you are housed in). When you are out at campuses, do you stop and chat for a moment with the front office staff? Yes, they are usually super busy, but that momentary attention break helps build bridges and will result in sharing as they get to know you more and feel more comfortable with you as you visit their school.

Do you pause and have an actual conversation with custodians and maintenance employees as they help you with events or when you are out and about getting video or taking pictures? This is true in virtually all operational departments of a school district that you can come in contact with.

School district communications staff are in a unique position, getting access to virtually every aspect of district operations and the employees in each area. Are you taking advantage of that to stop and listen along the way?

Being perceived as coming from the “central office,” can come with some baggage that will close off some employees, while others may feel intimidated.  I, for one, was never afraid to get my hands dirty while out covering something or doing an event set up or tear down. Those moments showing I was not afraid to jump in and get sweaty led to some great conversations while doing the work at hand. I learned a lot about what folks thought about different aspects of the district this way, and in most cases got some great input and advice that helped with the project or event.

Anyone who knows me may find it hard to believe that I consider myself a bit of an introvert. It takes a great deal of energy for me to have those in-person interactions when I would escape my desk. I was always careful to treat everyone the same. Board member, principal, teacher, student, cafeteria server…it didn’t matter. Okay, I might not be as big a dork around the superintendent, but each superintendent I served under quickly learned and accepted the goodhearted dork that I am. I guess what I am trying to say is that a friendly respect for the person and their role that is equally applied across the board opens the door to a lot of great information. Plus, you gain some grounding through those interactions with people. Notice I said people and not employees. Some great people who you will likely appreciate, and who will learn to share with you if they know you are truly listening.

So don’t just depend on your surveys, social media responses, and focus groups. Escape your desks and chase down what you need, in person. Grab those opportunities for quick interactions and conversations along the way. Each one can also be an opportunity to listen and learn in a way that can mold your communications moving forward.