Empathy and Migration Workshop Aids Understanding of Refugees
Year 9 students at Futures Institute, Banbury, recently welcomed the Red Cross to the school for a...
Read more Empathy and Migration Workshop Aids Understanding of RefugeesWritten by Sarah Johnson-Scott for Diverse Educators. Ms Johnson-Scott is Vice-Principal of Rivers Academy West London & January 2021 Cohort of The Academy of Women’s Leadership.
What is the purpose of a challenging conversation?
Are they opportunities to: raise your voice at others to give them a dressing down; shout at them for making a mistake; assert your power or position; gain compliance through fear and therefore stifle and destroy the creativity, problem solving skills and ultimately output of your team? No, no, NO!
Can they be avoided? NO!
In highlighting that ‘’the culture of any organisation is shaped by the worst behaviour the leader is willing to tolerate,’’ Gruenter and Whitaker show us the impact of not having challenging conversations.
As leaders we will accept and be seen to accept behaviours which are not acceptable in the workplace – if we don’t care as leaders, then no one cares. There is only one ending to this; a toxic culture, where people are unhappy, are not collegiate and productivity is low.
Toxic cultures take a grip like quicksand. They are extremely difficult, and sometimes impossible to overcome.
Is there support in ‘mastering challenging conversations?’ YES!
Sarah Johnson-Scott
As part of The Academy of Women’s Leadership, the inspiring Diana Osagie led us through an excellent session on ‘How to master difficult conversations,’ across a range of contexts including challenging conversations, holding staff to account and dealing with difficult people. By providing us with three different scripts for leading challenging conversations in each of these contexts, Diana left us feeling empowered, courageous and brave about leading these in future.
What were the top 5 takeaways from Diana’s session?
What’s the future of challenging conversations?
As leaders we recognise that challenging conversations are part of our role, but more crucially are essential for a positive organisational culture, happy staff and excellent outcomes.
If they are led with clarity and kindness, and are received appropriately, challenging conversations should promote growth (potentially on both sides) – otherwise what is the point?
Year 9 students at Futures Institute, Banbury, recently welcomed the Red Cross to the school for a...
Read more Empathy and Migration Workshop Aids Understanding of RefugeesLess than five years later, the Ofsted report notes that ‘with support from the trust, the school...
Read more ‘Significant Improvement’ at Bovington Academy Leads to ‘Outstanding’ Features in Latest Ofsted ReportIntrepid students from six Aspirations academies recently visited NASA’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas on the...
Read more ASPIRATIONS STUDENTS ON A (NASA) MISSION!