Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say: Educational Leaders’ Interpersonal Effectiveness in Conversation

Abstract

Educational leaders’ interpersonal effectiveness is critical when having difficult conversations about problems or concerns. Being effective in these conversations impacts positively on teaching and learning. Research identifies the guiding values required to promote interpersonal effectiveness in conversation. Also highlighted is peoples’ limited effectiveness in demonstrating these values. This case study research evaluated educational leaders’ interpersonal effectiveness by examining the alignment between their thoughts and spoken words in conversations about their concerns. Eight educational leaders undertook professional development about the values required for effective conversations. They wrote about a concern they had with a colleague, recorded and transcribed their conversations and then annotated the transcript with their unexpressed thoughts. A semi-structured interview followed with the researcher. Their written concern, transcript and interview responses were evaluated against the values of effective conversations. The findings of each case are reported individually and common themes discussed. The findings show that, despite all educational leaders’ participating in professional development about effective conversations, they are unable to consistently demonstrate the guiding values of effective conversations. When asked during an interview to rephrase what they might have said, educational leaders continued to struggle to enact these values. Educational leaders develop different, but ineffective, strategies in conversation depending on their positional authority within the relationship. Those that are more experienced with the values of effective conversations notice their ineffectiveness more readily and show greater doubt about their ability to be effective in the future. The researcher examined the context of each of the eight concerns and found them to reflect wider educational issues. Educational leaders’ ineffectiveness in difficult conversations can contribute to systemic problems that negatively affect teaching and learning. The implications for continuing professional development of leaders in effective conversations are discussed.