Inside the Mind of a SPEDucated Facilitator
What do you assume about someone when they aren’t meeting your expectations?
It’s an interesting question because the answer can shape everything that happens next. If we assume someone doesn’t care, we lead one way. If we assume they aren’t capable, we lead another. But if we start from the belief that most people actually want to be good at what they do, it forces us to get a little more curious about what might be standing between the person we’re seeing today and the person we know they’re capable of becoming.
Our facilitator Sanja Bosman recently shared this reflection with us, and we loved the way she broke that gap down into four areas: will, skill, clarity, and environment. It’s a simple framework, but it asks leaders to look beyond the outcome they’re frustrated with and spend more time understanding what might actually be contributing to it.
What I Believe About People
“As a teacher, as a school leader, and as a coach, there are two core beliefs that shape almost every interaction I have, both personally and professionally.
First, I believe that every person wants to feel a sense of self-efficacy; everyone wants to be good at what they do. As human beings, we want to feel strong, capable, and fulfilled.
Second, I believe that everyone is doing the best they can at this specific moment in time.
What constitutes our "best" on a given day or a given week, or even in a given year, may not be the best we're actually capable of, but it is our best right now.”
When Someone Isn’t Where We Know They Can Be
“If we truly believe those two things, then when people aren't where we want them to be- where we know they're capable of being- then we have an obligation to really think about and explore what might be getting in the way.
From my experience, that almost always comes down to one of four barriers: a lack of will, a lack of skill, unclear expectations, or environmental obstacles- things that make the work physically impossible.”
What Leaders Can Actually Control
The beauty-and power-of this framework is that, as leaders, every single one of these factors lies within our control.
We have the agency to inspire purpose and to invest others in our vision. We have the power to build capacity across all skill levels- from our greenest beginners to our most seasoned pros. We have the responsibility to provide crystal-clear expectations and create clarity for our teams when things feel murky, and to remove operational roadblocks, clearing the way for the most important work to be done.”
The True Work of Leadership
“This, to me, is the true work of leadership: caring enough to meet people exactly where they are and supporting them as they grow into their fullest potential.
It is the mindset I aspire to bring to my work with the SpEducated Leader and I hope that it shines through in every session and coaching conversation I am a part of.”
