Crucial Conversations
Today people are more interested in spending time in technology than having a good conversation. In some cases communication between persons is not a priority, it is limited to basic communication and we can see it around us, families, social environments, workplaces etc, but conversation is probably one of the most important skills in life needed to bring about change. In my classroom I have seen some students that have trouble with conversations between them and in their normal basics activities. I am the kind of person that enjoys having conversations, but being honest I need to ask myself if I am in the right way to create an important conversation and not just any conversation, in other words can I offer a crucial conversation?
Communication better in education can help to achieve goals and deepen relationships in the organization. Any conversation is a crucial conversation especially for teachers because children’s education is a big challenge. Teachers have different teaching styles, and teaching is passionate. However, what can we do when we need to have a conversation about something that represents changes? The first thing that we need to do is take a moment to give others an opportunity to talk and LISTEN them. The experience of listening to others has taught me the most beautiful aspect of human communication.
Having an idea through the graphic, it shows how crucial conversations present high stakes, opposition opinions, and strong emotions. Therefore, if we are involved in a crucial conversation, there are 3 choices. Those options are: do not face it, face it without purpose, face it well. Most of the time people say I will just handle it well. The point is that most people handle them not just without interest or purpose, also, we could think that we are on the right side even if it is not being true. Why is that? If we really want to be a leader of change, then we need to make sure that we can focus on ourselves first and allow for personal growth before pointing fingers at others that need to change.
We live in a world in constant motion where digital resources have been taking an important place everywhere, and to think that taking time to sit and talk could seem like a waste of time instead of sending a text message or email. However, we already know that typing is not the most effective way to get a conversation and the reason is because it is not a real dialogue. To create change, we need to be able to talk about it – in person and together. Reading the book Crucial Conversations:Tools for talking when stakes are high. It was helping me to unify concepts and understand to learn more and more about all of the opportunities that have been lost over the years to make meaningful changes, and yet I made a ‘fool's choice’ instead (Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, & Switzler, 2012).
As a new teacher I accept that there are tons of experiences waiting for me. I really want to be a good leader in my organization, and a self-differentiated leader that helps others and connects with them without losing my own identity (Camp, 2010). Honestly, I admit that in the past I have been the kind of person that instead of confronting others to express or share my ideas I preferred to keep it in my mind. The fears and anxiety were part of my life, in other words I rarely used my voice and ownership. However, that reality has changed because of my knowledge about the crucial conversation process. Moreover, I now want to share my ideas, projects, and plans with others to get their feedback. Without a doubt I feel more confident in myself to talk about my innovation plan, 6 Sources of Influence, 4DX, and anything else that could come in the future. I firmly believe that teachers have the responsibility to help our students to reach their goals, giving them the tools and resources to enhance their potential. It is time to grow, it is to be strong, let’s talk and leave a significant mark on the world.
References
Camp, J. (2010, November 10). Friedman’s theory of differentiated leadership made simple {Video file}. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgdcljNV-Ew
Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2012). Crucial Conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high (2nd ed). Columbus, OH: McGraw Hill.​