7 Ways to Avoid Losing Credibility

It is not uncommon for us as educators to share our disappointments when we find ourselves dealing with certain situations that cause us frustration.  For whatever reason, some educators have felt safe lately sharing with me some of their personal experiences they are currently facing in their daily work as teachers and school leaders. I take great pride and do my best not to make judgement regarding their comments, especially since I know they are being shared with me in confidence. Some thoughts have been verbalized in a very respectful way, others articulated in a soft and gentle manner, and finally, some were shared without filter, candidly and well, let’s just say, bluntly. Regardless, I tried to empathize with their feelings and understand the underlying reason, knowing full well that even the strongest and most positive educators can be overly critical at times, especially when it comes to the performance of others with whom they work with and for.Afterwards, as I pondered my conversations with these individuals, I thought back on my twenty plus years as a school leader. I know there were times when I frustrated (and maybe even annoyed) my staff and colleagues, even though I may have had good intentions or in some cases, believed I had good reason for my decisions or responses. But there was always one thing that kept me focused on a desire to regroup quickly every time I took a misguided step for fear that if I were to lose this asset, I may eventually lose my effectiveness as a building leader.What was that asset?My credibility.Credibility is what gives us the ability to influence others in a positive way. It instills in others a certain level of confidence, believability, and trust that we are capable of performing at high levels and in many cases, lead at a high level.  It opens the door for us to be approachable. Change is able to occur regularly, more effectively, and with less resistance. To lose credibility can spell doomsday for teachers and administrators, especially for those who strive to excel beyond average.I walked away from these conversations with a few reflections that I hope will help you avoid similar missteps and allow you to maintain one of your most powerful leadership tools; your credibility.Quit…

1. Making excuses. If the outcomes you were hoping for fall short, ask others where they think the plan went sideways, regroup, and then work side by side to achieve the desired result. If your reason is because you are overwhelmed due to the amount of work coming at you, then ask others for help. Asking for help on the front end is more credible than making excuses on the back end.
2. Taking all the credit when things go well. Yes, certainly we want to celebrate these moments of achievement, but spend more time celebrating the successes of others, rather than your own successes. The greatest joy is seeing others experience their own moments of success and then celebrating with them.
3. Pretending you know it all. No one knows it all and if we begin to think we do, we are in trouble. My colleague and good friend @Jeff_Zoul often shares that he doesn’t have any more answers than the rest of us, but he certainly can share his opinions based on his years of experience. Begin to see yourself as a learner, not a knower.
4. Getting defensive. This is especially true if you ask for feedback or input from others. If you are not prepared to accept responses from others that are given to you (and that you asked for by the way), then refrain from asking. If you ask for input and the responses are contrary to what you expected, guess what? Good news! Recognize this as a sign that perhaps you asked the right people who were willing to tell you what you needed to hear.
5. Lying. Enough said.
6. Manipulating data. Simply put, to do so in order to shine a brighter light on yourself or your school/organization is just wrong. It’s not only unethical, it’s unforgiving. Be transparent when sharing data. No hiding and no.... See item #5 above.
7. Avoiding difficult conversations. Not just in your role as an educator, but in all of your relationships, whether they be with your spouse or significant other, your children or your own parents. When approached from a caring place and delivered from the heart, there is a good chance that a burden will be lifted from not only their shoulders, but yours as well.

With each individual conversation I have described above, I once again tried to refocus my energy, redirect the conversation without judgement, and encourage them to take inventory of item #7, having learned that by failing to do so, we all run the risk of losing a key factor in determining our impact as an educator. This quote from the book Culturize sums it up best for me…“In the end your legacy won’t be about your success, but rather the significance you had on every student, every day, and whether or not you were willing to do whatever it took to inspire them to be more and do more than they ever thought possible.” The same can be said of our colleagues, but in order to make that same impact, our credibility must remain intact.