Special Edition: For Leaders Crafting Communications

In the light of horrific world events, we wanted to send a note of support

I was in a bit of a bubble until late Saturday and didn’t see the news about the terrorist attacks in Israel until after I sent off last week’s edition. I was preoccupied with my own reaction and then this morning it really hit me how many of you are pouring your attention into ways of supporting your community right now, including crafting communications.

So Lauren Castagnola and I connected this morning and we want to offer this brief post.

There are communications that are just plain hard - several years ago, Lauren and I once had to communicate about a sudden, tragic death of a young staff member and alumna that resonated, and still resonates, as a very personal loss for me. But although it was painful and difficult, it was more or less clear how to proceed.

Communications and statements about national and world events went to another level beginning with the pandemic and then amplified in the wake of George Floyd’s killing and the subsequent summer of activism. Partially, it’s because we are in such a fractured time when people are looking to sources of authority and comfort closer to home. And in retrospect, it also seems social media had a fundamental shift around 2014/2015 to being a vehicle to shape political, social and cultural points of views. So the expectations for communications in general changed. And the ability for choices in words or phrases to derail the intention of your message also increased. And this all heightens the stress around crafting these communications.

There is the choice of whether or not you need to write a statement.

It seems we’re in a place where schools produce statements more often than in 2015, but less often than in 2020. And that decision depends completely on your school community, the expectations and leadership style of the head of school. 

And maybe the more important decision rather than IF is WHO it goes to and HOW a message goes out. That will shape the tone of the message. Is it the internal adult community? Depending on the age of the students, all kids? Internal plus parents? Everyone in your community? Is it standalone? Is it part of a weekly newsletter to parents? Is it intended to be read at a school assembly? 

Then there is the intention

As well as shaping it for the audience for which it is intended, or crafting a message that can then be edited a bit depending on the audience, there is the intent behind the statement. And depending on your writing style and the working relationship the head of school and director of communications have, the process may vary but Lauren and I usually established this direction before we started to draft.

Is it a capital S school statement taking a position? Is it a personal expression from the head of school? Is it direction towards who at the school can offer support and resources? Is it links to support and resources? Is it a combination? What is needed to go out under the Head of School’s signature and what can come from another senior administrator?

Then there is content

This is also incredibly individualized depending on the people and the school culture, but the general advice here is to try and put yourselves in the shoes of a variety of constituents and how they are feeling right now.. And then think hard about how to connect with them. It’s not about telling a wide range of people what they “want to hear.” It’s about appreciating where people are at and expressing that you understand that.

This is hard and it’s not a skill everyone has, or has yet to develop. If it isn’t a strong skill for you, reach out and talk to some people in the community you trust. Filter what they are saying to get to the emotions underneath it. Lauren and I agree that it is really important to develop this ability to communicate empathy in a genuine way with your constituents. You don’t always hit the mark, but people can tell the difference between an “I know people are upset” that feels surface level and insincere and finding a way, often through a very short narrative, to express that you truly understand.

Timing

This is another one that depends on your individual situation and whether an email blast to everyone feels necessary as quickly as possible or whether you want to layer your communications to different constituents. 

For those of you who may be curious, our process was something like this:

One of us would reach out to the other to start the conversation around IF we needed a statement. I brought my HOS perspective and Lauren brought her comms professional perspective. Occasionally we would reach out to another senior administrator but not usually. Once we agreed that something needed to go out under the HOS signature, Lauren usually did the first draft and then I worked with that. Sometimes I rewrote big chunks and sometimes I edited. Depending on the situation, we might get together or get on the phone and go over the statement one final time. And depending on the situation, but I would say usually, I looped in the board chair before we hit “send.”

Finally, I would offer these two thoughts. One, in an unfolding situation, address what you feel you can address well in the time frame you have. You can always send another communication. Two, your ability to get the if, who, how, what and when all right to connect with the largest number of people will always vary. Communications is a deeply human venture (of course!) and some messages are going to be very effective and some are going to fall flat. Some are going to miss completely and you will have to address it in another communication. There will be other opportunities and sometimes we just do the best we can. It’s the way it goes. Feel the fear and hit send anyway.

Emotions are running high and you are not immune! Don’t forget to that.

The news has been deeply upsetting and speaking for myself, I have had a sense of being destabilized hearing horrific detail after horrific detail, all the very human pain, that not a family in Israel has been left unaffected and the surety that more pain and horror is still to come. And I found myself disturbed to realize how I had put the horror of Ukraine on a back burner at this point - I had been very upset when that war first started on Europe’s doorstep, hearing details of atrocities, and now it’s more or less a few moments of distress I can navigate each day as I catch up on the news. I know it is impossible to leave our tender humanity perpetually open to the slings and arrows of evil that abound in this world, but it was also a reminder to me that without allowing in the pain, empathy is an empty shell. 

Lauren and I wish you all the best as you navigate your choices. Hearing your voices means so much to your communities. We are here rooting for you.

Best to you all in the good work of serving kids and communities -

Julie