I enjoyed my time on the ELB podcast with Jon Konen from Montana.
Jon is a great educational leader who has served in several different roles in Montana. He has been a Principal, athletic director, Superintendent, and now Curriculum Director. You can view the full episode here:
Jon spoke a lot about building relationships. I asked him what his one word was, what his mindset was, and what his strategy was to survive and thrive. He answered right away: tangible.
I’ve asked that question often but never heard that answer. He thought it really important to do tangible things to build relationships. He spoke of a teacher who he worked with at the beginning of the year. He intentionally looked to learn at least two things personally about her teaching—not just a quick “Hey, how are you,” but two things about them that he could ask about to follow up with support and more.
This reminded me of what my friend Jeff Thomas in Vermont had shared about his eight before eight. Making eight intentional connections before 8 AM. Here is Jeff on #leadershipsparks:
These are two great examples of being intentional about building relationships. One thing I like to do is write/create the follow-up note. Something good happens, something bad happens, and you want to make an authentic check-in? The quick handwritten note says a lot. Different from a text or email, the hand written note is more personal and more authentic. Try it. The impacts are powerful and meaningful.
Let’s not just talk about building relationships. Let’s put tangible, purposeful actions into place. Great tip, Jon and Jeff! Keep surviving and thriving, friends!
