Can I make a suggestion?

What if building relationships is more important to school teams than we realised?

What might happen if we invested some time in creatively building trust, psychological safety and a sense of belonging among our teams within school?

A study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology found that teachers who feel supported by their colleagues are less likely to experience burnout.

With 60% of teachers and leaders contemplating leaving, why don’t we try something with a new twist this coming year? What could happen if we change the focus?

I’m not saying that curriculum isn’t important, or that the updated policy isn’t needed, but how about we first focus on the staff being the best they can be, and see what happens to the rest?

What do I mean?

We know from experience and research backs it up, that when we have a healthy and well-functioning team, we are more productive and energetic. We know when we feel trusted and psychologically safe we can thrive.

What would a term starting with this focus look like? Fun? Discovering our strengths? What about adding some self-awareness raising and see what happens to the individuals and also the whole team?

A study published in the International Journal of Stress Management (2017) found that supportive team relationships can buffer against stress and reduce burnout among employees.

What are the teams like in your school? What is your own team like, and what do you contribute to it?

What might a supportive team relationship be like and how do we create it?

I’d suggest this doesn’t happen by accident, rather it is the result of some intentional investment of relationship building.

To invest means we allocate resources. This could be time, money or effort.

What if I suggested that investing in the relationships in your team is a strategic decision that each school should prioritise? Research says the result is a team that feels safer, more productive and happier, who might stay, who are less stressed.

A study published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior (2020) found that teams with strong interpersonal bonds are more resilient in the face of change and challenges.

In school we face more decisions than an air traffic controller each day. We face challenge after challenge and change is constant. It’s unavoidable.

Could we start a discussion around whether we should or could make this a priority as the school year starts?

Want some ideas? How to do this? Let’s have a chat https://calendly.com/rowenaphicks/30min