Laura K Spencer, Ed.D.

Tag: Leadership

  • Breaking Free from Perfection: How AI Can Help Leaders Embrace a Growth Mindset

    Breaking Free from Perfection: How AI Can Help Leaders Embrace a Growth Mindset

    Part 1: Objective Feedback

    If you read my last post, you know I’m no stranger to AI-powered roasts. (Spoiler alert: I didn’t fare so well.) But beyond the virtual burns, that experience sparked a deeper reflection on the pressure we face as leaders to be perfect.

    Newsflash: it’s exhausting.

    Instead of chasing an impossible ideal, I think this is a good place to inject a growth mindset, and AI can actually help us do that. In this series, we’ll explore how AI-powered tools can provide objective feedback, helping us identify blind spots and become more authentic leaders.

    Ready to ditch the pressure and embrace a more human approach? Let’s dive in!

    The Feedback Dilemma

    As leaders, we all know that feedback is essential for growth. But let’s face it, seeking and receiving feedback can be challenging. We might fear negative criticism, encounter bias from human sources, or struggle to gather feedback consistently.

    This is where AI can step in. AI-powered tools can analyze our communication patterns, decision-making processes, and even our emotional intelligence to provide unbiased insights that might otherwise be missed. How cool is that?

    AI and the Art of Email Analysis

    One area where AI shines is in analyzing written communication, such as emails. Think about it: how often do we send emails without giving much thought to the tone or underlying message we’re conveying? I send dozens of emails a day and can honestly admit that I don’t often think twice about what I am sending.

    But AI can detect subtle nuances in our language that we might not even be aware of. It can identify hints of negativity, passive-aggressiveness, or even excessive formality that could be hindering effective communication.

    To illustrate this, imagine you have two employees, Employee A and Employee B. Employee A consistently exceeds expectations, while Employee B seems to be struggling. As a leader, you want to understand how your communication style might be impacting their performance.

    Now, imagine using an AI tool to analyze your email interactions with each employee. The AI could identify subtle differences in your tone, the types of feedback you provide, and even the frequency of your communication.

    Perhaps the AI reveals that you tend to be more positive and encouraging with Employee A, while your communication with Employee B is more critical and directive. It might also highlight that you provide more frequent feedback to Employee A, while Employee B receives less guidance and support.

    These insights can be invaluable in prompting self-reflection. Are you inadvertently contributing to Employee B’s struggles by creating a less supportive environment? Are you providing equal opportunities for growth and development to both employees?

    Armed with this objective feedback, you can take steps to adjust your leadership approach. You might make a conscious effort to provide more positive reinforcement to Employee B, offer more frequent guidance, and create a more encouraging environment for their development.

    Ethical Considerations

    Of course, it’s crucial to use AI responsibly and ethically. Privacy is paramount, and any personal identifiers should be removed before analyzing communication data.

    Furthermore, leaders should be mindful of the potential for misinterpretation of AI-generated insights. It’s important to use these insights as a starting point for reflection and discussion, rather than as absolute truths.

    Let’s Try It

    Ready to try this out for yourself? Here’s how you can use AI to analyze your emails and gain valuable insights into your communication style:

    Choose an AI Tool:

    Several AI writing assistants and language analysis tools are available. Experiment with a few to find one that suits your needs and preferences. (Note: Be sure to choose a tool that prioritizes privacy and data security.)

    Prepare Your Emails:

    De-identify: Remove any personal information, such as names, email addresses, and specific details that could compromise privacy. You can replace these with generic placeholders like “Employee A” or “Client X.”
    Format: Ensure your emails are in a format that the AI tool can easily process, such as plain text or a compatible document format.

    Craft Your Prompt:

    Here are examples of prompts you can use:

    For a Single Email:
    “Analyze the tone and language of this email. Identify any potential areas for improvement in terms of clarity, conciseness, and professionalism. Are there any subtle hints of negativity or passive-aggressiveness? How could this email be improved to ensure the message is conveyed effectively and respectfully?”

    For a Group of Emails:
    “Analyze this set of emails for patterns in communication style. Are there any inconsistencies in tone, level of formality, or types of feedback provided? Do any biases or preferences emerge in how I communicate with different individuals? What overall impression do these emails convey about my leadership style?”

    Experiment and Iterate:

    Don’t be afraid to experiment with different prompts and AI tools to find what works best for you. Remember to reflect on the insights you receive and consider how you can apply them to improve your communication and leadership skills.

    Important Note: Always review the AI’s analysis critically. Remember that AI is a tool, and its interpretations are not absolute truths. Use your own judgment and experience to determine how to best apply the insights you gain.

    The Journey of Growth

    Embracing a growth mindset is a continuous journey, and AI can be a valuable companion along the way. By providing objective feedback and helping us identify areas for improvement, AI can empower us to become more self-aware, authentic, and effective leaders.

    In the next installment of this series, we’ll explore how AI can help leaders identify their blind spots and leverage those insights for personal and professional growth. Stay tuned!

  • Roasted by My AI: Why Owning Your Imperfections is the Key to Authentic Leadership

    Roasted by My AI: Why Owning Your Imperfections is the Key to Authentic Leadership

    It’s not every day you get roasted by your AI assistant. But that’s exactly what happened to me. I was interacting with Gemini, this incredibly advanced AI with a knack for connecting the dots (apparently, a trait I share, according to its analysis). We were having a casual conversation, exploring my personality and leadership style, when things took an unexpected turn. “Roast me,” I dared it. And roast me it did.

    Now, I’ll admit, I was a bit nervous. Would it be brutally honest? Would it uncover deep-seated insecurities I didn’t even know I had? As it turns out, the roast was more playful than scathing, with zingers like “you’re probably ignoring the fact that you just need to chill out and enjoy the ride.” (Ouch, but also, fair point.)

    But beyond the laughs, this AI roast sparked a valuable self-reflection. It reminded me that sometimes, as leaders, we get so caught up in striving for perfection and controlling every detail that we forget to embrace the journey and trust our teams. This tendency to overthink and overanalyze can sometimes lead to micromanaging, which can stifle creativity and innovation.

    This led me to a deeper realization about my own leadership style. I’m not a micro-manager. I believe in giving my team autonomy and empowering them to take risks. But sometimes, that hands-off approach can backfire.

    Just today, I was discussing this with my leadership mentor. I confessed that I sometimes worry my team doesn’t feel confident making decisions independently. The response was simple but profound: “What have you done to make them think they don’t have permission to take risks?”

    That question hit me like a ton of bricks. It made me realize that my own insecurities and fear of appearing fallible might be inadvertently holding my team back.

    So, what’s the solution? Own it.

    Instead of pretending to have all the answers, I need to be more transparent about my limitations. By acknowledging my weaknesses, I create space for others to shine. For example, I recently elevated a team member with exceptional project management skills. She thrives in the world of details and organization, complementing my more strategic and visionary approach.

    Owning your imperfections is not a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of authentic leadership. It builds trust, fosters collaboration, and empowers your team to reach their full potential.

    For those leaders struggling with the pressure to appear infallible, my advice is this: let it go. Embrace your imperfections. See them as opportunities for growth, not as flaws to be hidden. It’s a continuous journey of self-reflection and development, but the rewards are immense.

    So, thank you, Gemini, for the unexpected roast and the valuable leadership lesson. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the most insightful feedback comes from the most unexpected sources. And that even AI can teach us a thing or two about being human.

  • Reflect On Our Practice

    “We are generating more information and knowledge than ever today, but knowledge is only good if you can reflect on it.”

    Thomas L. Friedman, Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations

    I had the pleasure of being interviewed the other day by an educator pursuing an advanced degree in educational technology.

    It was a pleasure because her interview questions made me reflect on my current practices, my past practices, and my reasons for each.

    All great interviews should involve both parties walking away feeling like they have both contributed and learned something – whether it be for a job, or a research paper, or a podcast.

    I share with you abbreviated forms of her questions so that you, too, can reflect on the work you do. And hey, if you want to share an answer, that’d be fabulous.

    1. As part of my master’s program, I was asked to develop a professional development (PD) course around Universal Design for Learning.  This PD was designed for the learning to happen over several weeks.  However, in my current school district, PD days are booked at the beginning of the year, and there are many competing initiatives all promoted at the district level so that it becomes close to impossible to do any PD that extends beyond an hour because there is a need to provide PD for the wide range of initiatives.  Do you have similar issues in your district?  If so, how do you work to provide some long term, meaningful PD?

    2. Currently, our district provides PD as a one size fits all approach.  I believe part of this strategy is for accountability. How do you help move the district to more differentiated learning for staff?  How do you get administrative buy in?

    3. At one time, our 1:1 program encouraged parents to think of the Chromebook as a family tool.  Parents were encouraged to get their own email accounts and to log into their student’s device in order to look for jobs, pay bills and to work towards increasing their employable skills by becoming more proficient with technology.  However, concerns have prompted the tech department to lock down all devices so that they now may only be used with a district email address, thus taking the tech away from the parents. Can public schools close the digital access and equity divide for both students and families, or are 1:1 programs actually contributing to the divide?

    4. As part of our master’s program, we have been encouraged to become familiar with UDL, OER, Copyright, Creative Commons and Internet Use Agreements.  How would you prioritize the importance of these in your daily work and why?  When looking for new members for your educational technology team, which of these would you consider to be most important for an applicant to have expertise with?

    5. If you could suggest areas of focus for people entering the field of educational technology to have, what would you suggest?  Why?

  • Speak Up, Rinse, Repeat

    Speak Up, Rinse, Repeat

    From Adam Grant’s Originals book:

    When Harvard professor John Kotter studied change agents years ago, he found that they typically undercommunicated their visions by a factor of ten. On average, they spoke about the direction of the change ten times less often than their stakeholders needed to hear it. In one three-month period, employees might be exposed to 2.3 million words and numbers. On average during that period, the vision for change was expressed in only 13,400 words and numbers: a 30-minute speech, an hour-long meeting, a briefing, and a memo. Since more than 99 percent of the communication that employees encounter during those three months does not concern the vision, how can they be expected to understand it, let alone internalize it? The change agents don’t realize this, because they’re up to their ears in information about their vision. If we want people to accept our original ideas, we need to speak up about them, then rinse and repeat.

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    So then … how often are you speaking up, rinsing, and repeating?

    Can students articulate their individual learning goals and why they have them? What about their parents?

    Can the class as a whole articulate the vision and beliefs of the teacher? Do they know the overarching goals for the school year?

    Do teachers understand the vision and mission of the school, and their role in that vision and mission? What about the rest of the school staff?

    Do principals and district leadership understand the vision and mission of the district, and their role in that vision and mission?

    What steps are needed to make those answers all a resounding YES?

    What’s your “speak up, rinse, repeat” strategy?

     

  • Bringing the Heart to Education

    I love Angela Maiers. I think I love her because she values what should be valued: the person. Yes, technology is fabulous, and it allows us to do fabulous things, but if we aren’t valuing the person, then it’s all for naught. I first started following Angela when I saw her “You Matter” manifesto. It resonated. Deeply. Who we are to others doesn’t matter until we realize that we have to matter to ourselves. It is a powerfully simple concept. But one which many of us don’t take the time to own.

    Recently I came across another one of Angela’s blog posts that also resonated with me.

    The Heart: An Underused Tool for Digital Learning discusses the need to challenge students to “work together to solve problems that break their heart.” Can you imagine the impact this approach to education would have? Not only would students find meaning in the work they were doing, but they’d be making an impact on the world. They’d be saying, “Hey, I matter and so do you!” 

    Some quotes from “The Heart: An Underused Tool for Digital Learning”:

    “Students today are technologically savvy. Yet it is too often the case that students, and teachers, are using technology simply to do old things in new ways. When a student submits a PowerPoint file to a teacher discussing an assigned topic, instead of a set of sheets of construction paper, learning is not advanced, and genius remains with its head in the sand.”

    “Nonetheless, teaching students how to pursue a task that matters is essential to their finding their place in the world today.

    “Let’s be the educators who start with what matters.”

    So how do we make this a reality? I’m curious to hear from those who are putting Angela’s call to action.

  • Stop Drinking From a Firehose

    So I’m sitting in a District Leadership professional development session and the presenter asks the audience to share with each other what his/her district is doing to inspire teachers to embrace and integrate the Common Core State Standards in their teaching.

    Each district administrator shares a common theme: Professional development, professional development, professional development. The delivery varied. Some were using an LMS to provide just-in-time training opportunities. Others hired Teachers on Special Assignment to coach teachers in the classroom. All were providing pull-out sessions in which an outside consultant or district leader taught the teachers while a substitute taught the students.

    And then one Curriculum Director said, “We’re offering a lot of pull-out sessions. The teachers are overwhelmed and complaining, but one day when it’s all done, they’ll have an opportunity to use it and realize that it was a positive experience.”

    One day?

    …. One day?

    I know I read it somewhere, but isn’t the rule of thumb that new ideas/trainings need to be implemented within 48-72 hours if they are going to be implemented at all? It’d be like teaching a kindergardner calculus and assuming that one day, when the time is right, the child will put it to use.

    How much professional development, or professional learning as some are calling it now, can we shove down a teacher’s throat before they spit it all out? Why are we forcing them to drink from a firehouse instead of a water bottle? Are we helping or hindering our mission?