Guest Author: Angela Kelly Robeck, Host of The Empowered Principal Podcast
There’s a difference between HAVING a school vision and SELLING a school vision. Last month I shared a three-step process that makes developing a school vision simple and doable. (Check out last month’s blog article HERE).
Once you’ve developed a vision that you LOVE and are fully sold on, it’s time to share it with your staff, students, and school community. This is what we call creating “buy-in”. People are literally buying into the vision you are selling. If the concept of “selling” feels uncomfortable, I want you to consider that you aren’t a car salesperson trying to manipulate people into something they don’t want or doesn’t serve them, you are offering them a solution they WANT.
Your school community WANTS a principal who has a clear and tangible vision for their school. They WANT people to lead them. They WANT systems in place that make life easier for them. They WANT the SAME THING you want – a thriving, successful school that is a wonderful place to work. They WANT to believe that your vision is possible.
This is what selling your vision is – it’s helping people see that what they want to experience as teachers, students, and parents IS possible. They must feel the vision viscerally in their bodies. Our job is to paint the vision so clearly, they can FEEL what it will be like to be there.
The Challenge Behind Selling a School Vision
The obvious challenge to creating school vision buy-in with your school community is not knowing how to generate buy-in. You have a diverse group of stakeholders with different perspectives, which can send your brain into lockdown when trying to determine how to effectively communicate. You don’t want to get caught in the trap of making different promises to different groups of people, so it’s tempting to avoid sharing your vision altogether.
Another challenge when creating buy-in is that in every school community are nay-sayers. These are the folks who are the first to point out potential obstacles and flaws in the vision. They’ll say it’s nice in theory but it’s not actually possible to implement – and give you a laundry list of reasons as to why. Nay-sayer energy can convince school leaders that others feel the same way, discouraging you from holding conversations with those who are interested in following the vision.
How to Sell a Compelling School Vision
A school vision is what bridges the gap from where your school is currently performing to where you want your school to be performing. A compelling school vision is one that is clear, tangible, and relatable to each stakeholder group. To create buy-in with your school community, they must be able to see your vision as their OWN vision. They need to see the value of the vision for themselves. Basically, the vision needs to answer the question, “What’s in it for me?”
The reason selling your vision and generating buy-in is so difficult is that you haven’t been taught how to communicate the vision in a way that invites people to see how they fit into the vision and how it benefits them to buy into the vision. Here’s a concise approach to making your vision irresistible to your constituents.
STEP ONE: SELL YOURSELF
The only way to successfully sell your school vision to others is to be 100% sold on it yourself. This requires you to focus your thoughts on the value of the vision – why it works, why it’s the best vision for your school, and how it helps you and your team achieve your goals. If you have doubts that the vision is possible to achieve, you’ll have a pretty hard time convincing others that it’s possible.
There will be challenging days where you wonder if your vision is truly possible. Doubt will creep in and commitment will waver. That’s normal – and – it’s your job as the leader to remind yourself why you decided on this vision and why it matters – for you, staff, students, and your community. The more you focus on the value the vision provides, the easier it will be for you to believe in it 100%.
STEP TWO: ADVERTISE
Here’s the funny thing about creating buy-in. People can’t buy in if they don’t know what they are buying into. You have to tell people about the vision for them to get on board. They need to be aware that it exists. They need to understand what it entails. And they need to hear the benefits of the vision again and again.
Have you ever purchased something you absolutely love, and you tell everyone you know about it? You love it so much (you’re 100% sold on it) that you can’t help but telling other people how much they are going to love it as well. Your vision will be embraced the more you love it and the more you share your love for it with others.
The other way to advertise the vision is to LIVE the vision. Be the example of what the vision looks and feels like by showing up as the version of you who’s already accomplished the vision. Imagine how others would feel if they observed you leading them as though they were already accomplished teachers, successful students, and satisfied parents? You can sell others on the school vision with your energy and action. When they see you living the vision now, they’ll want to join in.
STEP THREE: DEFINE
This step is THE DIFFERENCE between school leaders who have buy-in and those who do not. Your vision is not only about what administration wants. It’s about the PEOPLE who are rolling it out. The people who are boots on the ground, working towards the vision every single day, MUST see how the vision BENEFITS THEM. For you to create buy-in, you must understand for yourself, how the vision supports THEIR vision.
Here are some prompts that can help you define the benefit of the school vision for those you lead:
- Why should they invest time and energy into this vision? What’s in it for them?
- Why is this the BEST investment for THEM? How is it a WIN-WIN.
- How do they get on board? What action do they have to take?
- How will they know they’re making progress?
- What measurements are in place?
- How can they celebrate?
Results and Benefits
Results:
- You have a vision that you can use because there’s a clear process
- You love that it’s so easy to create buy-in
- People love it because they see the value in it for them
Benefits:
- You have leadership focus and less overwhelm
- Your team understands exactly what to do to achieve the vision
- Students and staff benefit, and you leave behind a successful leadership legacy
When you go through this simple three-step process, you’ll create a tangible, livable vision that allows you to be very concrete in your communication, expectations, and approach. You’ll generate enthusiasm and buy-in because others will be able to connect with the vision and see how the vision makes their jobs EASIER. This makes your job easier because empowered teachers are more productive and better problem solvers, leaving you with more time and energy to bring your vision to life.
Get the Support You Deserve
Being a school leader can be an isolating and lonely experience – especially when you’re new. If you are a school leader who wants practical solutions to every aspect of the school leadership journey, I invite you to check out The Empowered Principal® Podcast. As a former teacher, instructional coach, principal, and district administrator, I personally know how challenging school leadership can be and have developed dozens of highly effective tools and strategies to support fellow school leaders. I share my best tips every week on the podcast so that you can create exceptional results and enjoy the school leadership experience.
