On and off throughout my career, I have tried sending regularly scheduled counselor messages to my coworkers. Whether those were weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, they all failed until this year.
- Monthly messages were too long. I always had too much to say that built up between messages, and I'd either leave out big chunks of information, or I'd send out a pseudo-novel that nobody wanted to read.
- I would always forget to do the bi-weekly messages because my brain just couldn't stick to that schedule, and nobody knew when to expect them.
- The first time I tried weekly messages, I was too business-like. They were basically just announcements, so they were just as boring to write as they were for people to read.
You can probably guess the kind of reaction I got, and how much return I was getting on my efforts.
I changed my strategy this year, though, and the results have been very different.
I decided early on to be as casual and personable as possible. I would use these messages to help staff get to know me, and if I managed to inspire them a little bit or share some professionally relevant information, all the better!
I decided early on to be as casual and personable as possible. I would use these messages to help staff get to know me, and if I managed to inspire them a little bit or share some professionally relevant information, all the better!
My messages have ranged from silly to heartfelt. I've talked about stuffing my face on Thanksgiving, and I've talked about some of the toughest challenges I've faced in my career. I have quoted the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air them song, and I have announced my wife's pregnancy. I have praised my coworkers for the job they do, and I've apologized for blunders that I have made.
Regardless of the overall content, though, I try to include something inspiring and motivational in every message. Sometimes that's a link to a Ted Talk. Sometimes it's a challenge to interact with students in a particular way that I think will help improve relationships. Sometimes I steal somebody else's quote and just tell people to think about it.
And unlike my previous attempts at regularly scheduled messages from the counselor, this year they actually feel worthwhile. On a regular basis, I hear from people who have tried something I suggested and found some success. I hear from people who were inspired by something I wrote. Sometimes I hear from people who disagree and want to talk about it, which (believe it or not) has been awesome!
One of the features of this blog will be a Monday Morning Message. Sometimes it will be very similar to what I share with my school, but I doubt the two will ever be identical. If nothing else, it will be an opportunity for you to get to know me, and hopefully I'll find a way to inspire you along the way.
Regardless of the overall content, though, I try to include something inspiring and motivational in every message. Sometimes that's a link to a Ted Talk. Sometimes it's a challenge to interact with students in a particular way that I think will help improve relationships. Sometimes I steal somebody else's quote and just tell people to think about it.
And unlike my previous attempts at regularly scheduled messages from the counselor, this year they actually feel worthwhile. On a regular basis, I hear from people who have tried something I suggested and found some success. I hear from people who were inspired by something I wrote. Sometimes I hear from people who disagree and want to talk about it, which (believe it or not) has been awesome!
One of the features of this blog will be a Monday Morning Message. Sometimes it will be very similar to what I share with my school, but I doubt the two will ever be identical. If nothing else, it will be an opportunity for you to get to know me, and hopefully I'll find a way to inspire you along the way.
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