To quickly review, we typically see Communication Traps fall into two categories – traps in UNDERcommunicating, and traps in OVERcommunicating.
Possip Founder and CEO, Shani Dowell, reflects on some of the most common Communication Traps we hear in feedback from parents across the nation. This is part two of a two-part series.
UNDERcommunication: When schools or districts communicate less than they need to. This could include the following:
- No Communication
- Having Unspoken Rules
- Communicating on a “Need to Know” Basis – as Interpreted by Leadership
- Having an Insiders Club
To read about these traps in full, check out this article: 7 Communication Traps – Part 1: Under Communication.
Over communication is the well-intentioned cousin of under-communication.
OVERcommunication comes when schools or districts value communication – but that ambition may need the additional step of thinking through strategy and systems for communicating. Examples of traps within overcommunication include:
- Chaotic or Unpredictable Communication
- App Mania
- Communicating New and Changing Information Constantly
- Sharing All Information to All People
OVERCommunication Traps
Chaotic or Unpredictable Communication
This trap occurs when the communication from the school is irregular or disorganized, leading to confusion among families. Sometimes schools layer chaotic or unpredictable communication on top of an existing, predictable system. Other times there’s no system at all and the entire system is unpredictable.
Ways communication can get chaotic and unpredictable include the following:
- No standards or systems for teachers (so some teachers communicate using one system or structure and others use no system or structure)
- Updates come real time about topics like transportation, weather, drills
- The person who owns the communication cadence doesn’t have capacity to routinely generate content
- There is no existing structure for communication such as a newsletter
So how do you avoid this?
- Let technology platforms like Possip help you. Possip goes out on a cadence, so you can get your community into a routine and predictable system.
- Delegate ongoing school wide or district wide communication to someone who has capacity to do a weekly newsletter.
- Create norms and systems for teacher communication; when will they send class or grade wide communication? What should it look like?
- Create and communicate frameworks for when real-time updates are warranted, who will send those messages, and through what platform.
App Mania
In an effort to embrace technology, schools may use too many different apps or platforms for communication, which can be overwhelming for families. To prevent this, schools should streamline their digital communication tools. Purposefully choosing platforms that can handle diverse and priority communication needs will make it easier for families to stay informed and engaged without feeling bombarded by numerous apps.
Also, schools and districts should consider if apps are needed at all. A lot can be accomplished via paper, email, and text communication. Our data shows that parents prefer information via text. Further, studies show that app-based communication is less available to families of racially and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds.
So make sure apps aren’t your only method – and are complementary as a tool as opposed to solitary.
Constantly Communicating New and Changing Information
This happens when schools frequently update or change information, causing confusion and making it hard for families to keep up. To mitigate this, it’s important for schools to plan and review their communications for clarity and consistency before sending them out. If changes are necessary, they should be clearly explained and highlighted to ensure everyone is aware of the latest and most accurate information.
Sharing All Information to All People
This involves providing every piece of information to the entire school community, regardless of its relevance to each group. To avoid this overload, schools should segment their communication based on the audience. For example, specific information relevant only to a particular grade or class should be sent only to the families concerned, while general school-wide information can be shared with everyone.
In summary, avoiding these traps involves being strategic and thoughtful about what is communicated, how often it is communicated, through which channels, and to whom. Effective communication is key to building trust and engagement between schools and families.
