W
hen I left my last reporting position to be the writer/videographer for the Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District, I transferred my content creation skills from journalism to an organization’s brand and vision. I produced articles, newsletters, social media posts, videos and live shows on our cable access channel. We wanted to tell our story, showcase our students and place our teachers and staff on full display for the awesome, life-changing power public schools possess. But, I only had half of the equation. Focusing exclusively or disproportionately on content leaves you measuring success by clicks, reach, views and other one-way metrics. I love posting a video and watching how many views it gets. The sensation of your content being watched triggers a dopamine rush. But what do you learn when you get 100,000 views on the video you post of your superintendent leading a choreography lesson of Cotton Eye Joe to 40 district administrators? Do you support your organization by trying to increase your post frequency on Facebook from five times per week to 10? Does measuring content views and production tell you what your stakeholders need or help inform decision-makers about how to act? If you based your public relations and strategic communications solely on content production, it’s easier to manage, track and view success, but you’re missing out on the conversation.
Sending a survey feels like an easy, measurable and obtainable way to collect stakeholder feedback, especially when you make questions multiple choice. Pie charts, anyone? But survey fatigue often leaves end users feeling unheard, underrepresented and overwhelmed. Everyone loves to host a good old-fashioned town hall, but does anyone ever walk away from a large, single speaker forum feeling heard?
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In Leander ISD, we implemented a strategy called “listening sessions,” which acts as a focus group or interview to collect qualitative or street data. A lot of our learning came from the book “The Listening Leader: Creating the Conditions for Equitable School Transformation” by Shane Safir. Summer 2021 | www.TSPRA.org
