It’s an old marketing maxim that you have to start where the people are. Politicians say the same thing a little differently:  “Don’t get too far ahead of the crowd.”

        We educators have a tendency to ignore these basic tenets.  Quite often, I believe, we’re way beyond where the people are.  Sometimes, in fact, the crowd is no where in sight.

        For example, we believe that citizens are really interested in knowing all the details about our budgets, and so we go to great lengths to explain things.  We give reports and provide line item printouts that detail every expenditure, right down to the penny.  Truth is, however, most parents are more interested in the safety and security of their child, their child’s academic progress, and their child’s curriculum.  When it comes to money all they really want to know is if the schools are financially “okay.”  (Incidentally, the nonparent crowd has the same level of interest in school finance.)

        We’re even ahead of the crowd when it comes to report cards.  Many of us remember carrying a 5 x 7-card home to our parents.  The card had a half-dozen subjects listed on the left, and seven columns across the top – one for each of the six marking periods and a seventh for the final grade.  Parents looked at the card and learned how we were doing in school.
 
        My children have come home with report cards the size of a pillowcase.  The intent, of course, is to help assure that parents like me are fully informed.  And, so, the teachers assign Ns, Ss, and Os (N = not satisfactory; S = satisfactory; O = outstanding) to a variety of items in an effort to keep us fully informed.

        Early in her educational career my daughter received an O for “recognizes phonemes.”  I’m sure someone thought that it was important for me to know that, but it’s my guess that most parents don’t know what a phoneme is and wouldn’t recognize one if it kicked them in the shin.  I know that the idea is to keep parents informed, but I think we’re way beyond the people.
 
        The list goes on.  For example, educators tend to think of the new basics – reading, writing, arithmetic, and technology.  But only about 20 percent of American citizens identify technology as one of the basics.  Most people still think of the basics as the 3 Rs.  We’re beyond them when we include technology.

        Test scores provide another example of our tendency to be ahead of the crowd.  We think people really pay attention to them.  We even get a little apoplectic every year when the scores are released.  But only about 10 percent of the America people identify test scores as an indicator of school effectiveness.  Again, we are beyond the people (and we haven’t even mentioned stanines and quartiles).

        So, how do we find out where the people are, and why should we care, anyway?

        Let’s take the last question first.  We should care because nothing succeeds without public understanding and support.  Abraham Lincoln was the first to make this observation, and the wisdom of his insight has been regularly reaffirmed.

        If you’re focused on changing school boundaries and most parents are concerned about their child’s safety and security, no boundary will change, at least not without a lot of emotional bloodshed.

        If you’re championing new facilities – creating the school of the future! – and most people in your community think that the current schools are good enough, you’re ahead of the crowd and destined to be identified as the school district that lost it’s bond issue.

        So, what’s the remedy?  How can we start where the people are?  There are several ways, and all of them are related to listening.

        First, we can review existing data.  For example, studying demographic data from the township and census data from the government is a good starting point for the pursuit of insight.  If the data tell us that a lot of people in our community are age 55 or older and have lived here a long time, that’s a lot different than discovering that most people in our community are young parents with one or two children who have been residents less than three years.  And, if we discover that both of these things are true, we’ve learned something else that will help us develop our communication strategy.

        Second, we can engage people – meet with them to discover what they know about their schools and what they want an education to look like in their community.  This makes a great deal of sense because it enables us to learn where the people are and where they want to go.

        Unfortunately, engagement is hard work.  It means hearing things that you may not want to hear.  It means working with people to help them understand.

        Because engagement means hard work and takes time and requires more meetings, most school people will turn their attention to other matters.  That’s too bad, because community engagement is a wonderful way to learn where the people are and to work with them designing the educational program that they want.  Community engagement also builds a constituency or support group for the schools, and that’s a fringe benefit that most school districts can’t afford to ignore.

        Finally, there are statistical variations of community engagement.  These usually take the form of surveys or, more recently, focus panels.

        Most everyone knows about surveys, but most school districts have never conducted one.  Why is this?  First, many school people don’t know how to conduct surveys.  Second, many school people steer away from surveys because they fear what they might find out.  And, third, the outbound part of communication (sending newsletters, for example) is much easier than the inbound part of communication (where you have to listen and respond to what you hear). 

        Yet, the usual reasons for not conducting surveys are little more than lame excuses (and may place you well behind where the people are).  First, school people are smart enough to conduct surveys, and there are plenty of organizations and self-help materials to get them started.  Second, fearing the results is head-in-the-sand thinking which may lead to some real surprises.  (It’s my experience from two decades of surveying that the results will always be better than school people think.  If you think the public will assign your schools a grade of C, my bet is that you’ll get a C+ or better.)  And, finally, a great deal of our outbound communication hasn’t worked because we’ve neglected the inbound signals.  In this regard, surveys can save school districts from wasting their communication capital by assuring that publications and other outbound vehicles are on target.

        Surveys can be elaborate undertakings that yield a truckload or information.  Or they can be quite simple.  As an example, here’s a four-question survey that will get you ahead of the crowd:

        1. All things considered, what grade would you give the ABC Public Schools, an A, B, C, D, or FAIL?  In the spirit of the letter grades on my old report card, this question will give you an idea of where you stand.  You should ask this question every year.

        2. Is there anything that you particularly dislike about the ABC Public Schools?  This open-end or free response question will tell you what people in the community are grumbling about.  These are the things that you need to address.

        3. What do you think is especially good about the ABC Public Schools?  The answers to this question will tell you what you should be showcasing.  These are also the successes that you continuously improve and build on.
 
        4. If you could set one priority for the ABC Public Schools, what would it be?  The people in your community think you should be attending to these things.  This is what they think should be in your strategic plan.

        Add a few demographic questions to these four (e.g., Do you have school age children?  What grades are they in?  How many years have you lived in the school district?  What do you do for a living?) and you have a five-minute survey that will let you know where the people are.

        Many school district troubles can be traced being too far ahead – or too far behind – the crowd.  The remedy is a dose of listening, taken regularly.

        Effective leaders have always tuned in to what people are thinking.  They know that telling people something is not nearly as effective as listening to what’s on the their minds.

        Now effective leaders are engaging citizens in determining the future of their schools.  They’ve learned that listening to people, responding to their needs, and engaging them in creating the future is powerful medicine.  And, while it is hard work, it is also the best way to be where the people are.

Are You a DMA? What to do the next time you're trapped in a dumb meeting.

        Do you attend a lot of dumb meetings? If so, you are a DMA -- Dumb Meeting Attender. DMAs are easy to identify: They are always too busy to think, and they never have enough time for the things that they should be doing. 

        If this describes you, don't be alarmed that your cortex is dormant and statisticians consider you a threat to national productivity. You are not alone. People all across the country routinely head off to gatherings of well-meaning folks who come together without clear purpose and depart having accomplished little. In fact, the odds are pretty good that thousands of people like you will go to yet another dumb meeting today.

        Here are the signs you'll have to heed to avoid these major drains on your thinking time. And if you do get trapped in a dumb meeting, here are some ways you can score points and -- with a little luck -- escape.

Indicators of Dumb Meetings

        First, recognize the clues that indicate you're about to be sucked in to another dumb meeting. Several red flags signal a waste of time on the near horizon. 

        The first clue is that the meeting is regularly scheduled, say from 9:00 a.m. until noon, every Wednesday. People who plan regularly scheduled meetings are always concerned that they may not have items to fill the agenda. Their biggest fear is that the business of the meeting will be accomplished by 10 a.m., and participants will go back to work or -- heaven forbid! -- start thinking about something important. And so they make sure that "everyone has a chance to be heard" on every item, and they pack the agenda with items that aren't always related to the meeting's purpose. People who plan regularly scheduled meetings feel a secret sense of triumph when it's noon and there are still three items to cover. 

        A second indicator of a dumb meeting is that it is not regularly scheduled. These meetings are often convened because "something just came up." This sense of urgency usually means that some of the people attending will be the "wrong people," clueless as to why they were called to participate. But even the right people at these meetings usually are ill-prepared and wish that the person who convened the meeting would simply handle whatever "came up."

        A person who doesn't know how to conduct a meeting provides another DM red flag. Many of these dumb meetings are characterized by unclear purpose and no apparent path leading to conclusion. During these confabs one often wonders if the end of the world will come before the end of the meeting. As they drone on, the only participants smiling are those whose bladder capacity is about to afford them temporary escape.

        A fourth tip off to a dumb meeting is provided by the number of people who are saying, "I was just told to be here." These meetings often have their genesis on a golf course or in other gatherings of power brokers who didn't want to spend their time on the topic. The importance of these get-togethers is inversely correlated to the number of people carrying brand new legal-size tablets.

Types of Dumb Meetings

        Battlegrounds -- These are meetings people attend to protect or defend an idea, position, or program. "I have to be there in case so-and-so attacks our department," say the people who head off to Battlegrounds. This is dumb because the best they'll have in the end is what they have now. They attend
Battleground meetings because they don't have confidence in the person running the meeting. They believe that if their department does come under attack, the convener won't have enough sense to table the discussion until they can be present. And, so, they exhaust their energy maintaining the status quo.

        Fill-Ins -- These are meetings people attend because their boss wants them there, "filling in." The appropriate behavior is to represent the boss with dignity. This is best accomplished by advancing lofty thoughts related to the subject matter of the meeting. But understand that Fill Ins tend to disappoint those who want to schmooze with the top banana. Worse yet, they create more dumb meetings because those attending will need to get together again to figure out whether the Fill In was indeed representing the boss, and what, if anything, they should do about what the boss supposedly told the Fill In to say.

        Be Spotteds -- These are meetings people attend because they need to be seen ... because so-and-so is going to be there or because it will look bad for the organization if it doesn't have a presence. People attending Be Spotted meetings try to expend very little energy, to avoid any assignment, and to escape as soon as they have been spotted by the three most important people at the meeting. And, they always come up with a good excuse for leaving early. They say, for example, that they have a plane to catch, another meeting to attend, or an appointment with a heart specialist.

        Round-Ups -- These are meetings people attend to look over the herd -- to see how big it is and which way it's moving. Round Ups tend to be meetings of peers; e.g., an association meeting or a meeting of the Society for Whatever. There are very few entrepreneurs in sight at a Round Up. Savvy meeting-goers know that the goal at a Round Up is to avoid being trampled. (By the way, the best place to be at a Round-up is in the hallway outside the meeting. That's where the real action takes place!)

        Stay Puts -- As signaled by either agenda content or the characteristics of the participants, these meetings have maintenance of the status quo as their avowed purpose. People at these meetings carry virtual anchors to maintain position in the currents of change.
Meetings to Plan Meetings (MPMs) -- These meetings bring together people who usually aren't interested in the agenda. The reason: They don't have to run the meeting that is being planned. Watch out if the chairperson opens the MPM by saying, "Okay, how about if we begin at 8:30 with coffee and muffins, and then, at nine o'clock, Sally can give the welcome ...." Odds are you're about to focus more on logistics than content. And it's a pretty sure bet that you're about to waste more of your thinking time in yet another dumb meeting.

Scoring Points at Dumb Meetings

        Because you are more likely to attend than avoid dumb meetings, here are some ways to score points and increase the likelihood of becoming a DME (Dumb Meeting Escapee):

        1. Make people think you're too important to take on a task. To create this perception, you must arrive exactly on time, walk into the room with the posture of a Marine Corps private, and take your place at the table as if the table belongs to you. Nod at your fellow participants, and look the convener directly in the nose. Never open your leather-bound portfolio. Leave it on the table with your calendar book on top. (Five points)

        2. Sit left of the chairperson. Researchers say this is the power seat. If you grab this seat you barely have to pay attention. In fact, you can discretely work on your to do-list. If you have to rush for the seat, score five points. If people hold it open for you, score 25.

        3. Agree with the chairperson in such a way that others at the meeting don't think you're a schmuck. This usually requires you to recite a brief anecdote. The idea is not to tell people that you agree with the chair. Rather, the idea is to weave a tale that forces them to wonder about the extent to which you are aligned with the chair. If someone tries to pin you down, forget the short anecdote. Instead, launch into an analogy about organizational culture. You score more by taking the initiative (10 points) than by waiting to be put on the spot (2 points).

        4. Be a devil's advocate. After people present their idea and their best thinking about its virtues, ask them this question: "Jim, you have a great idea and a masterful implementation plan. Your goals are clear, your objectives measurable, and you have the right people assigned to the project. But what will you do if this doesn't work?" This point-scoring question for demonstrating your acumen works especially well if you ask it of the toughest person at the meeting. Give yourself 25 points. If you pull it off with someone who is easily duped, score two points.

        5. Have your name mentioned by a fellow DMA who has any kind of group respect. Just make sure your name isn't associated with doing anything. For example, score five points if your colleague says something like, "Rita's research on this subject is very clear and should provide the basis for our decision-making." Subtract 50 points if this is followed by "... and that's why she would be a natural to head up the task force."

        6. Drive the meeting to collapse. This is far different from moving to adjourn, which is a two-pointer. Think of blowing up a balloon, holding it by the neck, and releasing it into the room. The balloon shoots upward, does a few loops, expels hot air, and finally comes to rest in a wrinkled heap. This is the effect you want. It's worth 100 points if you can pump everyone up, let them feel good while they do a few loops, and lead them to realize that the show is over. You'll know you've scored when the meeting convener says, "Maybe this is something that we can put to rest."

        7. Leave before the number of DMAs dwindles to three. When you find yourself trapped in a dumb meeting, you have two basic choices. Both are difficult. First, you can leave. But this may lead people to question your attitude and your value to the organization (unless you can convincingly fake a terminal sounding cough as you push away from the table and rush for the door).

        Your second choice is to stay and try to make a difference. Before you exercise this option, however, try to recall all the meetings you can that have made a difference.

        If you notice that people are trickling out of the meeting, don't wait too long to join the parade. When there are a dozen people in the room, no one will notice your absence. But you're trapped if you and Clyde are the only two people left at the table. Score 10 points if you are in the first or second wave of meeting escapees.

        Here's my golden rule for meetings: Never use them to advocate ideas. Advocate ideas and politic for their support outside meetings. Then use meetings to have someone announce that the organization is supportive of your idea and going forward with it. (This will enable you to score bonus points and schedule some dumb meetings of your own!)

        People have been heading off to dumb meetings for centuries. The future portents more of the same. Maybe your best bet is to add a DMD -- Dumb Meeting Designate -- to your staff. That would create a new career track for business administration graduates while simultaneously decreasing the national unemployment rate. And it would enable you to spend half the time you save thinking and the other half doing something worthwhile.