Contribute to your school’s communication strategic planning
As an Executive Assistant we spend many hours managing our email inboxes. Yes, there are tools and focus time to assist staying in control of this communication platform - but let’s think more broadly.
When I began in Education 12 years ago, email was the main source of digital communication. I would extract email data from the school's management system and then communicate to staff, parents, students and the wider community. Times have now changed, and school communication channels have expanded significantly, necessitating a thorough evaluation of each for optimal use within the school's strategy.
Depending on the purpose of the communication and considering its impact on the broader community - data information, the sharing, safety and duty of care, must be at the forefront and pivotal in any such planning.
So does your school have a communication strategy and has it been recently been reviewed? Factoring in the above components, it might be timely that all platforms and channels are analysed and considered for the best use and purpose for your school's communication.
A couple of good models here also worth researching are the Media Rich and Media Synchronicity Theories.
These questions may also assist with the review:
1. Who is your audience - staff, parents, students, wider community?
2. What are you communicating - the context of your information, is it sensitive?
3. How quickly do you need a response - today or next week?
4. The best platform to use - in-person, email, TEAMS, school or learning management system, intranet.
As an Education EA, you will have some valuable input into such communication strategic planning, after all you are the backbone of operations and on the ground deciphering which platforms to use, instantaneously and continuously throughout the day.
If your school is in the process of looking more broadly at their communication strategic planning, ask your Senior Executive if you can be part of these discussions, I have no doubt you will have many valuable insights and your input greatly valued and appreciated.
Looking more broadly at the communication platforms used, will ultimately lead to more streamlined operations and it should also free up inbox management - providing more focus time for you!
If you’re feeling a bit isolated in your role, and would like to benefit from the support, advice and learnings of a group of likeminded Education Administrative Professionals working for Executive Senior Leadership Teams in schools - consider joining our community - a national network dedicated solely to supporting Education EAs!
