The end-of-year conversations are now complete. You have sent your required paperwork to the HR Department. And yet – there are possible follow-up steps that significantly matter and that you want to be sure to include before the school year concludes and you place all your energy on the upcoming school year. As we continue to hear from school leaders, follow-up matters. Because of this, what are you already considering for important follow-up steps as a result of your end-of-year conversations? Here are three examples:

1. Complete Follow-Up Commitments – What commitments, as a result of your end-of-year conversations, are you desiring to complete? Sometimes it’s another walk-through; perhaps it’s a note to a teacher about your appreciation of his/her involvement in leadership roles.
2. Determine New Leadership Opportunities for Your Ongoing Growth as a Result of Your End-of-Year Conversations – As a committed listener and observer, what patterns and themes did you identify for added attention in the new year? Here are three:
   • More time in classrooms. I will spend more time in classrooms and have brief follow-up conversations with my teachers, using the RCG Reflective Feedback protocol. (This will call for me to release some of the managerial tasks I do that really can be handled by my secretary/administrative assistant.).
   • Support teacher growth. I will seek to narrow the gap between teachers who are highly skilled in strategies for increased student engagement and those who are continuing to hold on to past ways of teaching with heavy emphasis on lecturing. I’m going to set up a team of teachers to lead this emphasis, so it’s teachers leading teachers in a collaborative and supportive manner.
   • Be a Coach for my Assistant Principal and Team Leaders. This means that I will increase my own understanding of coach behaviors vs. mentoring behaviors. Every one of these people are highly capable and will benefit more from working with a thinking partner then a manager. My task will be to provide clarity on standards and expectations. This will come from our summer retreat where we will solidify our focus for the next year.
3. Celebrate: What do you want to intentionally celebrate about your skills with the end-of-the-year conversations? How have you grown as a leader because of the conversations? What have you learned about yourself? If you were writing a book about your experiences, what title would you have? Or, if a song – what title would best describe you and the experience? Celebrations are so very critical. Saying kind words to you are important. Remembering you as the highly dedicated and effective leader will support your own growth. So, what words are you saying to yourself to celebrate you and your many accomplishments?

What’s coming forward for you about follow-ups based on your end-of-year conversations? How will you ensure that these follow-ups become a reality? Who, besides yourself, may you want to call on to support your sense of accountability to ensure follow-throughs with follow-ups?