“That was a decision I made, in retrospect, it wasn’t the best one, and I want to apologize for doing it in isolation. I’d welcome your input on how to correct it—or whether we should do away with it entirely.”
These are the words of a Superintendent of Schools spoken during a two-day retreat for school administrators. Her team spanned six schools with different needs, and getting everyone to think beyond their own building was proving difficult. One of her goals was to shift the mindset from siloed thinking to a more district-wide, collaborative approach and to accomplish this by strengthening communication and building trust across departments. High 5 had been hired to facilitate the process.
The session got off to a rocky start. Several staff members voiced frustration about a new administrative directive that duplicated existing paperwork. There was confusion about who had made the decision, why it was implemented, and how to fix the resulting mess. The tone was tense and critical. I sat silently considering how to integrate the issue into the day when the Superintendent spoke those words.
It was the perfect response. She owned the issue, acknowledged the misstep, and invited collaboration. The tension in the room dissolved. The team shifted from frustration to problem-solving. It also provided the perfect segue into the day’s focus on trust and communication.
At the end of the day, one elementary school principal shared how meaningful the day had been but emphasized that the Superintendent’s response that morning had set the tone. It had opened the door for the honest dialogue that followed.
Have you ever made a decision that impacted others and had to take responsibility for it publicly? How did you handle it? What did you learn?
Want to explore how to apply these concepts in your own school, team, or organization? Pick up a copy of Jim Grout’s When In Doubt…Give Them Your Heart. It’s packed with real-world stories and reflection questions designed to help you connect, empower, and lead by example in your own community.