Defining Terms for Collaborative Leadership

To be revisited/agreed upon at least twice yearly.

Collaboration

Collaboration is a practice of communicating honestly and respectfully to contribute, hear, and clarify information, in order to move forward toward consensus and shared understanding.

The process of collaboration includes:

  • exploring the unknown and digging deeper prior to discussion,
  • checking biases, naming positionality and dynamics,
  • active listening, considering all feedback as support for growth,
  • clarifying the outcome needed (decision, deeper understanding, supporting a student, etc),
  • deciding who is accountable to understanding next steps and roles and responsibilities,
  • being accountable to impact, as well as to each other and the community,
  • coming to consensus (see below).

The goals of practicing collaboration are to:

  • make decisions that honor lived experience and prioritize marginalized perspective, 
  • understand and appreciate each others skillset, and where/how we each are expected to contribute,
  • understand collaboration rooted in process,
  • understand and hold central cultural difference.

Leadership

Leadership is leveraging individual and group privilege and experience, in order to advocate for the community—particularly underrepresented voices—while consistently holding ourselves and each other accountable to impact and grace. There are many different ways to model leadership in community.

The goals of leadership are to

  • practice sincerity and empathy,
  • hear/share opportunities to provide support, 
  • consistently seek learning and growth,
  • remain transparent, honest, respectful, and accountable,
  • maintain consistent reinforcement of collective community benefit,
  • develop and maintain healthy boundaries and scaffold intentional bridges.
  • prioritize those most unheard.

Consensus 

Reaching consensus is a coming to a collaborative decision ensuring the participation and representation of those most accountable to impact and outcomes.

The process of coming to Consensus includes:

  • introduction and clarification of an issue,
  • engaging in explicit conversation and deliberation,
  • identifying connections, actions, and consequences,
  • identifying the stakeholders and final decision makers

The goals of consensus are to:

  • move forward having heard varied and differing perspectives
  • walk away with decisions knowing next steps and your role and responsibilities

After all stakeholders are heard, PSCS Directors will check to ensure shared understanding of action items and parameters (thumbs up, vote, survey, etc)

From Seeds of Change: Test for agreement by clearly stating the final proposal and asking people to signal whether they agree or disagree. This stage is important to check if there are concerns that haven’t been heard. If you don’t have consensus go back to an appropriate earlier stage in the process.

School Culture

PSCS Culture aspires to include community engagement, learning, and growth that centers empathy, equity, and culturally responsive interactions that support abolitionist teaching toward our collective liberation. PSCS Community Members:

  • Assume positive intent to begin with.
  • Center and honor our shared humanity, allow for processing, and be accountable to impact.
  • Practice consistent self-reflection and critical thinking.
  • Share kind, curious, honest, and open-minded dialogue.
  • Are willing to work through conflict, and aim for resolution, restoration, and healing.
  • Act with courage and integrity to support our school community, as well as external communities.

Accountability

Responsibility and accountability are perpetually linked and have nuanced but important differences. Accountability is a commitment to a group, task, or objective, and to the management, completion and communication of outcome(s).

Accountability is to the oversight of outcome(s).

Process and goals for accepting/owning accountability

  1. determine, define, understand the scope and timeline,
  2. clarify support, set boundaries, and create opportunities for feedback,
  3. ensure deadlines are met and consistently communicate with collaborators and stakeholders on progress or challenges; ask for specific support if needed,
  4. address outcomes and communicate results or consequences with those impacted.
  5. designate who makes final decisions based on context.
  6. reflect on outcomes both personally and as a collaborative.

Responsibility

Responsibility is the accepted obligation and stewardship of the success, health, and growth of individuals in the community and the sustainability of the organization.

Responsibility is to those most impacted by the outcome(s).

Process and goals for accepting/owning responsibility

  1. Listen and hear the needs of others
  2. Define accountability and prepare for challenges
  3. Manage processes and delegate as needed
  4. Engage partners, seek support, and feedback as needed
  5. Create and accept opportunities for collaboration and discourse
  6. Communicate consistently with those responsible for, and those affected by, outcomes.