Credibility

In my previous post, I encouraged authenticity and vulnerability – dropping the weight of perfectionism in order to build true connection and trust with those we coach. This is a valuable stance – but best coupled with moves that build others’ confidence in our knowledge and skill. Like most things in life, it’s not black and white; to be effective coaches, we can’t focus only on our own weaknesses or emphasize only our strengths. Moderation wins again.
 
In addition to showing our vulnerability, we must demonstrate our credibility – we can’t be seen as a nincompoop (yes, that’s a real word – it doesn’t even get a blue line!). I’m sure that’s no surprise, but it’s worth thinking about how to achieve a balance between extremes that engenders trust.
 
Our professional knowledge and experience are relatively tangible. However, credibility is built not only by our content knowledge, but also how we enact that knowledge. How do we present it as we act, react, and talk about the content? And all of this depends upon the receiver’s perceptions. We have to not only be credible, but also be perceived as credible.  “We must illustrate, not assert.”*  There are at least two things to illustrate that will build our credibility. Here’s an equation for it:
 
Competence + Experience = Credibility
 
When I walk into one of my teacher-friend’s rooms, I can’t miss the wall above the cubbies where she has a class photo from every one of her 30+ years of teaching. This literally illustrates her experience. As educators, we tend not to post our credentials (diploma and teaching license) the way doctors do, but that could be another way of showing, not telling, that builds credibility. At the same time, we create credibility in a direct way, by modeling practices that work, by making recommendations that prove effective, by noticing and affirming potent parts of an observed lesson.
 
Credibility is earned through both rational and emotional perceptions. As coaches, our facts must line up, and we must also exude energy, make eye contact, and show quiet confidence to support an emotional perception of credibility. Credibility is both what we know and how we show what we know. And of course, if we love our work, that will show, too.

*Maister, D. H., Galford, R., & Green, C. (2021). The trusted advisor. Free Press, p. 95.

This week, you might want to take a look at:
 
It’s April! National Poetry Month is a good reason the include a poem about whatever content you’re teaching. Here’s a list of non-fiction poetry picture books where you might find just the thing:
 
https://readingpowergear.wordpress.com/2016/04/12/nonfiction-picture-book-10-for-10-nonfiction-poetry/
 
 
This poem, “Bullets,” is composed by a 4-year-old Preschool Poet and animated by Ukranian filmmaker Stas Santimov:
 
https://vimeo.com/254732533
 
 
Interview questions for an instructional coach:
 
https://www.edutopia.org/article/9-questions-youll-be-asked-instructional-coach-interview
 
Asking and listening to students during at-the-desk coaching (this post talks about a writing conference, but the principles apply broadly):
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/conferring-questions/
 
 
The importance of positive feedback when coaching:
 
https://simplycoachingandteaching.com/blog/2018/08/28/2018-8-27-fostering-strong-relationships-through-positive-feedback/
 
 
That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!
 
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