Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • September 2014
8
smallest commitment is a representation of your
integrity.
“We judge ourselves based on our intentions…but
others judge us based on our actions. Actions speak
louder than words. Walk the talk and get results.” If
your student has to make a choice to trust you based
on what you say or what you do—
what you do
wins
every time.
Building understanding support and acceptance
begins with earning trust. When your students, parents
and administrators clearly understand the standards of
behavior, perceive they will be treated fairly and see
you living up to your commitments, you will then
connect with them and get the results you want.
Sharing Expectat ions:
People have a basic need to understand what is
required of them and how their contributions make
a difference. In other words, people need to see how
they fit into the big picture. Maybe you’ve heard the
story about three people working side by side on a
construction job. All three people were asked the same
questions. “What is your job?”
The first person never looked up but said, “My job
is to do what I am told for eight hours so I can get a
pay check.”
The second person replied, “My job is to crush
rocks, and I’m a great rock crusher.”
The third person looked and said with pride, “My
job is to build a cathedral.”
Three people—all doing the same job, but with
completely different perspectives. Which of the three
do you think would be a long-time loyal student? The
more information you share about the “why” behind
the “what” they are trying to accomplish, the more
everyone will see the overall organizational vision and
the more they will accept and support the plan and
strategies necessary to achieve that vision. The odds
are they will also have a greater sense of satisfaction
because they understand their purpose and how they
fit into the big picture.
Provide Feedback:
Every person in an organization has four basic
feedback needs. A good feedback system encourages
connected communication between you and the
people you work with and teach.
1. Everyone needs to know exactly what is required
of him or her.
2. Everyone needs to know “How am I doing?”
• Be sincere
• Be quick
• Give Feedback often
3. Everyone needs to know that you care about
them and the job they are doing.
4. Everyone needs to know how the group is
doing.
Walk the Talk:
Think about it: the principal method of
communication in most organizations (whether we
realize it or not) is the observation of other people’s
behavior. Your example communicates who you are
and what you believe far more clearly than any speech
you deliver or note you write. Fair or not, people judge
us on our actions; regardless of our good intentions…
we have to walk our talk. Everything counts. There are
many examples of people whose career took a turn for
the worse because of an integrity mistake. They may
have forgotten that people were watching, or maybe
they thought the mistake was so minor it really didn’t
matter. Regardless of how they justified their actions,
their group will judge them.
Here are a few enemies that tend to show up when
leading by example or “Leading to Ethics.”
• Haziness
– Acting and reacting without thinking
first.
Having a Successful Marching Season Through Better Communicat ion