How do you let the Lutheran School brand shine through when meeting with an upset parent? One might think this would be one of the more difficult situations. After all, an upset parent believes they have good reason, and said reason would mean he or she believes you have not acted in line with brand promises. The parent may believe you:
I would posit that this is actually another opportunity for our brand to shine true. Consider how the world typically responds to belligerence - in kind. Someone “bites your head off”, you rightfully respond in kind. Someone is rude to you, you don’t give them the time of day. That is just the way it’s done, and that is what our parents sometimes expect when they come at us upset. They are ready for a fight (just verbally, we hope).
Our response being one of concern, open listening, and seeking shared goals and solutions - that diffuses anger, and sometimes shocks parents. When we know our mission is grounded in our faith in God and His unbounded love for us, we are able to let our brand shine through even the toughest parent conversations, and time and again God’s Spirit works through us to heal hurt and restore partnerships.
Again, that’s not the world’s way. But it is certainly true to a school brand that is about unconditional love and acceptance, caring for children and families better than any other school in the community. And it powerfully wins advocates for the school. In fact, I’ve seen some of the most challenging parents become some of the strongest voices of support for the school in the community.
If you read the above words again, you’ll see I never said responding true to brand in difficult parent conversation would be easy. Take a deep breath, and let God work through you. It’s worth it!
- Failed to follow through on a commitment.
- Misrepresented information (lied).
- Are failing to serve with excellence (not getting the value promised).
I would posit that this is actually another opportunity for our brand to shine true. Consider how the world typically responds to belligerence - in kind. Someone “bites your head off”, you rightfully respond in kind. Someone is rude to you, you don’t give them the time of day. That is just the way it’s done, and that is what our parents sometimes expect when they come at us upset. They are ready for a fight (just verbally, we hope).
Our response being one of concern, open listening, and seeking shared goals and solutions - that diffuses anger, and sometimes shocks parents. When we know our mission is grounded in our faith in God and His unbounded love for us, we are able to let our brand shine through even the toughest parent conversations, and time and again God’s Spirit works through us to heal hurt and restore partnerships.
Again, that’s not the world’s way. But it is certainly true to a school brand that is about unconditional love and acceptance, caring for children and families better than any other school in the community. And it powerfully wins advocates for the school. In fact, I’ve seen some of the most challenging parents become some of the strongest voices of support for the school in the community.
If you read the above words again, you’ll see I never said responding true to brand in difficult parent conversation would be easy. Take a deep breath, and let God work through you. It’s worth it!