Building
Relationships
Pandora Bedford
Astrid Fossum
Laura Maly
Cynthia Rodriguez
October 2009, MTL meeting
The Milwaukee Mathematics Partnership (MMP), an initiative of the Milwaukee Partnership Academy (MPA),
is supported with funding from the National Science Foundation
A Framework for Leadership
Michael Fullan, Leading in a Culture of Change, 2004
Session Goals:




To deepen our understanding of the
importance of relationships and trust in our
work as MTLs.
To understand the role emotional intelligence
has for effective leaders.
To learn to see resistance as an opportunity,
rather then a roadblock.
To articulate leadership areas for personal
growth and development.
Activity

Individually read and complete the Initial
Thoughts column for each of the 8 key points
about building relationships.

How do these key points relate to your work
as an MTL?
Key Points
1) It’s the interactions and
relationships among people, not
the people themselves that
make the difference in
organizational success.
2) Leaders must be able to
build relationships with and
among diverse people and
groups, especially with people
different from themselves.
3) Most people want to be part
of their organization, to know
the organization’s purpose, and
to make a difference or
contribute to a larger purpose.
4) Leaders need to pay as
much attention to how they treat
people as they pay to structure,
strategies, and statistics.
Initial Thoughts
Examples of what it
looks like in action
Debrief

Take a quick moment to decide which key
points to begin conversation with at your
table.

Share your initial thoughts around the idea
with the table group.

Record an example of what the key point
would look like in action.
Key Points About Relationships

1) It’s the interactions and relationships among people,
not the people themselves, that make the difference in
organizational success.

2) Leaders must be able to build relationships with and
among diverse people and groups, especially with
people different from themselves.

3) Most people want to be part of their organization, to
know the organization’s purpose, and to make a
difference or contribute to a larger purpose.

4) Leaders need to pay as much attention to how they
treat people as they pay to structures, strategies, and
statistics.

5) Leaders must create professional learning
communities that enhance the skills and knowledge
of the people in the organization.

6) There must be a common culture of expectations;
individuals must be held accountable for their
contributions to the collective result.

7) Collegial communities are effective if members
collaborate to share knowledge and make breakthroughs
in learning.

8) The role of the leader is to ensure that the
organization develops relationships that help produce
desirable results.
Michael Fullan, Leading in a Culture of Change, 2004
Elements of Relationships

Emotional Intelligence

Resistance

Relational Trust
Read – Write – Reflect
Elements of Relationships
Read pp. 10 -12 on Emotional Intelligence
 Read pp. 13 – 16 on Resistance
 Read pp. 16 – 18 on Trust
1.) Jot down the main ideas from each section.
2.) Make connections between the reading and
your role as an MTL.
What does this mean?
What do I need to work on?

Sharing Connections

Share your initial reactions and responses
with your small group.

Commit to one area for growth and write a
personal goal, focused on the elements of
relationships.
My Personal “Building Relationships” Goal
Goal:
Action Steps:
Results:
Session Goals:




To deepen our understanding of the
importance of relationships and trust in our
work as MTLs.
To understand the role emotional intelligence
has for effective leaders.
To learn to see resistance as an opportunity,
rather then a roadblock.
To articulate leadership areas for personal
growth and development.
Reflections

Talking about these issues with others helps
you to widen your lens. What have you
learned about “Building Relationships” that
you will hold onto and revisit as you continue
to develop your leadership abilities?