Group text thread keeps a scattered team connected

My last blog post demonstrated how easily group texts can lead to miscommunication. But recently, I found some very effective ways to use them.

Recently I helped chaperone my son’s Model U.N. club on its trip to the state conference. Two adults were attempting to keep track of 14 teens scattered all over a bustling university campus at an event with 1,400 attendees. How could we find each other?

I typed each student and chaperone’s cell number into a group text and started a thread. “Please check in on the steps of the student union at noon. — Leslie”

Each person could hit “reply all,” and message the whole group, continuing the thread:
“Our committee is running late. Be there in 10 minutes. – Andrew.”
“Which room is the General Assembly in? — Carina”
“The GA is in Room C-12. – Zane.”
“Proposing a resolution to ban weapons of mass destruction. Need a speaker from the national defense committee to present in support. – Zane”
“I’m on it. Be there soon. – Joey.”
“Don’t forget to bring your pass for tonight’s social. — Josh”

Wow—that was handy! That got me thinking about how this would be useful at work. How about crisis response?

When an incident occurs, usually the team is scattered across the school district, with some at meetings in various schools, some traveling immediately to the incident site, and some remaining at the office. A group text thread set up in advance can be a way to quickly notify everyone simultaneously in a way they will likely pay attention to, and to keep the whole team in the loop as information emerges.

Be sure to run a test to ensure all your numbers work before disaster strikes. At the start of an incident, remind the group to sign each post to clarify who is saying what.

For example:
“Channel 2 is asking about a rumored bomb threat at the high school. What’s happening? – Leslie”
“Calling the principal, and heading there now. – Cindy.”
“Students reported something a student said. Calling a fire drill as a precaution. – Kim”
“Police just arrived. Calling neighboring schools with a heads up. – Kathleen”
“Instigator identified and questioned. Police say threat is not credible. – Cindy”
“Students returning to class. – Kim”
“Working on a letter to parents. Translations needed? – Leslie”
“Spanish & Russian, please. – Kathleen”
“Translation team standing by. – Alex”
“I will brief the Board. – Denice”

No doubt this strategy will also prove useful on our summer vacation. Disneyland, anyone?

A Comedy of Errors, Text-Message Style

With the constant communication that comes with cell phones, social media and texting, this English major has been mourning the loss of a crucial plot device – in comedies and tragedies alike – miscommunication. Without it, there would be no “Romeo and Juliet” and no “Taming of the Shrew.”

Worry no more, literature fans! This week I discovered the modern version, through the use of text messaging.

Arriving early at work on a big deadline day, I got a text. Looking at my phone, all I saw was a phone number, with three blank faces and a tiny square with a photo of my boss, so clearly the message was from him to the team.

INCOMING TEXT: “Stomach flu hit with a vengeance. Can’t come in. All the documents for today’s project are printed on the table in my office, except for four documents that are on my desktop. Can someone please print those for the 9:30 meeting?”

MY TEXT: “Happy to help. Headed to your office right now. Take care of yourself. Do we need to cancel the afternoon meeting?”

I then searched high and low on my boss’s computer for the documents and the files. I was not finding ANY of these items.

INCOMING TEXT: “What afternoon meeting?”

MY TEXT: “I can’t find the files. Still looking. I will try the finder. Or is it in the maroon folder?”

INCOMING TEXT “Ugh. On the desktop. Four files. Try the round table.”

The round table had nothing on it. The computer had nothing on it. I tried his desk.

MY TEXT: “Did you mean the top of your desk, or the computer desktop?”

INCOMING TEXT: “The computer desktop. Sorry—I would be there if I could move.”

ENTER BOSS, STAGE LEFT

ME: “What the heck are you doing here in your condition? You should be home in bed!”

BOSS: “Huh? I’m fine. What are you talking about?”

At this point, I abruptly realized I was searching in the wrong office, because Kathy was the one who was sick. Going to her office, I found all the documents.

Moral of the story: If you are not sure who is texting you, ask immediately. Not only will you save a lot of time, but you will eliminate the risk of divulging confidential or confusing information to the wrong person. And whenever confusion persists, try an old fashioned tactic and pick up the phone.

How our community’s mass shooting changed my mind about Twitter

This week’s shooting at the Clackamas Town Center mall happened in the heart of our school district.

One of our students was shot and remains in serious condition. Another student’s uncle was killed. Untold numbers of our students, staff and their families were among the 10,000 holiday shoppers and employees in the mall at the time of the incident. Our community remains in shock.

Before the shooting, I figured I had my social media bases covered with Facebook. I wasn’t sure I needed Twitter. After the shooting, I changed my mind.

Here’s why.

Twitter is now a mainstream information source:
In the first hour of a crisis, information gathering is key. Much was rumor, but some was fact. Twitter was a go-to source for breaking news, with sources ranging from the Sheriff’s office to the news media. During and after the mall shooting, a lot of information we needed first surfaced on Twitter.

Twitter is a research tool:
Following the event hash tag (#ClackamasShooting), I was able to tweet a personal question to a friend of a victim on Twitter. She confirmed the identity of the injured survivor, our student.

Twitter is where teens live:
If our students are there, we need to be there, too. One of our students posted inappropriate comments about the incident on his Twitter feed. Many respondents were angry, and made threats against him. Knowing this, we were able to have district staff and his friends contact him immediately. They urged him to make a public apology and then to log off.

Twitter is a lifeline:
With 10,000 people in the mall at the time of the shooting, people across our community used this tool to get quickly in contact with loved ones. Whether they discovered their loved ones had safely left the building or were protected by the lock down, they were relieved to hear the news quickly.

Twitter is a rumor mill:
This is the way to find out what the community is saying and feeling during an incident. What better place to correct misinformation than at the place where rumors spread?

Responding to this situation, we used all the tools in our toolbox, including auto-dial phone calls, parent emails, Facebook, the website, our list serve and the telephone.

Twitter was our tool of choice for on-the-go, up-to-the-minute information and rumor control in an evolving situation. I need this tool. The next step is to use it more to master the medium and explore new ways to use it.  I encourage you to do the same.

Convocation: the Next Generation

Convocation was a long-standing tradition in our district. It was the one opportunity each year to gather our entire team for an inspirational start to the new school year. From the staff choir to the guest speaker to the video, the event was motivational and unifying.

For the past three years, we cancelled convocation because the economic downturn resulted in lost staff workdays. While our superintendent made the rounds of September staff meetings, the moment of district unity was lost.

This year we created a workable compromise: a virtual convocation! With planning and some expert technical help, our team pulled off a live-streaming webcast that we simultaneously broadcasted to more than 30 schools and work sites.

We broadcasted it on our cable access television channel and straight to the computer of any employees who were unable to leave their desks.

What did it take? A massive server. An on-location production company ($1,400). And a test run the night before to troubleshoot issues like radio interference.

Our convocation had a studio audience of 75 employees. It included a “pre-game” slide show of highlights from each school and department. We had brief presentations from the school board chair, association leaders and our new interim superintendent. And of course, the video.

In just one hour, we accomplished what used to take half a day, giving teachers a gift of planning and staff development time.

Was it the same as a packed high school gym? Not quite. But for that moment in time, we were all together, remembering why we work in education. Employees felt moved. Energized. Appreciated. Mission accomplished.

Five ways to take the pulse of your community

PR professionals always have an ear to the ground. Issues anticipation is about sensing and understanding public opinion, then using what you learn to navigate strategically and transparently through times of change and challenge.

Twitter and Facebook are essential tools in this work, providing windows on the world into the concerns and priorities of school district parents, students, employees and community members.

Five easy strategies can help you take the pulse of your community on a regular basis:

1. Broaden your friend base:
   Besides growing your school district’s fan base, cast a wide net to expand the circle of Facebook friends on your personal page. Friend district partners, involved parents, community leaders, neighbors, staff members, Board members, Education Foundation board members and volunteers. Be sure to protect your personal privacy by setting up different groups for personal vs. professional contacts.
2. Lurk and listen:
   Pay attention to what’s buzzing in your community. Watch for complaints, debate and controversy tied to education. When they mention schools or kids, what are people wondering about or worried about? Which education or political groups are they tracking on social media? Are coalitions forming for or against a proposed school district change? Resist the urge to post or comment, and just listen.
3. Invite private messages:
   Be sure to invite fans of your school district Facebook site to message you privately about any issues or concerns. Respond promptly to resolve issues, provide information or direct them to the right district expert. This is a good way to resolve individual issues around grades, health, bullying, employees, or discipline without compromising student or staff privacy.
4. Post a survey:
   When a hot issue bubbles up, try an online survey. If a protest group has achieved critical mass, post it on their site. Community members will be glad you’re listening, and by using open-ended questions, you may well find some workable compromises or innovative strategies to resolve the issue.
5. Share what you hear:
   Many district leaders do not follow social media, so let them know what you’re hearing, especially in turbulent times. Copy key conversation threads into an email, so they have a feel for the community’s priorities and concerns. Remind them that it doesn’t matter how much you are listening if the district does not act on what it hears from the community.

Five ways Facebook can boost teacher morale

Layoffs, budget cuts, large class sizes and the news media’s war on education means morale is plummeting for school employees. How can PR professionals change the conversation, and demonstrate the many ways teachers continue to go the extra mile?

Facebook is a tool you can use to publicly celebrate, reward and appreciate teachers and staff across the school district. Here’s how:

1) Tell a story: Give parents, students and staff a glimpse of some of the magic moments happening in your classrooms. Shine a light on an amazing turnaround story about how a teacher helped a single student or a group of challenged kids succeed. Describe the innovative projects teachers use to engage students in learning.

2) Post award nomination links: Give parents, students and educators the chance to nominate teachers and staff for awards, and watch the number of employees who win recognition build. From radio station and bookstore contests to professional associations, a win for any staff member makes them all stand proud. In addition to that, you’ll draw Facebook tributes from current and past students of the honored teacher.

3) Showcase moonlighters: Do you have staff members with hidden talents? The campus monitor who wrote a mystery novel? The history teacher who climbed K2? The counselor who’s a professional photographer? The dragon boat team from the payroll department? Post photos of them in action, and tell the back story even their co-workers don’t know.

4) Announce appreciation weeks: Take advantage of designated weeks to celebrate classified, certified and administrative staff, as well as school board members, school nurses, volunteers and secretaries. Ask fans for examples of how they are celebrating these events in their school, or ask them to share how one of the week’s honorees was a special help to their child. Remember, you can’t say thank you enough, especially now.

5) Show staff you’re listening: Likely, a good number of your district’s Facebook followers are employees. When you get them engaged in a conversation around a proposed change, show them you’re listening. Answer their questions promptly, and let them know you’ll forward their ideas, concerns and suggestions directly to district leaders. Then take what you learn and use it in your internal information campaign.