ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the preconditions needed for a trust-based culture. These four preconditions give language and reasons for the presence of fear or trust and are:
The ability to speak openly
The ability to be adult
The ability to see failure as an opportunity to learn
The ability to give and receive robust, curious feedback
Each needs the other three to be fully effective and the implementation of all four in a school eventually creates a tipping point where the precondition behaviours become desirable for all staff.
This chapter establishes that only when staff in a school are able to speak openly can the amount of publicly available information increase to ensure correct conclusions are drawn.
There is a need for staff to have self-efficacy. Treating all staff in a school like adults is more productive and empowering than chastising and controlling teachers like children or revering and fearing leadership teams as parents.
Failure becomes hostile if we believe that we cannot change through attention and effort. Failure must be seen as a formative experience rather than a summative description of who teachers are.
The chapter acknowledges that feedback is just a flow of information and is needed to ensure people are able to contemplate change, understand what is happening in the school system and know how to improve. Capably given and received feedback is the quickest and most valid way to improve relationships.
