SUCCESSFUL A

D

COMMUNICAT

ION W

ITH

PARENTS

SE

VE

N S

TE

P G

UI D

E

HPE 5

83

By: Mich

elle

Paul J

ane,

Dav

id

Blakn

ey, R

uben S

churm

an, a

nd

Andrew R

oth

AD’S D

UTY T

O

COMMUNICAT

E WIT

H

PARENTS Scenario: There was a

party over the weekend and there were pictures posted on Facebook of football players drinking alcoholic beverages. These pictures were also posted on the football team’s Facebook page and seen by parents. You have messages on your voicemail from parents asking what will be done with the student-athletes in the pictures.

The

Athle

tic D

irect

or (A

D) has

a d

uty to

com

munic

ate

profe

ssio

nally

with

par

ents

.

In o

rder

to a

ssis

t ADs

here

are

7 ste

ps to

guide

them

and th

e sc

enar

io w

ill b

e

refe

rred

to in

eac

h ste

p.

I. EDUCATIONAL COMMUNICATION

A. Before verbally communicating with parents make sure that your conversation will have accuracy, conciseness, and proper grammar and semantics. Accuracy is double-checking your facts such as, times, locations, statistics, dates, purposes, directions, and prices. Conciseness means making sure you convey all the information needed in the shortest amount of time, it’s to the point. And in order to be professional you should use proper grammar and semantics, and make sure your writings are edited. (NIAAA, 2008)

B. At this stage the AD will have spoken to the student-athletes involved in order to understand the facts and go over the handbook policy and protocol for alcohol. Then speak to the coaches about the incident and what the next steps will be taken. The AD has to be well-informed on all aspects of the situation including dates the pictures were taken, location, and participants.

II. NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

A. As an AD you must be self-aware of your non-verbal cues because 70% of a message is conveyed and translated through non-verbal cues. Non-verbal cues may include facial expressions, head movements, body and limb movements, gestures, postures, interpersonal proximity, room color, light, dress, and furniture arrangement. By being self-aware of your non-verbal cues you will start the verbal communication on the right foot because the parents will be comfortable. (NIAAA, 2008)

B. In this scenario it is important for the AD to check his/her emotions and display integrity. The demeanor the AD has to show has to calm, respectful, and to the point. This communication with parents is not casual therefore, the AD must be dressed in nice clothes and have a welcoming environment. The environment should not be cluttered and be well lit.

III. VERBAL COMMUNICATION

A. In addition to word choice and vocabulary, there are also 3 dimensions to verbal communication. These include information sending, information receiving, and quality dimensions. When an idea or concept needs to be transmitted and the transmission occurs through verbal and non-verbal cues. The message is received when the listener/receiver begins to be impacted by the cues. And the quality of the transmission can be effected by noise, competing transmissions, and the personal experiences of the listener. Some tips for enhancing your verbal communication:

• Appropriate language

• Dynamic, enthusiastic, and open style

• Factual, valid, and reliable information

• Positive references and reinforcements

• Focus on listening (NIAAA, 2008)

VERBAL COMMUNICATION CONT’DListening can be the most useful tool in verbal communication and as an AD you want prevent making a parent feel misunderstood or not heard. Therefore in order to prevent bad listening habits you should NOT (NIAAA, 2008):

o Do not presume or believe that you know what another believes or is going to say and cutting off the conservation with a quick answer or interruption. In other words do not interrupt and ask questions to show that you are listening and interested in what the parents are talking about.

o Do not get emotional or lose control instead ask yourself why the person feels that way.

o Never pretend to listen or pretend to be interested.

o Do not criticize or project dislike rather listen to WHAT the person is saying not HOW.

o Do not show apathy or believing the person is saying more of the same. (NIAAA, 2008)

VERBAL COMMUNICATION CONT’D

B.After gathering all of the facts, and communicating with the coaches, you have prepared yourself to communicate with the parents. In this meeting you will only use to the point facts remaining professional and respectful at all times. Discuss the policy agreed upon by the student-athletes and parents regarding consuming alcohol and of the facts of the scenario. The student-athlete was seen with an alcoholic beverage and this incident occurred at a party with other witnesses. Then discuss the next steps such as, consequences.

IV. CRISIS COMMUNICATION

A. Construct a plan for communication during a crisis. This plan will assist in keeping your emotions in check and make sure that nothing is overlooked because during a crisis situations can occur rapidly. In addition the information you are delivering when communicating with parents can be difficult to receive, therefore using your plan allows you to focus on choosing your words carefully and maintaining and control of the tone of your voice. The plan can consist of first making sure all student-athletes involved in the crisis are safe, inform any officials or call for assistance if needed, interview the student-athletes, coaches, and witness to gather facts, then contact the parents. (Wendell, 2002)

B. The crisis plan can be in the form of a checklist that the AD checks off to make sure the protocol is followed. In this scenario the AD would not officially communicate with the parents until all of the facts were gathered from the student-athletes, coaches, and witnesses. Also, it may be helpful to have the handbook signed by the student-athletes and parents should be handy, along with the policy itself. No matter how the communication takes place you must keep a calm and even tone.

V. PRE-SEASON COMMUNICATION

A. Every season should have a pre-season meeting with parents because the first impression sets the foundation for communication between ADs and parents. The pre-season meeting is informative and covers the handbook, the rules of the team, responsibilities and expectations of student-athletes and parents, and any other information that could clear up any potential issues or misunderstandings (Hock, 1996). By conducting a pre-season meetings you are establishing open and direct communication with parents.

B. As a result of the pre-season meeting the parents are already informed of the policy on student-athletes consuming alcohol. Therefore in this scenario, the parents are aware that their student-athlete violated the policy of the athletic program. The pictures are enough evidence that the student-athlete was associated with a party that served alcoholic beverages thus, is subject to the consequences.

VI. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONA. Whenever you are writing for a professional purpose you should

always use correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, proper semantics, and appropriate format. Furthermore there should be no slang or jargon, and whenever speaking about a student an AD must speak respectfully. Typically the five paragraph format is appropriate which includes an introduction, transition, main theme, and summary or conclusion. (NIAAA, 2008)

Communications with parents are very important and useful to encourage parental involvement and support for the athletic program. As a result parents need to be aware of the channels of communication. Through written correspondence parents can be informed about:

General season information

Contest information

In-season correspondence

Out of season correspondence

Solicit parental assistance

Provides a mechanism to identify concerns, appeal procedures, and meetings (NIAAA, 2008).

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION CONT’D

B. Even in writing your communication must remain professional and only use facts. Therefore in this scenario, the parents are seeking you out initially and the writing you typically will be doing is as a follow-up to the parents after meeting with them. This letter will be filled with information gathered and decisions that were made at the meeting. It will also be thankful towards the parents for their involvement and invite them for further follow-up meetings or communication in the future.

VII. FOLLOW-UP COMMUNICATIONA. This step involves communication after meeting or speaking with the

parents. Follow-up communication can be in the form of a phone call, letter, or another meeting whatever is most convenient for the parents. In this follow-up communication the AD sums up the first communication including what was discussed and what decisions were made. Give the parents the opportunity to request clarification or ask additional questions, and invite them to future communications. Also after communicating with the parents, the AD should reflect and learn from the experience and make any adjustments for the future.

B. The AD should follow-up with the parents a day or two after the meeting and let them know that you are following-up and making sure all of their questions have been answered. In addition, in this scenario there are consequences that will be administered thus writing a letter would be effective with also informing the parents of additional steps that can be taken. Even though the parents may be upset about the situation, remain respectful and open to future communication.

REFERENCES

Hoch, D. D. (1996). The pre-season parents' night: an educational/communicative process. Coach & Athletic Director, 66(2), 4;6.

NIAAA, (2008). Leadership Training Course 709: Communications, Methods and Applications for Athletic Administrators.

Wendell, C. C. (2002). Talking to parents: communication in times of crisis and beyond. Camping Magazine, 75(2), 12-15.