The Scarf Model for Building Relationships with your Team

https://www.leadershipmatters.org.uk/articles/feeling-the-chill-with-your-team-try-warming-things-up-with-the-scarf-model/

Have you taken the temperature with your team recently?  Do you know how attuned they really are to your vision for taking the school forward?  Are they energised or drained by the work they do, day in, day out?  And do you know how they connect their values and aspirations to their role and responsibilities?

The SCARF model was developed from the findings of neuroscience as to what drives human behaviour and how people interact socially.  

The model is made up of five areas: Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness and Fairness.

 Status – our sense of worth in relation to others

Certainty – our ability to predict the future

Autonomy – our sense of control over events

Relatedness – our sense of safety with others

Fairness – our perception of fair exchanges between people

The working relationship a leader has with the people they lead is critical to the success of an organisation.  Nothing important in school gets done alone; in relationship management remembering to use your SCARF could just make you and your team warmer and more effective.

Reflections for me on Scarf ...

S: Make sure I connect with people at all levels in the school on a regular basis.  Do they know that I know who they are and what is important to them?

C: Continue to set and communicate high and consistent expectations which are clearly communicated to everyone.   Make sure roles are clearly articulated.

A: Avoid micro managing but walk alongside those who like that support along the way.

R: Continue to calendar time to regularly go into classrooms and connect with what is going on for my teachers.  Ask staff what I can do to help them with their aspirations (not just appraisal goals ...)

F: Give feedback to staff equally.  Be transparent.  What is it like from the other side to see me? Do my behaviour/action match my philosophies on things?