The Four E’s of Student and Parent Engagement: Engage, Empathize, Educate and Empower	Print

Customer service is about two things: 1) building relationships, and 2) delivering the best possible experience for customers at every point of contact. When we consider these two components of customer service, isn’t this exactly what we want to accomplish with our students and their parents? As administrators and teachers, we want to build relationships with students and parents, and we want to make the experience for them the best it can possibly be at every point of contact. Here are four easy ways to instantly improve relationships with both students and parents and, at the same time, deliver an impressive service experience at every point of contact. I call this method the Four E’s of Student and Parent Engagement: Engage, Empathize, Educate and Empower.

Engage. Engage students and their parents by showing genuine interest in them and expressing it through genuine conversation. Develop the ability to truly listen to students and parents with the intent to understand issues and problems from their perspectives. Don’t see simply from your own point of reference. Squarely face people when you are talking to them and maintain confident eye contact during conversations. Engagement helps you foster trust and rapport.

Empathize. Empathy helps us connect with others because it conveys that we can relate to what they are going through. A simple, “It sounds like you’ve had a frustrating time,” may help you connect and be seen as more relatable. Not to be confused with sympathy, empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Educate.  Taking opportunities to keep parents and students informed improves their level of satisfaction with you and their school. Look for opportunities to proactively educate, inform, and share information that will make life easier for parents and/or students. Help students make the most of their educational experience by sharing resources.

Empower. As teachers you not only have the mandate to teach your students, but you have the responsibility to empower them with the ability to learn for themselves and by themselves. You are also in a position to empower parents to help their children be the best students they can be. Find innovative ways to empower students to engage in hands-on activities, apply what they’re learning to the real world, and use technology more strategically.

Intentionally set out to engage, empathize, educate and empower your students and their parents at every point of contact. When you do, you’ll find you are connecting with them on a deeper level; and they will perceive their overall experiences with you and the school as positive ones.

 

 

Myra Golden helps companies completely restore customer confidence in their brands after service failures. Considered one of the leading experts in customer recovery, she has helped hundreds of organizations rethink and redesign their complaint response processes so they are positioned to retain more customers, improve customer satisfaction, and increase profits. Myra has designed customer recovery programs for such companies as Verizon Business, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, National Car Rental, Michelin Tires and Frito Lay. She is co-author of Beyond WOW! The Service Leadership Approach to Exceptional Customer Service.