“When you hire me, you don’t
just get me, you get my network.”
At least, that’s what I argued four years ago when I
interviewed for the superintendency.
An hour prior to the
start
of the interview with
the board of education trustees, I was given a ques
tion. And without hesitation, I was on my computer
sharing the question on Twitter.
Over the next several minutes, I fielded a dozen
responses from my network. There were a few quot
able quotes, some links to helpful research on the
Internet and a couple of “good luck” wishes. I took
their thinking, blended it with my own and put
together a presentation. Although the school board
might have been curious about what I thought,
I figured they were probably more interested in
knowing I could find the best thinking, synthesize
the ideas, contextualize them for our location and
then share them in a thoughtful way
—
all in a
timely manner.
Had I attempted this just a year prior, I may
have been asked to leave the interview, or even been
accused of cheating. It shows how quickly our world
is shifting
—
what might have been considered
disingenuous or even cheating a decade ago is now
considered effective professional networking.
Since that interview, I have only become more
reliant on my network, both in the face-to-face form
and in the digital world.
The
Superintendency
and
Social
Networking
Why
you should consider all the tools
at your fingertips an indispensable part
of your school leadership work
BY CHRIS KENNEDY
