Do You Have 15 Minutes?”: The Five Questions Guiding My Back-to-School Communications Planning
As summer planning ramps up, I’ve been thinking less about what needs to go on the communications calendar and more about why we’re communicating in the first place.
Communications is so often seen as a service function: make the graphic, send the email, post the update. But at its best, it’s something deeper. Communication is a strategic connector that helps move goals forward, build alignment, and close the gaps in understanding across a complex system.
To help make that shift in my own practice, I started with a simple invitation.
“Do You Have 15 Minutes?”
Earlier this month, I sent a calendar invite to every member of our district leadership team. The subject line was straightforward:
“Do you have 15 minutes?”
Nothing fancy, just a short one-on-one to talk about the year ahead, what they’re focused on, and where communications might help.
I expected a handful of people to respond.
Instead, over 90% booked time. Way more than I anticipated.
That response alone told me something important: People are hungry to be heard, to align, and to feel like their work is supported. And those brief conversations? They’ve become the backbone of my communications planning for the upcoming school year.
The Five Questions I’m Asking
As I listen to each leader’s priorities, concerns, and hopes for the year ahead, I’m organizing my planning around five core questions. They’re helping me keep strategy at the center and avoid jumping straight to tactics.
1. Where do we need alignment?
Do departments, schools, and leadership teams understand and agree on what matters most? If not, communications can help clarify and reinforce direction - but only once we know what we’re aiming for together.
2. What themes are emerging and how can communications connect them?
Across conversations, patterns start to surface. Shared goals. Overlapping initiatives. Missed opportunities. Part of my job is to spot those threads and weave them together so our messaging feels connected, not scattered.
3. Where are there gaps in understanding, especially the ones others might be blind to?
Because communications works with every school and department, we often have insight into what families are hearing, where confusion is brewing, or how things are being interpreted on the ground. I’m asking: Where can we help fill those gaps?
4. What are the big goals and how do our strategies support them?
Every leader has something they’re trying to move forward. I want to know what those goals are and whether they’re tied to instruction, operations, engagement, or morale. Why? So we can map communications strategies that directly support them.
5. How are we measuring success?
This can look different for each department. I’m asking what progress means to them and how communications can support that progress, track it, or help others understand it.
What’s Working and What Comes Next
These quick 15-minute conversations are giving me clarity I couldn’t get from a spreadsheet or strategic plan alone. They’re helping me:
• Stay aligned with leadership priorities
• Spot patterns across departments
• Identify opportunities for proactive storytelling
• And build a sense of shared ownership in communications work
If you’re a school communicator, I highly recommend it. Ask for 15 minutes. Keep it short. Come with a few great questions. Then just listen.
Because when communications is grounded in connection and aligned with goals, it’s not just a service — it’s a strategy.
Want support building a communications plan that’s actually aligned with your district’s goals? Let’s talk.
