3 Questions That Can Transform School Culture

“In your perfect world, what would happen?” “What barriers might we face in achieving this vision?” “What is the first step we can take?”

In my 25 years as an educational leader, I have found these three questions to be powerful tools for fostering collaboration and creating a collective vision. They shift leadership from a top-down directive to a shared responsibility model, encouraging educators to think critically, problem-solve proactively, and engage in meaningful change.

The PERFECT-WORLD Protocol: A Real-World Example

Our middle school faced a challenge: Changes to the electives schedule due to personnel and district priority shifts meant additional teaching loads for already busy staff. Instead of presenting this change as an administrative decision, I framed it as a collective problem-solving opportunity.

Your perfect world. At a staff meeting, I said: “Here is our reality: Due to staffing changes, we need to revisit our electives schedule to ensure that students have meaningful options aligned with our school’s goals and values.”

Then I asked, “Considering that meeting student needs is our top priority, in your perfect world, how would we approach this?”

Identifying barriers. By framing the question this way, I emphasized that the student experience is the most important goal while also empowering teachers to share their ideas. This approach helped create a vision of the best-case scenario and provided space for teachers to express their thoughts openly. By keeping the focus on the students, we were able to move beyond complaints and into productive problem-solving.

One teacher responded, “In my perfect world, teachers would have a voice in the electives we teach. We would be able to teach elective classes we are passionate about.” The next question is just as crucial: “What barriers might we face in achieving this vision?”

By identifying barriers, teachers take an active role in problem-solving, which ensures that their ideas are well thought out and consider the impact on colleagues and students, our current resources, etc. This leads to deeper discussions about pedagogy, feasibility, and fairness, allowing teachers to anticipate challenges before they arise.

Encouraging staff to voice concerns and potential roadblocks also fosters transparency and trust, reinforcing a culture where teachers feel valued and heard. As one teacher noted, “A potential barrier is that we might end up with too many electives on similar topics.”

First steps. Finally, I asked, “What is the first step we can take?” This question propels discussion into action, ensuring that solutions emerge from the process rather than remaining abstract.

One teacher suggested, “We could survey staff and students to gauge interest in different electives.” By breaking the challenge into tangible steps, the process became manageable, collaborative, and solution-oriented.

Why This Approach Works

The phrase “In my perfect world” is a powerful way to introduce aspirational thinking while fostering collaborative leadership. Importantly, using “In my perfect world” does not carry an implicit promise or mandate. Instead, it opens a pathway for thoughtful dialogue and collaborative problem-solving. It provides a nonthreatening way to introduce potential changes or improvements, allowing staff to reflect on how these ideas align with their current practices and professional goals.

Over time, this mindset has become embedded in our school. Teachers now come to me saying, “In my perfect world, we’d have more time for subject-area planning” or “In my perfect world, school sportswear would only be sold after school.” They already anticipate my next question, “What barriers might we face?”—and often arrive with solutions in hand.

I use this approach myself in team meetings. For example, I might say, “In my perfect world, team meetings would start with meaningful discussions about student progress and end with logistics” or “In my perfect world, every teacher would sponsor a lunch club.” These statements subtly nudge discussions toward best practices while reinforcing our school’s core values of being an inclusive community that fosters a positive, creative, and fun learning environment for everyone.

Balancing Collaboration and Leadership

While shared decision-making is essential, some situations require immediate administrative action. In these cases, I am transparent: “In my perfect world, we would have more time (or flexibility, or autonomy, etc.) to discuss this, but given our constraints, I need to make a timely decision in the best interest of our students.” This balance of collaboration and decisiveness builds respect and trust among staff.

By consistently applying these three transformative questions—In your perfect world, what would happen? What barriers might we face? What is the first step we can take?—we create a culture together where collaboration, problem-solving, and shared leadership thrive.

These questions empower educators to move beyond obstacles and focus on actionable solutions, fostering a school environment that values every voice. By embedding this mindset into daily practice, schools can cultivate a culture of trust, innovation, and continuous improvement.

The Research Behind It

When leaders offer teachers both autonomy and strong support, teachers have greater engagement and actively collaborate with the administration. It is the difference between “working with the administration instead of for the administration.”

Others have found that when administrators share leadership responsibilities with staff, teachers experience a stronger teacher satisfaction and a deeper engagement with their school. This approach fosters a shared vision and collective accountability for student success.

These three questions support dialogic leadership, a model that fosters a culture where teachers feel heard and empowered to share their expertise. Unlike traditional top-down approaches, dialogic leadership prioritizes trust, meaningful conversations, and collaborative decision-making. It encourages teachers to be reflective and thoughtful, leading to both personal and professional growth.

Research highlights the fact that encouraging teachers to reflect on potential barriers before implementing new changes supports a proactive problem-solving approach. Anticipating challenges reduces disruptions and ensures that necessary resources are in place to support teachers.

Additionally, defining core values through stakeholder engagement fosters a sense of ownership and commitment among staff, leading to a stronger and more cohesive school culture.