We’ve all been there: You send a quick, well-intentioned email or text from your phone, thinking you’re being efficient. But by the time you get back to your office, that one sentence has taken a meaning you hadn’t expected.

In our latest Making Schools Work Podcast episode, Thomas Murray, director of innovation for Future Ready Schools, joins Daniel Rock and Erin Anderson Williams to dive into the science of communication . He argues that great educators aren’t just experts in their content: They are masters of the human side of communication.

The 10% Reality

Why do even the best-laid plans go off the rails? Murray introduces us to a fascinating concept called the Curse of Knowledge. In a landmark study, researchers tapped the rhythm of a well-known song like “Happy Birthday” after having respondents guess how many people could identify it.

While the participants predicted a high success rate, fewer than 10% of listeners could actually name the tune.

This is a powerful metaphor for school leadership. As experts, we often communicate with a melody playing in our heads. We assume the context, the why and the history are obvious. But to the receiver, it just sounds like a series of disconnected taps.

When we assume what the listener will know, we take a risk of miscommunicating our message.

The Speed Trap

Modern school life moves at a relentless cadence. Decisions are made in the crossfire of hallway conversations and rapid-fire text messages. Murray warns that this speed is often where the human side of communication gets lost.

When we respond too quickly, we risk creating a skills gap that is actually a communication gap. A teacher might follow your directions perfectly based on what they heard, only for you to realize it wasn’t at all what you meant.

So what can you do to help stop this from happening?

Three Strategies to Bridge the Gap

To combat the curse of knowledge, Murray suggests moving away from problem-solver mode and leaning into intentionality, Here are three things you can try to improve your communication with your teachers:

• Listen to Understand, Not to Respond: Most leaders are wired to fix things instantly. However, the most effective tool in a leader’s kit is the ability to be quiet and listen until they truly understand the other person’s lens.
• The “Knock-on-the-Door” Test: Before hitting send on a sensitive email, call in a trusted colleague. Ask them to read it and tell you honestly: “What is the conversation in the faculty room the moment I hit send?” This second set of eyes can save you hours of putting out fires caused by a poorly phrased message.
• Change How You Are Telling the Story: If the way you are communicating your message isn’t working, try a new way. Murray shares how one principal tripled his newsletter engagement by changing the format to one in which the students tell the story through video. When the school community became invested in watching their children tell the school’s stories, they started to listen.

Great schools don’t happen by chance; they happen when leaders are intentional about the way they connect, clarify and influence. Owning your narrative—and your mistakes—is the first step toward building a culture of trust.

Hear More From Thomas Murray

You can listen to the whole conversation with Murray on his podcast episode.

If you are attending the 2026 Making Schools Work Conference in Nashville this July 14-17, then make sure to attend Murray’s featured speaker session on Wednesday at 10:15 a.m.

And make sure you catch every episode of our podcast by liking and subscribing to the Making Schools Work Podcast wherever you listen to your podcast.