Admissions Team Meeting Discussion Questions

Strong admissions work is more than process management, it is relationship building. And the relationship is tested most when conversations become charged.

Every admissions team has encountered a prospective parent who arrives anxious, frustrated, or defensive. What we have seen again and again is this: beneath the emotion is a parent trying to do what they believe is the best for their child. In a recent training, admissions staff shared that real empathy made the biggest impact on how they handled these moments. It helped them shift from “reacting to emotion” to “responding to the human behind the emotion.”

A few prompts for your next admissions team meeting:

🔸 What does empathy look like in practice during a challenging moment?

🔸 What are your own emotions, needs, and values that get activated in those moments?

🔸 What boundaries help you stay compassionate without burning out?

🔸 What are some shared team values that guide your communication with parents?

Leave your thoughts in the comments on Linkedin. If you are curious about strengthening the relationship building muscle in your team, or exploring more effective approaches to challenging conversations, feel free to reach out.