SCARF: The Ultimate Accessory

If you are not really into fashion, keep reading anyway! 😁

Working for the Ayers Institute, I have the privilege of working with a lot of different groups of educators. Sometimes I take on the role of facilitator of learning and at other times I work with teachers and leaders as a coach, a thinking partner. No matter what the role, David Rock's SCARF model serves as a foundation for those interactions. Yes, it is another acronym because, well, we just don't have enough acronyms in education. This acronym, however, is one I use every single day in my work.



Status - This is relative importance to others: what I think you think about me.
Certainty - This is the need the brain has for predictability and clarity in any situation.
Autonomy - This is the need for control. Choice and voice are part of autonomy.
Relatedness - This is the ability to relate to one another, a sense of safety and belonging.
Fairness - This is the perception of fair exchanges between people. Transparency plays a role with what is perceived as fair.

Using this as a framework, I can consider how an email might come across to someone. I can also use this to consider the source of a conflict or even how to be proactive in minimizing opportunities for conflict. In short, SCARF helps me to maximize my influence with others.

How do you see this information impacting your work?