My motivation for writing this thesis is based upon a number of experiences with employee development planning in my capacity as a teacher and educational leader. My reflections and surprise at the dynamics that develop during this conversation, and why the benefits and value for my own part have been limited. My interest in the interview itself was intensified when I read a report from the Ministry of Education saying a new concept for employee development planning had been tested in 15 youth educations in 2019 and that in the follow-up, there would be a demand for tools of a more open and exploratory dialogue with the teachers.

The purpose of this thesis is an inductive study of how teachers and leaders, in a common high school, experience the conversation as meaningful. In addition, which factors may have an impact on the creation of opinion in the dialogue between leader and teachers. The study is based on semi-structured qualitative interviews of three leaders and three teachers, and the study thus leans on an interpretative phenomenological approach. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, sub-elements of the informants’ statements are organized and analyzed and linked in relation to the concept as a whole.

The central literature is: Communitative Management by philosopher Jürgen Habermas who with the concepts of system and world of life illustrates the complexity of linguistic plays in the dialogue. Communities of practice by learning theorist Etienne Wengers are involved in creating and understanding of how meaning is negotiated and created through social communities of practice. Sense-making by organizing theorist Karl E. Weick takes a look at how sense-making is shaped via seven elements.

Based on the analysis and the selected literature, the issues arising from the empirical findings are discussed. Through content and relationship as supporting factors for meaning, it is discussed how the conversation can be developed to become a much more meaningful conversation for the parties. Finally, it is concluded that it is possible to develop and strengthen the meaningfulness of MUS* if the parties are much more aware that teachers harmonize expectations of content and procedure prior to the interview itself, that leaders are aware of their use of communication in conversation, and that leaders are aware of the relational significance of the output of the conversation.

Anne Christina Antunes, Department of Culture and Learning, The Faculty of Humanities, Aalborg University, 2020