​Colleagues,
 
I’ve been working on this email for an hour and have no idea what the next sentence will say.
 
Sometimes we have those times, or days, or even seasons, when the easy becomes difficult and the difficult becomes impossible.
 
There is a temptation to get more complicated, or innovative, or cute, but when you are struggling, why not go back to your strengths?
 
For me that means asking questions, so here you go:

1. What is your leadership superpower?
2. How can you use that superpower right now?
3. Who could benefit from your superpower?

 
If you had a great week, that’s wonderful. If you didn’t, don’t feel discouraged or alone. 
 
This is a truly unique time that challenges us in many different ways. Leaders are expected to be like prisms catching all of this change and weirdness and transforming it into lots of pretty colors.
 
Take a deep breath. You are a leader because people believe in you, so reflect on your superpower and let that buoy you for this weekend. We can all work together to get better next week.
 
Do good and be well,
 
Frederick

​Colleagues,
 
Yesterday I shared with you that I was facilitating a group of school leaders and that we had two hours to come up with an actionable step towards a system of providing more support for students who need it. Through the SAC process, we developed an actionable plan in ninety minutes!
 
That sounds impressive, but what if I told you that all we did was decide that we needed more information? 
 
Ninety minutes to decide that we needed more information? Was it wasted time? 
 
No, because here is what else happened:

1. We used the SAC process to identify key resources.
2. We learned that several schools already had some of what we needed.
3. We identified key collaborators in the process.
4. We have tentative next steps for future action cycles.
5. We developed common language and clear expectations.

 
Identifying missing information is a key benefit of the SAC process. Without digging into symptoms to identify the real problem, we are likely to make assumptions without having all of the knowledge we need. By taking more time on the front end, we save time and resources by not wasting them on doing the wrong thing!
 
Do good and be well,
 
Frederick

​Colleagues,
 
Today I’ll be working with a group of school leaders to develop a strategic action cycle (SAC) around MTSS – multi-tiered system of supports. MTSS is a concept or approach to supporting students by adding more intensive support for kids with more extensive needs.
 
MTSS is a really difficult thing to get right because there are foundational pieces that must be in place and then complex systems and advanced teaching skills that go on top. The idea behind MTSS – more support for those who need it – makes sense but building an MTSS system is the epitome of BIG change.
 
Today, these school leaders have two hours to work. It isn’t enough time to design a system. but it should be enough time for us to identify ONE small step we can take towards building an MYTSS system. If we finish with a SAC that can be implemented in several days or weeks, and will make one thing better, then we will have a win.
 
Think about the big things facing you. What is one small thing you can do today to get a little bit closer?
 
Do good and be well,
 
Frederick

Colleagues,
 
Last week I shared that we were getting new wood floors and how that related to BIG change. Unfortunately, our endeavor mirrored BIG change a bit too much. Here’s the process we have been through:

1. Assessed the need for new floors
2. Planned by choosing style and defining parameters (which rooms)
3. Committed
4. Prepared by tearing out the baseboard, moving out all the furniture and dismantling our kitchen
5. This was supposed to be the implementation phase, but something happened – the floor never got delivered from the factory!

 
So, now we are sitting in a big mess and it will be this way for another 10-14 days.
 
We shouldn’t be surprised as BIG change usually goes this way. If we think about a change cycle as having four parts, here are the ways BIG change can go off the rails:

1. Identification
   1. We focus on symptoms instead of problems or 
   2. We address the wrong problem
2. Planning
   1. This is the phase we are usually best at, but sometimes we fail to account for factors such as…
3. Implementation
   1. Unforeseen events interrupt the work
   2. Key people leave
   3. Resources dwindle
   4. Leadership (and priorities) change
4. Evaluation
   1. We never get to this point
   2. The end of implementation means an end to accountability, so the outcome is not evaluated

​
Do good and be well,
 
Frederick

​Colleagues,
 
Today’s focus is on the most important of the four principles of strategic leadership: people.
 
Soon-to-be Dr. Maddie Jurek defends her dissertation today! Maddie asked (and answered) questions about meaningful training and development. She studied art teachers in public schools, but her findings are applicable to strategic leaders everywhere. 
 
Maddie found that high quality training should be:
 
Relevant and embedded in experience. The training itself should provide immediate value by connecting people with their peers and developing skills and knowledge that can be applied to their jobs. Training should also result in concrete plans or other tangible products that facilitate application of the new knowledge and skills.
 
Create a shift in mindset. Training can help people see their identity and their connection to their work in different ways. This happens primarily when people experience growth in knowledge and skills and are then able to use that growth to improve results in their jobs. This mindset shift may also help people reframe how they see the purpose of their work and their professional identities.
 
Enable growth-oriented beliefs. As a result of training, people should reexamine what success looks like in their work. Training should help elevate performance and expectations, not only for what the work can achieve, but also the purpose behind it.
 
Training that meets these criteria can be provided within the organization or by external trainers or consultants, professional associations, and public or provided educational organizations.
 
Finally, a critical element of the professional development that Maddie looked at was that it occurred within a community. The learners formed a network that was supportive both during and after the formal training. This network aspect of professional development was essential to success.
 
Congratulations Dr. Jurek!
 
Do good and be well,
 
Frederick