this is Third in a series of re-posted and Revised pieces I wrote Pre-covid19 that are more relevant than ever during this stunningly challenging time. I posted The original version of this one on November 21, 2019. [Many of the school leaders who see this will likely have a strategic plan somewhere below a stack […]
Zombies–Undead Colleges and Schools (COVID19 Update)
this is Second in a series of re-posted and Revised pieces I wrote Pre-covid19 that are more relevant than ever during this stunningly challenging time. I posted The original version of this one on January 20, 2020. When I was in seventh grade, I went to see Night of the Living Dead with a bunch […]
Landing the Plane: Finding Clarity within Complexity (Covid19 Update)
this is first in a series of re-posted pieces I wrote Pre-covid19 that are more relevant than ever during this stunningly challenging time. The cockpit–all those screens and switches, too many to count, plus lights, blue, yellow-orange, red. If things are really rough, a buzzer might sound. The voices from the tower are muffled in the radio. If […]
Avoiding a Strategy Archipelago: Pre-work for Strategic Planning
A well-constructed strategic plan, among other things is cohesive, and as I have written before in a post entitled Strategic Plans and Luxury Cars: They Look so Good on the Lot, schools create some lovely, shiny plans with muscled language and bold vision. The exercise of creating a plan–the detailed and focused process that leads […]
Place, Connection, and Expectation: Key Ingredients in a Progress Culture
We want kids to have the opportunity to live within and contribute to an extraordinary community of learners, artists, musicians, and athletes. In order to have this chance, students need three things from the school: Place, Connection, and Expectation. The success of a school in creating and maintaining a Progress Culture is rooted in these areas as much […]
Foreshadowing and not Foreshadowing: Strategic Choices
In an environment of accelerated progress and challenge, foreshadowing is a key to good communication about organizational change. Leadership should think of foreshadowing as a necessary tool because communicating change too late can make strategic steps look like reactive ones. By giving community members glimpses of what may lie ahead, organizations can: Gauge the potential response […]