What made this event so painful was that voices, efforts, impact, and challenges were not taken seriously in a timely manner, and then people got hurt.
There is a natural human tendency to ignore points of view and discussion that are challenging for us. We don't want to hear the bad news about our own error or misjudgement. We may resist a new idea that challenges existing practice, or we might dismiss an idea if we don't value the person who has the idea.
Some of our fear and reluctance toward change probably has roots in the fact that mistakes were often punished rather than met with an eye on positive change, learning, and transformation. Hence we fear exposing our less strong sides and challenges. Yet, with the knowledge that we all err and everyone has challenges, instead we can work together to help each other develop and share our talents and interests in ways that matter.
The recent event has been a teacher for me, a teacher that has renewed the following learning points:
- Listen to your naysayers and take their words seriously. Enlist them in your efforts to do better and learn more.
- Work together. There is great strength in collaboration. Make time for this.
- Contribute your strengths strategically. We all bring strengths to the table, and it's best to work towards apt contribution of your strengths.
- Work to help everyone succeed and become valuable members of the teaching/learning community.
The past event could have resulted in positive effort with the following actions:
- Careful listening and examination of the facts without judgement.
- Collaborative, strategic, inclusive effort to turn problems into positive vision, goals, response, and development.
- Transparent share of the issues and inclusion of multiple viewpoints with regard to solutions.
- Careful, strategic, open, inclusive response and effort.
Troubling events can be teachers to all of us, and though saddened by the event that occurred, I will take the learning that emerged from this event forward towards better work and resolve.
