Tuesday, February 07, 2017

Differentiate to Strengthen Schools

There are so many ways that schools can grow to be better and more effective. Yet that growth demands strategic process and differentiation. I recommend that schools think with staff about how to grow and who is going to forward what. We can't be and do all things, but if we differentiate our efforts to learn and grow schools, we will truly modernize our learning communities in ways that matter. Together we are better, and together we can maximize the collective genius of organizations.

So many times there are problems in schools that remain unfixed, and that's because there's not enough good time and attention given to those issues. Now, it's also true, that we can't be all things and do all things--prioritization is important, and that takes time too.

Sometimes problems become caught in the web of of confusion or inertia too--no one feels they own the issue or for some reason they feel they can't broach the subject, so the problem remains.

In the best of circumstances, I feel that schools need to use good strategic process to set vision, differentiate, and collaborate to solve the prioritized issues that exist. It's important, in this regard, to not just repeatedly choose the "easy problems" to solve, but instead to look closely at what will make the most significant impact with regard to the goals, values, and vision of an organization.