Colleagues,
MVP: If you can’t do the whole project, just do the A-B step. Help, I’m locked in Quadrant 2! Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration. Slight. Writing my book has been the quadrant 2 (important, not urgent) task that I have been putting off for two (three? 🤔) years. Pam has banished me to the wilderness until I finish the draft manuscript. As you read, I am sitting in a cabin by a river typing away. So, colleague, consider:
Today’s intention: Be mindful of that “one big thing” that is important to you but is always the last priority – maybe because it is so big. Plan to take an A-B step. Cheers! Frederick
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Colleagues,
MVP: Go make a positive difference by coaching someone today! Two weeks ago, I was in a school talking with a middle school math teacher. His students were working on a big genetics project. I went through the 5-minute coaching process with him and asked the three questions about the genetics unit:
He responded enthusiastically to the third question and shared that he only realized towards the end of the unit that he could have incorporated more math and worked with the math teacher to create an integrated unit that would have had a bigger impact on kids and teachers. As a school leader, this would be valuable information that I could circle back to with the team. How do we support opportunities within the team to work more collaboratively? Here’s the kicker – the teacher told me all about his unit even though he had never met me before! I was a stranger and just started asking questions. People want to talk about their work. They want to share, and they value opportunities to reflect. Reflect on your week:
I hope you saw what I did there 😉 Today’s intention: Take five minutes and grow someone by asking three simple questions. Cheers! Frederick Colleagues,
MVP: 5-minute coaching can help you tell whether someone is learning or drowning If I’m learning to swim, give me feedback. If I’m drowning, throw me a life preserver! The same holds true for those we serve, but it can be hard to tell the difference between learning and drowning, especially with people who are new their jobs. Is the new teacher trying to figure out how to align activities with learning standards, or is he just throwing out activities because he is overwhelmed with all the facets of the job? It can be hard to tell just by watching, which is why being present is so important. 5-minute coaching session?
In that five-minute conversation, you will know whether they are drowning or learning to swim. Oh, and since we are talking about five minutes, remember our new guide Be a Better Leader in 5 Minutes a Day! Click here to download. Today’s intention: Use a 5-minute coaching session to check in on someone new! Cheers! Frederick Colleagues,
MVP: Embrace failure – it leads to growth. The flipside of being a podcaster is that you get invited onto podcasts. Long-time friend and colleague Dr. William Wright had me as a guest on his show The Wright Experience and I gave a less-than-stellar performance. (Sorry William). Last month I was interviewed by the remarkable Josh Stamper, and I did great! GREAT! What was the difference? I prepared for Josh’s show, which I hadn’t realized was a necessity until after my interview with William. The lesson? Failure is an opportunity to grow when we evaluate what went wrong. My episode on Josh’s podcast, Aspire to Lead, was all about the journey – from being urgent to strategic learner. Please listen here! It is the best articulation I have been able to give about wat I am trying to do and why. Today’s intention: Think about something that hasn’t gone your way. Ask yourself:
Cheers! Frederick Colleagues,
MVP: The first step to making a situation better is to understand the problem On a few occasions we’ve had trouble getting the podcast out on time. We have had four different breakdowns:
In each case, the symptom was that the podcast barely got done in time for release. However, each time the root problem was different. Because we invested time in each instance to understand the root problem, we were able to take small actions that should eliminate or at least decrease the chances of being late with future episodes. On today’s episode of The Assistant Principal Podcast, I will take a couple challenges and explore what the problem might be. This is critical, because misdiagnosing the problem leads to inappropriate action. If you’d like to hear me break it all down, visit our podcast homepage here to link to your favorite podcast player. Better yet, subscribe! Remember that you can be a better leader in five minutes a day. This guide will show you how. Today’s intention: When you have the urge to jump into action, first consider what the problem might be. Cheers! Frederick |
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