If Everything Repeats
The phrase “It’s easy to be right when everything repeats” in the great band Trivium’s song The Heart From Your Hate has caused me to do some deep thinking. If you get to reflecting on it, that line alone in the song is really deep. We can look at this two ways:
- If we keep everything the same it is easy to repeat success every time – status quo.
- The same things will just keep happening, and usually get more difficult, until you recognize and eliminate the behavior that needs to change.
Why do people resist change? One reason is the fact that it may mean having to make some changes to processes that are already in place that have become easy to just keep doing. This is why it is so hard to change the status quo. The problem with this is that while the status quo might be creating so called “success,” or being “right,” that might not be the right success any more. I remember when I was leading the process in Indiana to go away from students passing a single exam to graduate to students having multiple pathways to graduate, there was tremendous resistance from those who had figured out the “system” to get kids to pass the exam. Some after multiple tries and being put through what I called the remediation factory. Those resisters could be right because everything was just repeating, but that was not the right thing to do for our scholars.
We can also view the easiness of being right when everything repeats itself from our own lens of recognition. Why do our experiences keep repeating? Think about this formula Event + Reaction =Outcome. You may be saying, “Everyone knows that, Byron. That’s really easy!” Is it, though? It sounds basic and very simple and yes it is basic and very simple but it has a lot of meaning. Think about this; what if the ‘R’ (reaction) is kept constant in the formula? Won’t your experiences keep repeating themselves? We need to change the ‘R’ (reaction) in our personal lives and organizations into a variable. Only then can we change the ‘O’ (outcome).
Yes, it is easy to be right when everything repeats or stays status quo, but that sometimes limits us from great relationships or doing great things. Thanks, Trivium, for making me reflect on this!
What Happens When You Are Gone?
Intent-based leadership relies on all team members being able to recognize what needs to be done and having the technical expertise to be able to do it. In my work with leadership development I have found that one of the toughest things for many up and coming leaders is stepping back and letting others take the lead or complete a task on their own. The best leaders do not focus on ensuring compliance with outside decisions. Instead, great leaders facilitate the team’s decisions about how they will carry out their shared purpose–mission, vision, values, and goals. In the case of education, when teachers are both responsible and accountable for making the decisions influencing school success, they also own the outcomes. Teacher teams do not have a problem with being accountable for results when they have the autonomy and authority to determine how best to achieve them. They take pride in what works well and refine what doesn’t.
In Simple Truth #44, “The Most Important Part Of Leadership Is What Happens When You’re Not There” in Simple Truths of Leadership: 52 Ways To Be A Servant Leader and Build Trust, Making Common Sense Common Practice, Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley, we were reminded that, “Servant leaders develop and empower their people so that they will perform just as well, if not better, on their own as they do when the leader is present” (p. 115). The key here is to have those we serve developed in the technical and leadership skills necessary to make decisions from wherever they are. If we position everyone to lead from where they presently are, we have decisions being made where the data is created.
Listen More
This past week at the National FFA Convention here in Indianapolis, Indiana I had the opportunity to do teacher workshops with our National FFA Teacher Ambassadors. One of my roles is to help our ambassadors be the best presenters possible. After each workshop I did a reflection so that during next year’s ambassador trainings I can point out positive practices that really work during workshops. One such practice was done by Lindsey Lasater of Silex, Missouri. She is incredible at leading workshops. When leading discussions with workshop participants, Lindsey would write down each participants’ comments word for word on tear sheets. I used to do this in my classroom when teaching and now also use it when facilitating. I love this strategy. One, it helps the teacher/facilitator listen better, and two, it shows the student/participant that what they have to say is valued. And, a third plus is that it helps the other participants know what was added to the conversation.
In Simple Truth #43, “Since We Were Given Two Ears And One Mouth, We Should Listen More Than We Speak” in Simple Truths of Leadership: 52 Ways To Be A Servant Leader and Build Trust, Making Common Sense Common Practice, Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley we are reminded that good listeners are interested in what you are thinking and feeling. Some great ideas were being shared last week during Lindsey’s workshop and she honored and captured those thoughts by actively listening and writing them down. We are a good listener if we are focusing on the other person. Bad listeners focus on themselves. If we get the listening right, those we serve will share their best thoughts and ideas with us.
Superhero Fantasy World
Everyone knows I like hard rock music and that I like reflecting on lyrics. I’ve been listening to some Falling In Reverse lately and the song Superhero has caused me to do a lot of thinking the expectations we put on others. I do a superhero activity in my leadership development facilitation, then always tell groups we should study persons, not the superhero we think they are or, more importantly, we want them to be. While I agree, we sometimes see people as superheroes, we must remember they are human. They will make mistakes and let us down. And, they are living their lives, not us. But let’s remember that none of us are the worst thing we have ever done. In the song Superhero it says, “I don’t wanna be a superhero ‘Cause I can’t save the world.” We have to watch putting people on pedestals that none of us can live up to. This is not saying we should not have heroes, role models, and mentors that we watch and learn from, but we must remember they are humans just like us.
In an interview, Falling In Reverse’s lead singer, Ronnie Radke, said this about Superhero: “Wow! That’s a radio song! That song is about people expecting you to be a certain way and when you step out of that fantasy they either go crazy or they go crazy actually. It’s what I have learned over the years is if I do something not pleasing or wrong you never hear the end of it.” Did you catch that? That was a pretty profound statement! What I called a ‘pedestal’ earlier in the post Ronnie calls a ‘fantasy.’ How many times do we expect others to live up to a superhero fantasy only to go crazy when they don’t quite live up to our version of the fantasy.
We also do this with our kids and students. Yes, our young scholars will, and should, live up to high expectations, but sometimes we forget that every path matters. For everyone in our lives we need to be careful to not create a false and unhealthy narrative about what it means to be successful. I always say we need to be helping those we serve to be significant. We are not each responsible for saving the world individually or sacrificing ourselves. As the song says: “I just wanna do better.” So let’s quit the fantasy stuff and help each other be the best we can be!
Catching A Ride To Go Places
There is a great idiom in Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson. Dmitri “Raven” Ravinoff told Y.T., “If you know how to catch a ride you can go places.” We talk a lot about having the right people in the right seats on the bus. Getting the right people on the bus was a concept developed in the book Good to Great by Jim Collins. We also need to think about catching the ride to go to the right places. Collins taught us that people should be on the metaphorical bus because of who else is on the bus, instead of where it is going. Then it’s much easier to change direction. Leaders need to start with “who” is on the bus, but let’s not forget that we and others are also, at times, looking to catch a ride.
If we want our organizations to be effective we need the right people and the right spots. There must be clarity about what the organization needs. Then, thinking about the right person in the right seat can begin. Also, we should only be looking to catch rides with organizations that have taken the time and been intentional about designing organizational structure and roles and responsibilities. So many times a person is hired only to find out they are not doing what they thought they were hired to do. This is not somewhere we want to catch a ride with. If we are catching a ride with someone already in an organization or moving to a new organization we need to make sure everyone there recognizes our unique contributions.
No One Bothered To Explain
“No one bothered to explain anything to her so she was not comfortable asking any questions.” Y.T. said this while working a job in the great novel (where the term “metaverse” was coined), Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson. For some reason this statement really jumped out at me. I think it hit me so hard because it is true – if we’ve not been given any explanation, the “why,” or made to feel like we need to be in the “know,” we probably won’t be comfortable asking questions. This is true in work and organizational settings as well as in educational settings. Explanation forms a bridge between telling and revealing knowledge involving narration and description.
Using explanation, we make meaning of content, processes, and procedures. In other words, complex things should be simplified. Explanations also give us clarity. When there’s clarity, it’s easier to communicate and move forward as a team. Y.T.’s comment in Snow Crash reminded me that the short amount of time it takes to explain and shed some light on the “why,”especially when introducing a new initiative, provides the clarity, unity, and motivation necessary for a productive and fully-engaged culture.
Then, yesterday while facilitating a leadership development gathering, I was reminded that the comfort that Y.T. was looking for to ask questions was also dependent on the relationships built with others in the organization and team. We know that students whose teachers have built relationships with have higher levels of engagement and achievement. Why? The students are more comfortable asking questions.
Do you have, or have you ever had, a boss you weren’t comfortable asking questions of? Awful, right? This could show a lack of relationship. I had a teacher tell me a couple of weeks ago that she wished her principal knew her better. I reminded her that this was a two way street and she needed to help build that relationship. As a former principal I pointed out that her principal had an entire building of people to build relationships with. But, the bottom-line is that it is a leaders responsibility to build relationships and open the lines of communication.
As leaders we need to make sure we are comfortable asking questions like: How’s life?; Are you clear about your role and responsibilities?; What would you like to learn about?; or, What do you think would improve…? Think about how liberating being asked these questions could be. Only liberating, however, if you really mean them and want to truly act on them.
Owning Up To Our Mistakes
Leaders are not responsible for always being right. However, one of my early mentors always taught me to see problems as opportunities. As he would say, “We’ve got an opportunity.” I never heard him say problem, obstacle, or challenge. And framed as opportunities they always became just that – opportunities for growth and success. Any great leader will share that they have made many mistakes along the way. Those same leaders will teach that it was the collective insight from bad decisions that taught them invaluable lessons. My mentor taught me to see opportunities in everything and anticipate the unexpected more quickly.
Randy Conley also taught us great leaders admit their mistakes in Simple Truth #42, “True Servant Leaders Admit Their Mistakes” in Simple Truths of Leadership: 52 Ways To Be A Servant Leader and Build Trust, Making Common Sense Common Practice, Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley, As Randy said, “In reality, admitting mistakes is one of the most powerful ways a leader can build trust. When your team sees you own up to your behavior, they see a leader who is genuine, honest, and authentic” (p. 109). The best leaders I’ve been exposed to are/were transparent with themselves and others, admitting when they were wrong so those of us looking on could also benefit from their learnings.
Our Values Drive Our Decisions
I loved this week’s Simple Truth #41: “Trust is always trending. Doing the right thing never goes out of style.” in Simple Truths of Leadership: 52 Ways To Be A Servant Leader and Build Trust, Making Common Sense Common Practice, Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley, As a believer that Core Values Are The Heart and Soul, this Simple Truth really resonated with me. It also reminded me of something Peter Drucker once said: “The proof of the sincerity and seriousness of management is uncompromising emphasis on integrity of character. This, above all, has to be symbolized in management’s ‘people’ decisions. For it is character which leadership is exercised; it is character that sets the example and is imitated. Character is not something one can fool people about. The people with whom a person works, and especially subordinates, know in a few weeks whether he or she has integrity or not. They may forgive a person a great deal: incompetence, ignorance, insecurity, or bad manners. But they will not forgive lack of integrity in that person. Nor will they forgive higher management for choosing him.” This is still true today and always will be.
Randy Conley said it best, “When you’re tempted to jump on the latest trending #leadershipfad, consider staying consistent with the one thing that’s always trending: trust.” We will generally be most comfortable working in a company that has a corporate culture that reflects our own personal values. Core values are the guiding principles that help to define how we should behave personally, in business, and perhaps beyond.
How Do We DeBottleneck?
I am now to the next-to-last topic I put on a list that I wanted to blog about following the SMART Factory League 2022 Summit in Hamburg, Germany. During one of the sessions a speaker posed the question, “How do we debottleneck?” I have actually blogged about bottlenecks before in The Leadership Bottleneck! At first I was going to say that the post I did back in 2015 was done in a different context, but as I went back through it I realized it was still very evergreen today.
I love metaphors and the idea of a bottleneck is a metaphor referring to how the speed of pouring a liquid changes when it enters the narrow neck of a bottle. Bottlenecks usually determine the capacity of a process. Bottlenecks develop simply because in any process – be it a manufacturing line or business process – different activities take different amounts of time, or various stages have an uneven capacity, to unequal numbers of resources.
Bottlenecks also occur because of batch processing. Machines and workers are sometimes only available at limited times during the day or week. Therefore, to increase efficiency, the raw materials are organized in batches so that the time windows are utilized fully. It’s pretty obvious how this batching causes bottlenecks in manufacturing, but then I got to thinking about how we batch in education and how that causes bottlenecks. Last week I had the chance to facilitate a session rolling out Aspen Institute’s latest framework for education, Opportunity to Learn, Responsibility to Lead, and we go into a discussion of what the future of school should look like. Now, looking back on that discussion we were really talking about debottlenecking in many instances.
In education, the term bottleneck is used in both describing the pedagogical issue of barriers to the students’ understanding of content in the process of learning. Bottleneck is also used to describe times when a student enters a phase of progression where academic performance and competition come into play. Both of these bottlenecks are compounded because of how we presently “batch” our students into grades and groupings. This inherently causes bottlenecks. This is why we need to consider looking to a more competency based model. The more we can personalize and become student centric we can eliminate batching bottlenecks.
Bottlenecks can cause both the student and the institution to incur increased educational costs, waste time, and delay completion of dual credits, certifications, and work based learning opportunities. So, just like the manufacturing industry must debottleneck, we need to consider the ways to debottleneck education.
The Multi-Use Of Information
There are many people with titles. Few of us would say that their title makes them a leader. I believe everyone is a leader. Several nouns are often used like judgment, persuasiveness, trust, and more to point to the many qualities necessary in a good leader. Easily forgotten, however, is the quality of being creatively informed. Common to the best leaders is one distinguishing factor – the ability to use information creatively in raising questions. It is this ability to raise relevant, provocative, insightful, and often path-finding questions that separates true leaders from those who may just be occupying a leadership position.
When I was in Hamburg, Germany last week, top industry leaders were discussing the multi-use of information. Having and gathering the information that reveals trends, patterns, tendencies, opportunities, weaknesses, strengths, and more is stuff of leadership when it is combined with creative efforts to raise the proper questions. To be a learning organization we need to be thinking of how to link data together to tell a full story. This reminds me of the concept of information leadership which describes leading the development and using information resources and infrastructures in organizations, and for influencing and making decisions about the use, organization and management of information resources and information infrastructures. It’s about finding the ways the all points of data influence each other.
Markets, technology, and necessary skills needed change so fast that industry and education must be using all information available in making changes. We may not like the changes or even understand them, but they are coming. Connectivity across the whole organization is the cornerstone of digital transformation. Therefore we need to be using information in multiple ways. We need to be connecting information and eliminate analog shadows.
Byron's Babbles 
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