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February 25, 2007
Three New Blog Voices from the real world
I've been checking out some new bloggers (to me) on the education front while doing the behind the scenes work with three of PEP's residential programs (in addition to processing applications for the Principal Fellows Program). Gotta tell you, I've got the best gig in the business! I remain incredibly impressed with the quality of school executives I get a chance to work with in these residential programs (high school principals, experienced principals, and new principals) as well as the quality of the applicants to the Principal Fellows Program. But I had to take a break to check out some fresh voices in the blog world.
Ran across these three different education leadership type bloggers. What's cool about them is that they are in the trenches-good perspectives. I hope their blogs will cause you to think and then add them to your blog rolls.
1-Scott Elias
2-Brian Saxon
3-Steve Poling
Check them out. Good stuff
Posted by chitch at 4:53 PM | Comments (1)
February 18, 2007
Power of the Dash (updated)
In one of my earlier posts, I commented on the power of the dash, by Patrick Rhone.
After using it for the past 3 months, I've come across a way that makes it more effective for me-will share for you and you can take it for what it's worth.
I find that when I take notes and have an action item to do, I end up putting a small circle in the margin. When it is time for me to take action, I'll then put the dash in the middle of the circle. If I have delegated it to someone else, I'll transform the dash to a left pointing arrow with the initials of the person I've delegated it to.
When the item has been completed, I then make a vertical hash inside the circle where there ends up a circle with a plus sign inside of it.
Posted by chitch at 11:06 PM | Comments (0)
Three steps to help find opportunities to improve your school
During the month of February, most school executives are already looking forward to what they need to do and focus upon with planning for the upcoming year. Most of us won't likely engage in this act alone. Instead, the wisest among us will enlist others who can help us with possible opportunities for continuing growth. Our role as leaders is to help enlist others, evaluate possible approaches and solutions, and then implement the recommendations. You may find this model useful to try the following approach with your leadership team, school improvement teams, and other groups as well.
Step 1-Step back and step in. Step back from the day to day operations of your school and identify possible areas and situations that need improvement. Obviously, you'll use the data and facts unique to your school to help you in analysis. Once you've stepped back, get ready to step in to work with your team to find possible solutions.
Step 2-Look for outliers of expertise. ID people who are doing a terrific job at what you're trying to accomplish. Often, you'll find one or two people on your staff that are doing a terrific job in the area you've focused upon. You also want to enlist others that can help carry the message and bring in acceptance for what you are trying to accomplish. The biggest mistake school execs make here is to think they have to do it alone. This is not time for the Lone Ranger Syndrome.
Step 3-Examine the data, make assumptions, and challenge those assumptions. Making any type of improvement depends upon data and facts, not simply opinions. Once you think you have a possible solution, write down the assumptions that you are making with your plan. Is it dependent upon a particular source of funds (like a grant)? Is it dependent upon one or two key individuals? Finally, ask the members of your team to challenge those assumptions and see where your collective assumptions do not hold water.
Doing these three steps won't guarantee that your plan for next year won't have some hiccups, but it certainly helps reduce the likelihood.
What other tips do you have in planning for the upcoming school year?
Posted by chitch at 12:44 PM | Comments (0)
February 16, 2007
Writing Tips
It's really interesting and intriguing to continue this blog. I'm getting the opportunity to hear from a tremendous number of people who have enriched me professionally. My newest blog voice is Dr. Scott McLeod, a professor and attorney at the University of Northern Minnesota. Scott's website is very robust and is one that I have now bookmarked, especially with his work on the educational leadership uses of technology.
For those of you engaged in writing papers, I offer "The McLeod Hints for Effective Writing". Good stuff. Between his work and Dan Lewandowski's expertise at PEP, I hope to be a better writer.
You may also want to check out his blog and his podcasts-I'm going to try to learn from him on how he creates his casts.
Good guy to know. Thanks to Scott Elias who put me in touch with Scott McLeod.
Chris
Posted by chitch at 4:23 PM | Comments (1)
February 12, 2007
Using Calendar Banners as Follow Up Tools
Almost every electronic calendar has banner capabilities. I've started using the banners to follow up on items and projects that are important for me to track. I'll put the project name in the banner title along with the end due date for the item. For example, I'll put "PFP Enrichment Seminar (2/16/07)" in the banner. I'll then insert any action items/tasks that are associated with the project in the notes section, along with the due dates and who is responsible for each of them. When the day comes up, I check the banner and walk around, call, or email the people that are involved in the tasks due that day and check up on them.
If you run a paper based calendar or file system, you can use a similar technique with file folders. Simply create a file folder with the project name and due date on it and include it in your action files or your 43 file folders.
Helps keep me focused. Try it and let me know what you think.
Chris
Posted by chitch at 12:35 PM | Comments (0)
February 2, 2007
13 Ways to Frustrate Your Employees
Read this post by Michael Hyatt today on 13 Ways to Frustrate Your Employees.
Like my post last week, I recognize these in many managers . I guess the good (or bad) news is that these 13 ways are common (unfortunately). Mike's take is a humorous one, but look behind the humor and you can reconnect with some key ways to NOT engage the people with whom you work.
Check it out.
Chris
Posted by chitch at 1:08 PM | Comments (0)