Dear Potential Pirate:
Before you get carried away with a Dixon Ticonderoga #2, take a deep breath. There are two basic cures to this type of lack of perspective. One, take care of those kids, and remember that each of your colleagues, including the “administration” are just grown up kids that need care, support and human connection during this time of year. People are more raw, more emotionally charged, and they are sitting down to dinner with family members that might be living reminders of how the educational system can always be improved. Everyone needs a little rope at this time of year, and a little care and concern as well as gratitude goes a long way.
Two, the cure for meaningless meetings about holiday decorations is planning ahead to do the type of real work you got into education to do. Despite what may be getting modeled for you at your school, December is the month to make major project plans for the following school year. If you wait until January, then you are going to be inundated with surprise retirements, snow days, and what we call a case of the "we will just deal with that next year" syndrome, so you have to get on it. There are really only about two or three days in an 180 day cycle where thinking about next year feels appropriate, so Carpe Diem. What type of work might you plan in December for the following year:
Strategic Planning:
This work usually starts in August, and each year we are so sad when we have to explain to schools that call in July that we are full, and that they will need to put off that important work until January, the following August or worse, use some other firm that has no clients and is just waiting to build you your next Strategic Plan to go in that three ring binder.
Schedule Re-Design:
Schedule re-design is actually best begun in January, so either you are bringing this one in right under the wire, or you get the prize for planning a full year ahead.
Culture Work:
What is culture work? Culture work is becoming more and more a part of we are doing at L+D because as the saying goes, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. Want to work on and evolve the culture at your school? This takes time, and we only take on a couple of these projects each year, so it is important to contact us early.
Leadership Team Development:
What if next year was the year that you enjoyed your leadership team, modeled the type of collaboration you want for your faculty, and made significant progress on the messy ambiguous goals that come up as needs each summer? It can be done, but you must plan for it, and we would love to help.