my version of transparent, collaborative leadership...with a Teamann twist

The importance of planning as a leader… & tips to do it well! #erincondren

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Confession:

My husband doesn’t buy me flowers. He buys me stationary supplies.

As techy as I try to be, I can’t not have a paper/pencil planner. I have tried a variety of digital tools (google calendar, todoist, evernote). I have tried to quit cold turkey and only use my Outlook calendar so I can use my phone.

It never sticks.

Consider this. 

You are 42% more likely to achieve your goals by writing them down.

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Forbes reports a pretty incredible +study about goal-setting carried out in the Harvard MBA Program. Harvard’s graduate students were asked if they have set clear, written goals for their futures, as well as if they have made specific plans to transform their fantasies into realities. The result of the study was only 3% of the students had written goals and plans to accomplish them, 13% had goals in their minds but haven’t written them anywhere, and 84% had no goals at all.

Where would you fall?

So then after 10 years, the same group of students were interviewed again and the conclusion of the study will blow your mind as an educator. The 13 percent of the class who had goals, but did not write them down, earned twice the amount of the 84 percent who had no goals. The 3 percent who had written goals were earning, on average, 10 times as much as the other 97 percent of the class combined. People who don’t write down their goals tend to fail easier than the ones who have plans. Oh my lizard!

 

I use my planner for more than just tracking my days. I reference and compare the previous year to my current year, regularly. I add a lined sticky post it each month, where I record thoughts and notes about the events that had occurred each month. For example, we had a “chalk the walk” event last year. We invited our Wolves to join us for an hour the day before school started to write positive, encouraging messages on the sidewalks to welcome our staff and students back the next day. While I had remembered plenty of chalk, it would have been really nice to have water on that hot August afternoon. Now…while I would like to think I would have naturally remembered that this year, I wrote down LAST year to remind myself we should provide water. When I was filling out events in the current calendar, that note on last years August page served as a great reminder for me to make sure it was on this years to do list. Simplistic? possible. Effective? Definitely.

Goals are recorded on my monthly pages. They carry over until they are done. I am determined to be in that percentage that ACHIEVES their

 personal/professional goals. 

This year I cheated on my favorite paper planner. I have an entire shelf dedicated to my Erin Condren planners. They’re not cheap. It’d be much simpler just to run down to the Target and grab one. So I thought….why not? How different could a planer be?  Shoot, this year I went to Michael’s and bought one that I could “construct” myself. It was half the price even!

It lasted two weeks.

I couldn’t handle it and had to order another Life Planner from Erin Condren. <<head smack>>

What’s the difference?

  • Quality thinker paper, tighter coils, firmer cover that doesn’t get scratched/faded
  • Large monthly spreads with a place to record “to do’s” or reminders
  • POSITIVE happy quotes spread throughout- I’m a firm believer in think happy, be happy. These bright encouraging quotes make me look forward to opening my planner each day.
  • Hourly day spread- With two girls and a fireman to keep up with, I need as many details to keep me straight as possible
  • Seach #erincondren on Instagram for fun ideas for planning. My partner in principal crime, Melinda Miller, loves starting her week with an incredible layout! I’m going to start posting my weekly spread as well to share a glimpse of what my #fabulousyearfour looks like!

 

While the price may deter you… I have TWO discount codes that I can give to readers. (Comment below and first two win!) If you’re a NEW customer (or have a NEW email address!) you can use this link to get $10 off!!

 

Stationarily excited &

 

 

 

The Power of Positive Leadership

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I posted something on Instagram this week about choosing happiness. So much of our attitude and mentality is within our control…but it’s up to us to harness it! As I sit, awaiting our state STAAR scores…I thought it would be a powerful reminder that my happiness is my choice. 😉
( I love Twitter. @8amber8)
  • 1. Positive People Live Longer – In a study of nuns, those that regularly expressed positive emotions lived on average 10 years longer. (The Nun Study)
  • 2. Positive work environments outperform negative work environments. (Daniel Goleman)
  • 3. Positive, optimistic salespeople sell more than pessimistic salespeople. (Martin Seligman)
  • 4. Positive leaders are able to make better decisions under pressure. (Heartmath.org)
  • 5. Marriages are much more likely to succeed when the couple experiences a 5 to 1 ratio of positive to negative interactions whereas when the ratio approaches 1 to 1, marriages are more likely to end in divorce. (John Gottman)
  • 6. Positive people who regularly express positive emotions are more resilient when facing stress, challenges and adversity. (several studies)
  • 7. Positive people are able to maintain a broader perspective and see the big picture which helps them identify solutions whereas negative people maintain a narrower perspective and tend to focus on problems. (Barbara Fredrickson)
  • 8. Positive thoughts and emotions counter the negative effects of stress. For example, you can’t be thankful and stressed at the same time. (several studies)
  • 9. Positive emotions such as gratitude and appreciation help athletes perform at a higher level. (Heartmath.org)
  • 10. Positive people have more friends which is a key factor of happiness and longevity. (Robert D. Putnam)
  • 11. Positive and popular leaders are more likely to garner the support of others and receive pay raises and promotions and achieve greater success in the workplace. (Tim Sanders)
I’m ok with ALL of these things!!
(I’m pretty sure Troy Aikman agrees with #9. IJS.)
Add being positive to your 2018 summer to do list…let’s see if our positivity buckets can all overflow!
Sunshine SpreadN &,

Are you intentional with your praise?

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Gallup is very clear in its research how powerful praise and recognition can be in the workplace. With the gamut of to do’s on an educators plate, it can be easy for that to slip right off the prioritized list of things to get done.

I read in a recent Gallup’s study that individuals who receive regular recognition and praise:

  • increase their productivity
  • are more engaged with their colleagues
  • less likely to LEAVE their current role
  • have higher rated feedback from their clientele/customers

 

How does that translate to education? You’ve heard that someone who feels appreciated will always do more than expected. I’ve mentioned before that I keep track of when/how I share praise on my team. (just a checklist, where I add checks by a name each time I write a note….) In the same manner that I keep track of who I send Christmas cards to, I keep a list of who I’ve celebrated or recognized. I actually got a comment this year that suggested my praise was disingenuine, because of the fact that I track it. If what Gallup is telling me is correct, the majority of us don’t give or receive anywhere near the amount of praise that we should. As a result, we’re much less productive, and in many cases, completely disengaged in our jobs. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number one reason people leave their jobs is because they “do not feel appreciated.” 

Ensuring that our team feels appreciated is a priority, and as the leader, it’s my number one…

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That to me makes it important enough to keep track of because I don’t want any of my people going anywhere!!

I created these happy notes several years ago in an attempt to make sharing a “happy note” with my team easier. These small interactions can make a big difference in the day to day stressors of your team…whether they be big or small. Hopefully, these templates will make it easier to make it happen for you!

Also, I’ve freshened them up, so you have all new sets to use as well!

Happy note shareN &

Everyone sweeps on our team. #leadership #goals

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There’s a story I heard about a man who was arriving for an interview. He was well dressed and came prepared with a briefcase full of references and work samples. As he arrived, there was a gentleman in the front office sweeping around the receptionist. With an audible sigh of annoyance, he stepped around the gentleman sweeping and announced his interview and employment intentions. Upon hearing his declaration, the man finished sweeping and stepped around behind the desk. He put down the broom and grabbed his jacket. He introduced himself as the CEO and with whom the interview would be taking place. He also added that in his company, everyone sweeps. “No job is too ‘low level’ or unimportant for anyone to help with,” he shared. “The basics still matter, and you’ll always be expected to help regardless of how high up you rise or how fancy you think you are.”

(Thanks to Google, I also know that this is a philosophy that Apple shares with its new employees.)

What a powerful illustration of leadership that presents.

Are you one of the ones holding the holding the broom? Regardless of title, role, or experience, I hope to create an environment where we all act with humility and an understanding of what it looks like to wield the broom. The things that I make a priority are the ones magnified by what our campus reflects. The same is true for a teacher in a classroom. If transparency and academic integrity are what you model, that is the tone you’re going to set for your students.

What does that look like?

  • I’m present. What can I do? What needs to be done? Whether it’s lunchtime or field day…I am out, about, and looking for a way I can contribute. Typically, things are flowing along right nicely but what is lost by handing out waters to volunteers? Running a race with a student? Squirting hot Wolves with a water gun? Nothing. I’m there. If I have teachers and volunteers in my building standing out in the sun, I’m out there too.
  • I prioritize. The power of modeling is well documented for its impact in the classroom, but the same is true in leadership.  I don’t shut my door (unless in a confidential conversation) because  I want my people to know that they are my priority. Tasks and to do’s can be taken care of the bulk of the time when my building isn’t full of teachers and students. Does that mean I have to prioritize and be intentionally focused? Yes. But that is the message I want to send. Do I share crazy cat memes throughout the day? No. I share #wearewhitt shout outs & celebrations. I am out front every morning, especially in the rain. I welcome students and families with a smile and a welcome. At dismissal, I am there to wave bye and encourage to come back tomorrow. If I don’t view these times and interactions as important, what am I modeling for my team??? When it’s raining, I’m wet and out there with them, opening doors and splashing in puddles. I’m the first one out, and the last one in. 
  • I provide.  Feedback. Snacks. Optimism. Knowledge. Experience. Ideas. If I know my people…I should also know the best way to fill their bucket. I provide opportunities for them to grow, to vent, to feel heard. I provide what they need to get from their point A to their point B.
  • I’m positive. Our jobs are hard ya’ll. There is no shortness of reasons to feel overwhelmed. My to-do list is never complete and I can’t quite seem to fit #allthethings in and still sleep 10 hours a night, 🙂 There are plenty of reasons we could all be negative at any given point in the day, but that is definitely not holding the broom. That’s taking the easy way out, kinda like letting someone else sweep…but that is not how I want to lead or be viewed. Whether it’s a thank you note, a hug, or a funny joke shared…making positive encouraging connections are an incredibly important part of our role. Does that mean we can’t acknowledge the hard? Of course not, it just means we don’t stay mired in that “little while” place.

 

There’s a difference between those who lead with you and those who lead ambiguously from above you.

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Grabbing the metaphoric broom is modeling humility and transparency in a leadership role…and I’m thankful to have walked beside some who showed me what that looked like. It’s now my responsibility in my role to do the same for those who may be watching.

I can’t imagine leading from behind a desk or a closed door. It’s not how I want to encourage or grow other leaders…and it’s not how I want my Wolves to remember me, big or small.

 

How do you sweep in your position?

Cleaningly &

 

The onus of PASSION…whose responsibility is it? Thoughts co-created by a momma…and a coach!

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Recently I was at a sporting event and noticed that our team was chanting during a tournament.

 

My name is ____ and guess what I got? (what do you got)  I got a team that’s hotter than hot.

How hot is hot? Grand slams and home runs too, (so what’s your point) we’re going to beat the whoopsies outta you, (yea you yea you, the whoopsies outta you)

 

It was a regular ol’sports chant…but while watching the field, I noticed the third baseman was intently listening as the girls chanted. She had tears rolling down her face…I made a comment about how I didn’t know if the chanting was necessary…and a momma nearby responded, “It’s called competition.”  <<insert big eyed emoticon here>>

 

Now…first, let’s pause and commend me for not saying anything back. The score was 16-0…us. The girls? On an 8U team. Not necessarily playing to be in the World Series here. Given the score…what an opportunity to teach our girls not only know how to be gracious winners, but to appreciate that sometimes THEY could be on the opposite side of that uneven score. Our district theme next year is going to be on achievement and the role competition can play…I’m hoping my campus twist can be on that side of the message.

While competition makes us stronger (as evidenced by “Top Dog” a great read if you’re looking for one!) I struggle as a mom and an educator with that line between passion and pushing. Who owns the passion for a sport (or class, or hobby, or task)…is it the child? Or the parent? (or coach, or instructor, or leader?) Is it an age thing? A level thing? A boy/girl thing?

 

Here’s what I know…we spend our days teaching children to be respectful, to be courteous, to be kind. Then we put them in circumstances and situations where aggression and winners/losers are defined…which in a sports setting can be appropriate. (Hello…@8amber8, I’m a huge sports girl!!) but I struggle with the line. But is it? In 8U sports? In 7th-8th grade volleyball? In the classroom?

 

Knowing that a coach, (especially a competitive male coach!) is going to have a different lens on this experience…I’ve asked Coach Lionel Wrenn, who coaches football and girls basketball to co-write this post with me. I have a 16 year old…her “passion” fluctuates with the what seems like the seasons in a year. When I saw her sports “passion” wavering…I was disappointed, I was sad…but mostly I was confused. How do you, as a parent, maintain fidelity to your child’s best interests? Do YOU push them? Do you let them bounce from one thing to the next? Do you trust/expect a coach to help ignite that passion, or maintain it? If it wavers, was it really ever a passion?

 

Mom-ing is hard, ya’ll. And I bet Coach Wrenn will tell us that coaching isn’t even easier.

 

Coach Wrenn:

As a high school coach coaching male and female sports at a competitive level the passion should lie mutually between the athlete and the coach. As a coach, you can only prepare the athlete for the battle, but you can’t win it for them. You can call all the right plays but the athlete has to trust the coach and take it upon themselves to carry out the play successfully. As a coach you try to motivate your athletes to the best of your ability, push them to be their best but at the end of the day the athlete has to want it. It is easy to spot the athlete that has the “it” factor, the one that is willing to do whatever it takes and clearly has the passion deep within. While having amazing coaches and great parental support is beneficial, at the end of the day it is up to the athlete.

In regards to the chanting, I do not support nor promote any chanting or negative forms of communication towards the opponent. I want my athletes to prove themselves through their skills and grit. I always say, let your play do the talking and keep your mouth shut but I do encourage my players to be excited and support their teammates. Not every coach shares this philosophy so when my players are being ostracized or targeted I remind them that this is a tactic used to get inside their heads and bring the morale of the team down. If they fall into the trash talking trap, I immediately remove them until they can refocus their energy back to the game.

As a parent, including a high school student, I think kids should be exposed to a variety of sports or activities at a young age. They should have the experience and opportunity to decide which sport/activity they prefer and feel most confident in. With that said, if at some point the passion fades they do need to finish that season (I won’t allow my child to be a quitter). As a coach we encourage athletes not to quit mid-season, but of course, life happens and sometimes kids just decide to take a different path and call it quits. Passions and interests change, especially as teens are trying to discover who they truly are. Parents, teachers, and coaches lack the ability to force passion into an athlete, sometimes much to our dismay. The high school years are a time of growing and learning about one’s identity apart from family ideals. Too often we see students playing sports only to appease their parents and it usually ends up hurting the program because the passion is not there, and as a coach, it can become frustrating.

In a successful program, athletes will tend to be more committed. Part of our jobs as coaches is to help athletes understand the mental obstacles that occur with losing, much like the adversity of life. 

When things get tough in life, one cannot simply call it quits (life is not fair).

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 Amber again:

I’ve had the benefit of having a daughter play under Coach Wrenn and know that I probably made his life incredibly stressful. there’s a fine line in supporting/encouraging/motivating your teen…and seeing her give less than her best. As a slightly competitive person (cough cough cough) watching someone you love NOT feel the same is hard. I’m thankful for people who push, but don’t break. Who love, but don’t coddle. Who coach, and open to coaching mommas too. #allthethings I’m thankful for Coach Wrenn and his program, in addition to him taking the time to co-write this with me! Give him a follow at @LionelWrenn!

Passion supportN &