Search Institute

While I was in Chicago last week working with a consortium of schools, we spent a portion of our time exploring the following idea:

WHAT we have to get done is rarely going to change. Whether it’s state testing or No Child Left Behind mandates or monthly staff meetings or grading papers. Much of the life of an organization and the work of individuals within the organization is often prescribed.

However, HOW we choose to get that work done is almost always up for re-thinking. Making even minor changes in HOW we get our work done can have massive implications in our organizational effectiveness as well as our individual job satisfaction.

Sick of your department meetings? Hold them at a coffee shop after school instead of in a classroom. Feeling physically stifled during the work day? Go spend your planning hour outside. You can grade and plan just as effectively in the sun as you can at your desk.

This ain’t rocket science. The intoxicating trap of “we’ve always done it this way” is an insidious one.

So as you and your organization spend the majority of your attention on WHAT you have to get done, have as a constant complementary dialogue one about the WAYS you’re going to get that work done. It’s one of the most energizing and refreshing avenues of reflection you can have.