Are You Trying to Change Too Much at Once?

Happy Friday

How many initiatives is your school juggling right now?

I recently worked with a leadership team who proudly presented their list of 15 initiatives they wanted to implement.

New behaviour systems, curriculum changes, wellbeing programs, parent engagement strategies - you name it, it was on there.

None of these were bad ideas.cThey were all valuable initiatives that could benefit their school.

But there was a fundamental problem that wasn't immediately obvious to them.

What they were doing was like trying to keep 15 balls in the air when you're just learning to juggle. You won't catch any of them well, and most will end up on the floor.

Think about it like this: When taking a photo, you have to choose what will be in focus.

You can't have everything sharp at once - you need to choose your focal point.

School change works the same way.

Failing to recognise this can result in wasted energy and resources trying to do everything at once. This is what I often see as a result:

• Teacher burnout from constant new demands

• Half-implemented programs that never reach their potential

• Confusion about priorities

• Diminished impact of truly important changes

To help, here's a simple exercise that has transformed conversations in schools I work with:

Start your next leadership meeting with 5 minutes of complete silence.

Ask everyone to write down what they believe is your school's core challenge right now. 

No discussion, just writing.

What typically emerges are 10-20 different perspectives on what seemed like one clear challenge.

But within those perspectives, you'll find patterns. Those patterns often point to your true focal point.

Remember: The goal isn't to do everything. It's to do the right thing well.

What's your school's focal point right now? Reply to this email and let me know - I read every response.

Have a great weekend,

Shane

P.S. If you found this valuable, feel free to forward it to a colleague who might be juggling too many initiatives right now.

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