Category: February 2022

4DX: Baby Steps, Big Results

Posted on by karinst8ler

In my new role as a Digital Learning Specialist, I have a lot of variability in my job and I absolutely love what I do. I am responsible for managing the help desk for the Digital Learning team. Also, I spend a lot of time managing communication for our team, whether that is internal communication between departments or externally on Twitter. Finally, the bulk of my work is project-based, so I spend some of my day organizing and completing tasks toward a larger project. Unfortunately, I spend a lot of time managing the whirlwind of the day-to-day tasks and I don’t always make as much headway on projects as I would like, let alone acknowledge my impact on our district’s WIGs.

What is the whirlwind and why does it get in the way of successfully implementing behavioral change? 

Photo by Nadeena Granville on Unsplash

According to Chris McChesney (2011), the Whirlwind is “all of the work, energy, and attention necessary to maintain the operation.” It is urgent, systemic, and highly habitual. Take technology help tickets as an example of my Whirlwind. Help tickets will keep coming in whether I pay attention to them or not. Also, if I don’t give them the right amount of attention, my boss will hear about it, ergo I will hear about it. Our long-term change goals sit in opposition to these daily tasks. McChesney (2011) says that these goals to move an organization forward get in the way of the Whirlwind of tasks that pile up when we ignore them. In fact, most meaningful initiatives that require significant systemic and behavioral change are “choked and starved by the whirlwind” (McChesney, 2011).

How does 4DX recommend you compensate for the whirlwind? 

To make any significant organizational change, we need to get intentional about planning and executing our goals. The book The 4 Disciplines of Execution (McChesney et al., 2015) implores us to apply The 4 Disciplines of Execution.

1: Focus on the Wildly Important

The first discipline is about goal setting. You should focus your energy on one to three simple goals. Why? “Human beings are genetically hardwired to do one thing at a time with excellence” (McChesney et al., 2015, p. 25). This means that any more than three goals and your team is spread too thin.

2: Act on the Lead Measures

The focus of the second discipline is on what to measure and why. It is important to acknowledge lag and lead measures, but to act on lead measures. Lag measures denote the success of the WIG, but by the time you see them the performance that drove them has passed, while lead measures track activities that drive a lag measure (McChesney, 2016). In this sense, they are predictive and act as the lever to move your lag goal (McChesney et al., 2015). Why do humans often pay more attention to the lag goal? 

3: Keep a Compelling Scoreboard

Creating a compelling scoreboard is all about motivation! Why? It’s all about the power of small wins in lead goals (McChesney et al., 2015). People notably perform best when they are engaged emotionally, and the highest level of engagement comes when people know if they are winning or losing (McChesney, 2016). The best scoreboard is designed for & by the players and should show, “where you are, where you should be, and the ultimate goal” (McChesney, 2016).

4: Create a Cacdence of Accountability

Last but certainly not least is the concept of accountability through in form of WIG meetings. A WIG meeting is a brief daily-weekly meeting focused solely on the WIGs. The driving question in a WIG meeting is, “What are the one or two most important things I can do this week that will have the biggest impact on the scoreboard?” (McChesney, 2016). Team members focus on their contribution to the goal in the form of bite-size tasks. It is important to note that individuals have choice and ownership over these commitments.

I know that I’ll always struggle with the Whirlwind.

The moment I open an email or look at the help desk, I’m sucked back into the flow of day to day tasks. Daily tasks are like hard-to-break habits – they are a part of us. That’s why 4DX is so important. Applied correctly, 4DX can make lead goals a part of the routine. And when that goal has become a habit, we can move onto another one. Like I said in From Cog to Metacognition: My Story (Stateler, 2022), you eat an elephant one bite at a time.

How can you incorporate these concepts intentionally as we all work toward meaningful structural change in our organizations? 

References

McChesney, C. (2011, July 26). Move Your Middle – Chris McChesney. YouTube. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3ThJ5b3vww

McChesney, C. (2016, December 29). The 4 Disciplines of Execution in a Nutshell. YouTube. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEJDliThj7g

McChesney, C., Huling, J., & Covey, S. (2015). The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals. Simon & Schuster UK Limited.

Stateler, K. (2022, February 21). From Cog to Metacognition: My Story. Cookies N Cache. https://karinstateler.com/?p=619

From Cog to Metacognition: My Story

Posted on by karinst8ler

Just a small-town girl

I grew up somewhat poor in a small town with a strong sense of community and family. When I entered school, I was quickly labeled gifted. It was the mid-eighties, and well-intended self-esteem culture ruled the day. I was constantly told how smart I was and how well I followed directions. I lived for those moments. However, when I was corrected for inappropriate behavior or when I received a sub-par grade, I felt an intense sense of shame. In one particular instance, a teacher shamed me to the point that I spent my entire recess by myself on the tire swing crying. That memory is so vivid that I remember what I was wearing – a purple Alaska t-shirt with walruses on it and a pair of acid-washed jeans with a post-manufacture hole in the knee.

Welcome to the real world

While I did go through some rebellious phases, my behavior was overall lauded. I learned how to fit into the mold. My grades in middle and high school were such that I easily got into Michigan State University. Moving from such a small town to a large university was a culture shock. I was no longer “one of the smart kids,” rather I was one of 45,000 students. Also, I had no clue how to learn, study, or manage my time.

Take my introduction chemistry class for example. I skipped the lecture-style class half of the time. There were 600 kids in the class and I knew that the professor wasn’t taking attendance. I barely cracked the book and cheated my way through the homework. Meanwhile, I was surprised when I failed my first test. I remember holding the test and crying in the elevator back up to my dorm room. 

Just another brick in the wall

Because I was “smart” – or rather, good at playing the game – I figured out how to fit into the mold at Michigan State, too. In my education classes, I learned about how to learn and quickly applied those concepts to other coursework. And just like a good little cog, I graduated and entered the workforce.

What is the purpose of school?

The current purpose of school really can’t be separated from the original purpose of school. According to Seth Godin (2012), schools, as they exist now, are products of the Industrial Age. You see, there weren’t enough workers for the age of mass production. “Not enough people were willing to move off of the farms and do what they were told” (Godin, 2012). If industries could get more workers, they could pay them less and make more profit. We can also apply this concept to consumption. Industry wanted to train us to buy stuff, to fit in, and become consumers so that we would buy all of the stuff they made (Godin, 2012). Enter “high school for everyone.” Students go into the school as young, moldable minds. Then, the system uses routine, grades, and standardization in an attempt to create minions molded to fit into careers. These careers support the system as it is, capitalism, consumption, and the cycle of “stuff.”

The problem is, people aren’t mass-manufactured products.

Humans are complex. They have unique genetics, experiences, and complex minds. And, “although the teacher may help his student in many ways, it is the student himself who must do the learning. Knowledge must grow in his mind if learning is to take place” (Adler & Van Doren, 1972, p. 11). While the attempt to mass-produce humans to fit a societal mold has worked for a select few, in the long-term it is not sustainable for either humankind or for the planet.

Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash

Enter technology: “Now we don’t need a human in front of us to teach us to do something” (Godin, 2012). Once COVID hit, I could see technology as the springboard for meaningful educational change. I started using videos to engage with students. That video creation pushed my career forward – now I’m part of the Digital Learning team in GCISD. When I discovered the ADL program I thought, “This sounds perfect!” I was excited to ride the wave of technology into the future. What I expected was school as I have experienced it before. What I’m learning is how to change the world.

Connecting the dots

What is Applied Digital Learning at Lamar University? With constructivist theory at its base, the ADL program seeks to “create a significant learning environment by giving learners choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning experiences” (Harapnuik, 2021) According to constructivist theory, “effective learning is an active process in which the learner takes responsibility for making meaningful connections. The teacher guides the learner in making those connections through the creation of a significant learning environment” (Harapnuik, 2021). How have our professors applied these concepts to revolutionalize learning?

Walk the Talk

My learning has been revolutionalized through extensive metacognition. As I learn concepts on educational change, I directly apply them to my work. I chose the focus – Paperless Office, Paperless District. I also get to choose how I demonstrate my learning – read more about my journey with WordPress! Finally, collaboration is a necessity. I rarely go a day without chatting with teammates or reviewing the discussion boards. Technology is but the vehicle for my learning. This is probably the most difficult, fulfilling work I have ever done in my life. It is uncomfortable because it is so different from what I expected and know about schooling. 

It is rewarding because the concepts we are connecting aren’t just “facts.” Rather we are completing meaningful projects that could make real, significant changes in the world.

How do you eat an elephant?

The COVA model could work toward fixing the issues identified with traditional models of teaching and learning.  How can move forward with this change? I can see it. I can taste it. But do I have the patience and strength to make this change? These ideas aren’t new, but they are big and would require significant systemic change. Michael Fullan (2014) suggests “moving toward the danger” on your own terms. He refers to the delicate push-pull balance between the psychology of the system Industrialism created and the promise of technology. Giovanni Corazza (2014) suggests spurts of thinking outside of the box. He states that, “a quick jump out of the box is more insightful than a lifetime of standard thinking” (Corazza, 2014). In other words, you eat an elephant one bite at a time.

Day Two

Thinking about it overwhelms me to a degree that I can’t express here. I just want to change it all now! Quickly! I recognize that it’s because we are in the messy middle. Dr. Brené Brown (2020) calls this “Day Two” or “The Messy Middle.” She likens the messy middle to Act Two in any hero’s journey. During Act Two, the protagonist tries to find, “every comfortable way to solve the problem, every easy way to solve the problem, and every way to solve the problem that does not require hero’s vulnerability” (Brown, 2020). Only when the hero reaches the “lowest of the low do they realize that they can’t solve the problem without vulnerability” (Brown, 2020).

Image from https://conorneill.com/.

 

Right now, we are on Day Two with so many world issues; education is just one of them. In other words, to change the problem that is school, we must work through the messy middle. We must get vulnerable. We must apply the concepts of constructivist learning through COVA + CSLE if we truly want to prepare our students for a future that doesn’t yet exist. And we must move forward with authenticity and humanity.

Only then will we be able to eat that elephant.

One bite at a time.

References

Adler, M. J., & Van Doren, C. (1972). How to read a book (C. Van Doren, Ed.). Touchstone.

Brown, B. (2020, September 2). Brené on Day 2 – Brené Brown. Brene Brown. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-on-day-2/

Corazza, G. (2014, March 11). Creative thinking – how to get out of the box and generate ideas: Giovanni Corazza at TEDxRoma. YouTube. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://youtu.be/bEusrD8g-dM

Fullan, M. (2014, January 20). Michael Fullan: Technology, the new pedagogy and flipped teaching. YouTube. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://youtu.be/GCvwtiOH0co

Godin, S. (2012, October 16). STOP STEALING DREAMS: Seth Godin at TEDxYouth@BFS. YouTube. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXpbONjV1Jc

Harapnuik, D. (2021, January 8). Applied Digital Learning. It’s About Learning. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=8517

Harapnuik, D. (2021, August 16). What to Expect from the ADL. It’s About Learning. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=8524

Paperless Plans: Harnessing People Power!

Posted on by karinst8ler

A few days ago, I was walking past the Chief Technology Officer’s office and he asked me to come in to talk to him. No matter how approachable and wonderful he is, my heart still races when he wants to talk to me. He is an influencer to the “T.” Not only is he a big wig in GCISD, but he is well known amongst his peers as well.

I walked into his office and sat down.

Last week I had shared my ePortfolio with him in chat. I shared it really casually. My message said something like, “Hey, here’s a thing I’ve been working on. Have a good one!” and I plopped in my website. The CTO had looked over my proposal and had a lot to share on reducing paper usage across the district! With a great deal of vulnerability, I confessed to him that I didn’t know if I had what it takes. He quickly replied that I might not have the confidence yet, but learning to influence others takes time and practice. Not only was he demonstrating his support for my ideas – by such an important organizational influencer to boot – but he was also demonstrating a growth mindset. In all, our conversation reminded me that 1) I am an influencer and 2) big changes require intentional planning.

What does it take to get people to change?

Everyone knows that making big structural changes is difficult. Year after year, we see people create new year’s resolutions only to abandon them moments later. The video All Washed Up! (Grenny, 2009) explores what it takes to make people change by observing the habits of children using hand sanitizer before eating a cupcake. The experimenters add sources of influence one at a time. It surprised me that it took three sources to make the slightest difference in the number of kids sanitizing their hands before eating. Even then, only three of the 12 participants sanitized their hands! The real kicker came when the fourth source of influence was added: The social motivation of a peer speaking up. At that moment, all 12 children sanitized their hands before eating a cupcake. Again, this only happened once four of the six sources of influence were included in the experiment.

The Tipping Point: Peer Influence

Peer influence was the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak. This doesn’t come as a surprise to me. Think about the concept of the Bystander Effect. When a crime is witnessed, why do witnesses fail to stop it? In 1968, Bibb Latane and John Darley concluded that the more witnesses, the less likely each individual will intervene (Bibb & Darley, 1968). Logically, my brain tells me that I would try to help, but statistically, I know that I probably wouldn’t. But what if just one person stepped up? “The intervention of bystanders is often the only reason why bullying and other crimes cease” (Psychology Today, n.d.). When just one person steps up, others are more likely to act as well (Psychology Today, n.d.).

All of this demonstrates the power of peer influence in a social situation.

People Power!

In the video Influencer, Cricket Buchler (2008) says that we nee to “harness the power of social pressure by finding strength – rather than resistance – in numbers.” How can we harness this power? Buchler (2008) has three suggestions: 

  • #1: Pave the way by modeling behavior.
  • #2: Enlist the power of those who motivate, also called opinion leaders.
  • #3: Seek the support of enablers.

I can definitely think of people in my sphere that are opinion leaders and enablers!

Going Deeper: Analyzing the Influencer Model

Okay, now we know how many sources of influence are required and we understand the power of social influence. What does each of these sources of influence really mean? How does social influence fit into the equation? In the powerful image below, the authors of Influencer (Maxfield et al., 2013) outline the six sources of influence into a data table of sorts.

Image from Influencer: The Power to Change Anything (Heine, 2018).

Across the top of the table, there are two categories: Motivation and ability. Motivation represents a desire to act on new behaviors, while ability represents whether a person, group, or environment has the capacity. The left side of the table represents the person, people, or environment in which the behavior takes place. In other words, each person, group, or environmental structure is analyzed based on whether there is motivation and ability to enact behavioral change. Once we determine the vital behaviors, we can support each vital behavior by thinking about it through the lens of personal motivation, personal ability, social motivation, social ability, structural motivation, and structural ability.

Paperless Office, Paperless District: Applying What I Learned

The placement of this post made me wonder if I “should” post first and brainstorm or if I “should” complete the Influencer, Part B assignment and come back to this. I will be honest here – I watched all of the videos related to this module, reviewed the book Influencer (Maxfield et al., 2013), and outlined my Six Sources of Influence before writing this post. I really had to dig into the information and define and apply the sources of influence, before I could reflect on my application. This makes sense of course – I started in lower areas of Bloom’s and built my way up.

In the image below, I demonstrate generally how I will apply each source of influence:

Image created by Karin Stateler (2022).

I will use my power of personal influence to tell the story of a paperless office and how it can support our goal of a blended district. I will incorporate deliberate practice into team meetings to demonstrate best practices of a paperless environment. Regarding social influence, I’ve identified three people of focus – two opinion leaders and one enabler. I plan to involve the opinion leaders with specific tasks. For example, one will offer support by sharing her thoughts on a specific process that needs to change. Another will offer her support as a thinking partner and behavior model. The enabler will require a lot of support through the transition that I will gladly provide! I plan on using extrinsic motivation sparingly and still don’t have a great plan for how I’ll apply it. Do I really need one? Finally, I’ll share the data I collect at our bi-weekly team meetings.

As this plan comes together, I am astounded that it’s actually happening. Like anything else, leadership is a learned skill, and I’m learning how to lead. I think I finally understand why 5304 was paired with 5302. It’s all about the power of YET.

References

Bibb, L., & Darley, J. M. (1968). Group Inhibition of Bystander Intervention in Emergencies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 10(3), 215-221.

Buchler, C. (2012, December 17). Influencer | Cricket Buchler. YouTube. Retrieved January 31, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu7UBY5euBg

Grenny, H. (2009, September 21). All Washed Up! YouTube. Retrieved January 31, 2022, from https://youtu.be/osUwukXSd0k

Heine, B. (2018, December 18). Influencer: The Power to Change Anything. Professional Business Coaches. Retrieved February 3, 2022, from https://theprofessionalbusinesscoaches.com/influencer-the-power-to-change-anything/

Maxfield, D., Patterson, K., Switzler, A., Grenny, J., & McMillan, R. (2013). Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change, Second Edition (Paperback). McGraw-Hill Education.Psychology Today. (n.d.). Understanding the Bystander Effect. Psychology Today. Retrieved February 3, 2022, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/bystander-effect