"What's not working?"
...and then:
"Why isn't it working?"
When things get busy though, it's easy to ignore those simple questions and go into triage mode for long periods of time.
Identify the most pressing, recurring problems the organization has by talking with people. I find that strong themes always emerge from those conversations.
Take that data and map it out.
Take the top item and then explore the root cause of that problem.
The root cause.
Then dive into fixing it. Set things in motion. One. Problem. At. A. Time.
It's amazing how quickly a pile of problems can disappear, how much morale can improve, and how it can open the doors to new growth.
That's how you grow. That's how you gain momentum and inspire collaboration. That's how you build trust. That's how you inspire a 'keep moving forward' mindset and avoid stagnation. That's how you open the doors to innovation.
Then repeat that process as you keep growing. Don't grow stagnant in current routine or knowledge. As innovation changes things, process and operations must be reviewed again and again.
If schools continue to grow... so must the mechanisms and roles within them. Constantly.
Leaders need support to do this work. Without that support... ills will linger. Morale will drop. Support systems will get stressed. Core values and mission will drift, and innovation... will become just 'another thing to do' and so much potential will be lost.
#vted #education #business #growth