I have written and erased and written and erased this blog post. I think the reason is I am still breaking down the pieces to what it really means to Sharpen the Saw.
The first thing that comes to mind is Abraham Lincoln's quote, "If I had 6 hours to chop down a tree, I would spend the first 4 sharpening the axe". I think that this is one aspect of the habit; you have to be sharp. In an educational sense, we have to be at the top of our game when we work in education. Our job is to push and expand peoples minds, we have to be mentally sharp if we are to help take our students to the next level. I think about Ian's quote of, "Tending to the garden". We have accomplished so much over the past weeks, learning how to improve ourselves and how to increase our influence with others. Now that we have completed all the work we need to ensure that it continues to thrive and grow. We need to ensure we do not become stagnant with our current state. As a leader we need to push ourselves and our staff and students on the journey to keep improving and learning. Lastly I think about how a sharp saw is already sharp. There comes a point where you cannot sharpen a saw anymore. We need to be aware of when to switch from improving, planning, development and implement action. A sharp saw is no good if it's not used. If we have a PD about a new strategy give time to sharpen the skill, and then put a plan to implement the skill once it is sharpened. We are giving our staff and students skills, lets put them to use. I think that everyday since the first day of this program my saw has been getting sharper and sharper. "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" -Aristotle. I love this quote I think that this defines what Ian states that sometimes 1+1=1.5 through compromise, but with synergy 1+1=3. Synergy is a very selfless, to reach it one must let go of their own ego and ideas and be willing to listen, to hear and work with others to find the best possible solution.
Working on a synergistic team and a non-synergistic team is a drastic difference. I think that being able to experience many different types of leadership and then be able to take this course has been very insightful on how to treat people from a place of leadership and power. Working for a synergistic leader was an amazing experience, they seek your input and make you feel valued, your part of the solution. Working for someone who does not effectively implement synergy is a challenge, they inform you of how things are and tell you what the solution is going to be. Having people feel valued on a team results in more people wanting to join the team and more people choosing to stay with the team as well. I am going to try and find the best solution with the team that I work with. I am going to also commit to making sure that I value their goals and their thoughts like I value my own. I am committing to making sure that I get everyone's input and that they are heard when it comes to a decision. I keep running over and over, editing again and again what this habit really means to me. I think that it's simply about respect. It to me is about respecting someone enough that your willing to put their thoughts and ideas at the front of your mind, in front of your own for a moment or two. While this may sound simplistic and basic, to me it is a real challenge.
I am constantly having ideas and thoughts run into my mind, its nonstop. For me to stop what I am thinking and to choose to listen to the speakers words and really seek to understand what the speaker is saying is an active choice and of high respect. I also believe that everyone that I encounter deserves this respect, everyone deserves my full attention, because I think they are worth listening to. Over the past week I have caught myself non being present in the moment; today a friend asked me to put my phone down so I could talk to them, as I am writing this I was having a conversation (half typing half talking) resulting in being 100% engaged in neither. If I am this way with the people that are closest to me I wonder how I listen to the people that I work with and the students I teach. I think that seeking to be understood comes natural to me, I am always trying to get other people to see my way of view. My commitment will be to seek to understand my speaker. I am going to listen to what the other person has to say. I am going to make sure that when they are speaking that I am not having my attention else where, or have other thoughts on my mind. The greatest leaders in my past have all worked in education, and they all seemed to be listening to me in the right moment. I am realizing that as I have experienced, that I too have the power to listen to those around me and make their words and ideas valued. I think that there is a lot of wisdom in a Win Win mentality. I think it applies to becoming a more effective leader, a better and more respected coworker, more treasured friend, and a happier and more successful person.
I was in the middle of watching the video for win-win relationships when a perfect scenario came into my life. One of my roommates walked in and started saying that they needed to use the office more and that I needed to get out, effective tomorrow. I was going to retort, showing why my priorities were more pressing and dire then their's when I just said; "Watch this clip on my Masters class, we are talking about win win relationships". After she watched it we talked about using the space and how we could both use it and we could both benefit from an agreement. While the previous story did not resolve in academia, I believe that the lesson I learned could definitely be attributed to the education realm of my life. I could see how as soon as I explained that we could both win and that I valued their interest, but would not be considered a door-mat then the conversation changed. It wasn't about compromising either, it was about finding a solution that worked for both of us. While I was initially skeptical with 1+1=3 in the weekly video, I see how it can happen. When two parties win, they both walk away with greater satisfaction then if they originally "won". Life is not a zero sum game. If we can approach our relationships with a synergistic approach of; the whole is greater then the sum of its parts, we can then come to a place where both parties not only win but thrive. I am going to commit to making sure that I seek to find a win win in interactions that I encounter. I seek not to win, but to form synergy with the other party. I believe that this will be a way that I can find more success in my life, knowing that I can be respectful of my needs and wants and also to be mutually respectful to the needs and wants of others, whether they be; students, teachers, parents, administrators, friends, family. This habit can be cultivated for all relationships in my life. This Habit has made me really think about my future as an educator and as a person.
I have found myself much time operating in quadrant 1. I believe this stems from my lack of organization and procrastination. I see this habit being able to help focus in on what really matters. I think that the Covey video helped to explain a lot and put a picture into my mind about how to accomplish tasks. I think without organization and being proactive it is very easy for all the little green pebbles to fill up your jar, leaving a lot of big rocks out. Yet as soon as you can organize and be proactive then the little pebbles don't get in the way of the big rocks, the pebbles either find space in your jar or they don't depending on how many rocks you have. I think this is what made the first semester of this year so hard for me as a teacher. I was not giving enough space to the big rocks (from lack of organization and being proactive), this lead to the pebbles filling up my jar until I could only fit on rock. I have started to recognize some of the bad and inefficient choices that I have been making that are keeping me from living in quadrant 2. Through the past two weeks in this course and from learning the two previous habits I can see that I have already started to shift to the 2nd quadrant. In terms of an Administrator in a education setting this habit is beyond valuable for me. I know that I need to be balanced in my life and also am committed to my work. I see a need for keeping a calendar in my office and write down and be proactive about the big rocks. I can foresee that there are going to be plenty of pebbles working as an Administrator in a school. I am going to be making a conscious effort everyday to improve and establish these habits so when I apply for an Admin job, they are a second nature. This week really had me thinking about the strengths and weakness of my character. I started to think about what my "True North" was and how I could get there. Also the ability of seeing our actions, words, thoughts, and results forming a triangle that help to establish our credibility and develop our sphere of influence really provided a picture in my mind that is easy for me to comprehend and break down.
When I started to think about my character and beliefs and actions that end up being my reliability I have a tendency to be tardy to events, whether it is meeting a friend for lunch or making sure I am at site early enough to prepare for the day. I think this stems from my lack of organization. Instead of having my day organized and "having the end in mind" of what my day will look, sound and feel like before I begin leads me to be always running from place to place. My commitment will be to plan out a "big picture" of the week every Sunday night. This will allow me to include big events and times so I can start to have them in mind. Then the "details" to the next day can be added the night before in my calendar for reference. I think this will allow me to clearly organize my time, allow me to be more efficient and will cut down on my procrastination. I see lack of organization and procrastination as two major inhibitors when it comes to my leadership. I have a problem with the minute and less meaningful tasks, what ever the reason I know that I need to become more proactive in completing these tasks and making sure in a timely manner. I think this will lead to a more balanced life, inside and outside of leadership in school. When it comes to being proactive I know there is something that I can start working on that will result in a drastic change in my life; it is to make sure that I stop procrastinating. I have an ability to push work to the end of its deadline and then rush it all at the end to make sure it is finished.
To address this issue I will make a time management system that will list all of the tasks that I have to complete. I need to make sure that I am responsible with my planning to ensure that I give myself enough time to complete the task and that I complete the task start to finish. This is where I am going to need help, I am easily distracted and can get off task and start something new. If I could complete one task at a time and move on to the next it would really help my time management and help to diminish my procrastination. The person that I am going to be helping to teach the First Habit to is my business partner. We are both very busy men, I am working and in this program and he is a newly appointed manager. Needless to say we don't have a lot of free time on our hands. I have found that we have missed out on financial opportunities due to minute details not being dealt with timely. I am planning on teaching him how he can use his time to be more productive. I think the first thing will to become organized with the schedule and then have it planned out before work begins, this includes writing down what needs to be done and the date it will be completed. I believe that this style of proactive planning will result in more diligent and efficient work. |
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