It is raining and dreary this morning and my newspaper was delivered soaking wet.
Initially I intended to call the newspaper office and have our account credited.
But when my problem was heard with uninterested response from a seemingly disengaged employee, I surprised myself by saying, “Had the delivery person used a plastic sleeve…at a cost of one cent…my paper would have been fine and you would not be getting this call, However, since he did not…I want to return the favor. So…please have someone make a special trip here to bring a new paper … which will cost you way more than one cent.”
Hmmmm….that was probably not one of my finer moments in terms of “turning the other cheek”!
Or, maybe I just flailing out at something “bad” which happened …and I hoped I could exert a return impact that would be meaningful to people.
I think my call was neither significant nor impactful…alas.
Impactful responses are thoughtful, organized, meaningful and full of constructive possibility in terms of creating positive change in a situation.
Inefficient reactions are emotional, spontaneous, disorganized and likely only to assuage the raging emotions of the speaker.
The advent of a Common Core represents an opportunity for educators across the country to choose impactful response in terms of how they structure leadership for their schools, their staffs, and themselves.
TregoEd’s tools (situation appraisal, decision analysis, potential problem assessment and potential opportunity assessment) offer a roadmap for how to calmly and rationally mesh the coming national standards and expectations with the abilities, resources and culture of schools as they currently operate.
Had my newspaper carrier used the tools, he might have assessed the weather, made a better decision about whether to package the papers or not and avoided being called onto the carpet by his district manager!
Te stakes for our national schools are far more significant than having a newspaper delivered sopping wet.
However, the similarities are both clear and absolute…because good critical thinking frames and supports decisions in all walks of life…from delivering papers to facing the exigencies of the Common Core.
The Common Core is coming.
Railing and flailing about or against its impact on our lives is, ultimately, as futile as hoping that a wet newspaper will magically dry itself for a customer…thereby eliminating the need for a special and costly re-deliver.
We invite you to choose “impactful response” as you come head to head with the new standards. We encourage you to contact us for information about how our tools and training can simplify, clarify and help you make your decisions in a streamlined and significant way.
Think of TregoEd as the plastic sleeve for your newspaper! And…have a sunny day!