Season 1, Episode 1 of FocusED with Guest Connie Hamilton

Season 1, Episode 1 of FocusED with Guest Connie Hamilton

by | Oct 6, 2019 | #FocusED, Action, Communication, Core Values, Culture, Daily Habits, Decision-Making, Education, Energy, Engagement, Excellence, Focus, Goal Setting, Leadership, Learning to Lead, Listening, Mental Mapping, Motivation & Retention, Organizational Leadership, Passion, Podcast, Principal Leadership, Principals, Professional Dialogue, Relationships, Resilience, Service Leadership, Teacher Leadership, Teamwork

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Season 1, Episode 1 of FocusED with Guest Connie Hamilton

 

This is Season 1, Episode 1 of FocusED and we feature guest, Connie Hamilton, with a focus on questioning techniques and a culture of inquiry in schools. You’ll hear her address how she frames the work of Hacking Questions and much, much more. We hope you enjoy.

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Connie Hamilton is the co-author of Hacking Homework and the author of the new book Hacking Questions: 11 Answers That Create a Culture of Inquiry in Your Classroom. She is a consultant and presenter and recently served as curriculum director in Saranac Community Schools in the state of Michigan. 

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Thanks for listening to FocusED, an educational leadership podcast brought to you by TheSchoolHouse302 @ dereka206.sg-host.com. 

 

FocusED is your educational leadership podcast where our mission is to dissect a particular focus for teachers and school leaders so that you can learn to lead better and grow faster in your school or district with more knowledge, better understanding, and clear direction on what to do next. 


Each episode we invite expert guests to join us for a live recording of the podcast, which happens in Delaware. All Delaware educators are invited to attend.

 

Don’t forget to like, share, and follow. You can always get more by following dereka206.sg-host.com.

#5thSunday: Disengagement

#5thSunday: Disengagement

by | Sep 29, 2019 | Engagement, Excellence, Learning to Lead

Every month at TheSchoolHouse302, you get a blog post with a leadership development model, challenges to support your growth, a podcast with a leading expert, a “read this” with three book selections, and a review and reflection tool–all on a particular topic of leadership to help you lead better and grow faster. Posts are always blasted out on Sundays so that leaders can think and prepare for the week ahead. In months when we have 5 Sundays or 5 weeks to post, we also provide an infographic to help visualize and solidify the concept. This month, as we end our series on disengagement at work, we want to reflect on several powerful concepts to fuel your courage as a leader. Enjoy. Engage_Every_Employee_Everyday As always, please like, follow, and comment. If you have topics of interest, guests you want us to interview, or books that we should read and recommend, please let us know that as well. Joe & T.J. Have you read our books, Candid and Compassionate Feedback and Passionate Leadership? Let us know what you think.
Candor for Clarity: The Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast w/ @alienearbud

Candor for Clarity: The Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast w/ @alienearbud

by | Sep 22, 2019 | Engagement, Leadership, Learning to Lead, Podcast

Better_Leaders_Better_Schools_Podcast

As we discuss the topic of disengagement in the workforce, we note that one surefire way to disengage your employees is by creating uncertainty. Leaders who deliver unclear goals and who don’t stick to the core values that they claim to have convey to the team that the work is ambiguous, which shuts people down and zaps their energy.

One antidote is to be candid and compassionate with everyone you lead. Candor is about being precise with your words and sincere with your intentions. When we give clear feedback to others, we demonstrate care for the work they do and their contributions as people.

Don’t miss our conversation with Danny Bauer on his Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast. We had a blast discussing what it means to give candid and compassionate feedback in schools; you can listen here.

If you haven’t read our book, you can get your copy here.

You can find more on leading better and growing faster at dereka206.sg-host.com. Don’t forget to like, follow, and share. We look forward to hearing from you.

Joe & T.J.

Candid_and_Compassionate_Feedback_Cover

#TheThreeMinuteChallenge

#TheThreeMinuteChallenge

by | Sep 18, 2019 | #TheThreeMinuteChallenge, Engagement, Leadership, Learning to Lead

Engagement

Throughout the month of September, we’ve been writing on the topic of disengagement in the workforce. Our Employee Engagement Model identifies the 3 surefire ways that a leader can quickly create disengagement among employees. Fortunately, we also offer the perfect antidote for each of the three problems. This week we are focused on one of the most common missteps that leaders can make, which is to micromanage the people they supervise. This behavior is never effective in the long run, even if it is a calculated decision due to someone’s poor performance. And, although communication and outcomes can suffer when someone isn’t meeting the mark at work, we find micromanagement to be far more of a weakness on the part of the leader than due to any employee circumstances that may arise.

The leader may fear what might happen in any given situation if she is not heavily involved or may simply underestimate an employee’s capabilities. Regardless of the reason, it is a detrimental practice that limits an employee’s growth, slows down operations, and creates distrust. Ultimately, micromanagement will disengage the team.

Take 3 minutes to challenge yourself at work.

Challenge Yourself: Let’s Get RAW

Reflect–Review a recent conversation that you had with someone you lead who was in charge of a project or situation. How did the conversation go? Did you dominate the conversation or did you share the space? Did you empower the employee or did you provide too much oversight?

Act–Create a series of questions to use during your next meeting to create discussion and elicit thinking. Questions like, “Are there other viewpoints to consider in this situation?” or, “How would you go about solving this problem?” can be very informative because they open the door to new perspectives.

Write–For one week, identify each time that you micromanage a person or scenario and consider why you are reacting that way. Write down the situation and your reasoning. This activity will help uncover patterns in your own behavior so that you can change in the future.

Day of the Week

Micromanagement Situation

Why
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

Stay tuned for more challenges, reflection questions, leadership models, podcasts, and more by following dereka206.sg-host.com. It’s our job to curate, synthesize, and communicate so that you can lead better and grow faster. In a world plagued by nothing but noise, we help you by getting to simple.

Joe & T.J.

#TheThreeMinuteChallenge

#TheThreeMinuteChallenge

by | Sep 11, 2019 | #TheThreeMinuteChallenge, Engagement, Leadership, Learning to Lead, Reflect

Engagement The greatest leaders all have one thing in common–they know where they are going. Their purpose is clear and they consistently pursue their goals, which engages the people they serve. Unfortunately, many of us can think of a leader who, instead, creates uncertainty and ambiguity, leaving the direction unclear. This behavior is the result of one or more of the following three leadership flaws, which can plague any of us if we’re not careful.

#1. Deviation from Core Values

Confusion sets in when we deviate from our core values, a set of principles that guide our decision-making. When this happens, chaos ensues because people are not guided appropriately.

#2. High Expectations with Minimal Direction

Uncertainty is also the result of high expectations coupled with little direction. Leaders can erroneously exchange a lack of direction with empowerment, but that’s never really the case. People need direction on where the organization is heading, along with the freedom to execute the vision in their own way. This process, bridged with support, increases clarity and the individual’s confidence.

#3. Conflict Avoidance Creates Ambiguity

Ambiguity is the outcome when we work to avoid conflict. Leaders who avoid conflict, to either create comfort or appease the status quo, end up with a lack of clarity, which eventually creates greater discomfort and disharmony. Tackling tough problems always creates greater clarity and is a high functioning behavior of successful leaders.

Take 3 minutes to challenge yourself at work.

Challenge Yourself: Let’s Get RAW

Reflect–Review your vision statement, core values, and organizational goals. Are they clear and well-known to everyone? Are all decisions backed-up by these pillars?

Act–Create a system to check-in with your direct reports on a regular basis, not to manage the how but to reinforce the why.

Write–Keep a post-it or 3X5 card nearby at all times to remind yourself of the vision, core values, and organizational goals. Write them out in several places for regular review.

Stay tuned for more challenges, reflection questions, leadership models, podcasts, and more by following dereka206.sg-host.com. It’s our job to curate, synthesize, and communicate so that you can lead better and grow faster. In a world plagued by nothing but noise, we help you by getting to simple. Joe & T.J.