I’m so grateful for what I get to do. I truly am. At the same time, I wish there was more that I could do.
This week has been less about training and more about coaching. It has been a lot of listening and helping leaders process. I’m hearing a lot of the same sentiments:
My staff is tired.
I’m worried about my students.
I miss the students.
I can’t wait for things to go back to normal.
The data is not looking good.
And so on …
In these moments, I cannot say that I understand how these leaders are feeling because I’ve never led a school or a district in the middle of a pandemic. But, what I can say is, “I hear you”. Because I do.
I hear the urgency.
I hear the frustration.
I hear the helplessness.
I hear the exhaustion.
No doubt this has been a long year. No doubt there is more of this long year in front of us. So, here’s the challenge. Would you be willing to take a small quarter turn in your thinking? Instead of thinking about everything that needs to be done, can you try this one thing:
Easier said than done, I know. But, I challenge you to try it for one week. Here are three steps that might help you:
1. At your next leadership team meeting, take the time to get rid of the things on your list that you cannot control. This will reduce the size of your list which will, in turn, make it more manageable.
2. Even after you’ve cleared your list of things you can’t control, you’ll still have too much on your plate. Keep narrowing the list to that which is, and always will be, the main thing: students.
3. Make a plan. Share the load. Check in often. Celebrate the small wins. Keep moving forward. And, don’t forget that we are here to help however we can.
