A question that most of us have pondered at some point in our lives. For me, finding an answer to this age old dilemma is not something I lose sleep over. I like them both and see necessity in all their forms and functions. (However, I would love to know if Paul Simon really did steal the name for his popular song "Mother and Child Reunion" from a chicken and egg dish on the menu of a Chinese restaurant.) Last week, my post focused on using the Influencer model from the book Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change as a guide to implementing a plan that will be the catalyst for change in our learning environment. This week we were introduced to yet another valuable resource to use on our quest to bring about organizational change. The book, The Four Disciplines of Execution, is the perfect compliment to Influencer as it gives you more strategies to create and sustain change. In reading and viewing the resources for this week, I had two "ah-ha" moments. One, the whirlwind, defined by 4DX as the urgencies of your day-to-day job that rob you of your time and energy, is most likely to blame for all of the failed campus initiatives I've seen come and go over the years. Two, the synergy shared by the Influencer model and the 4DX model is a thing of beauty leaving me to ponder which model is the chicken and which one is the egg. After much research and comparison of both models, I find myself again liking both models and seeing the necessities in their forms and functions. Understanding the 4DX whirlwind and its significance in limiting the execution of strategies begins with understanding the role urgency plays in day-to-day organization operations. The urgency felt in completing the daily "real work" often clashes with the goals of the organization. This is so very true in educational organizations. As a teacher, I've been a part of several district wide initiatives that in August are the greatest things to grace our campus since casual Fridays. Thinking Maps and 7 Steps to a Language Rich Classroom are two programs that were swallowed up by the whirlwind and disappeared faster than free food in the teacher's lounge. Schools are lucky if a handful of teachers are still trying to balance the initiative when the whirlwind spawns an outbreak of tornadoes during high-stakes testing season. Both the Influencer and 4DX models compensate for the whirlwind by allowing an organization a system to achieve their goals in spite of the whirlwind's demands. Each model in its own unique verbiage and lay-out promotes the idea that programs tend to go away while systems, when implemented with fidelity, are here to stay. As I mentioned in my previous post, the Influencer model identifies 1-2 vital behaviors that must change in order to produce beneficial results within your organization. Comparably, 4DX addresses the lead measures (aka Influencer's vital behaviors) and the lag measures (aka Influencer's results) in its model. 4DX goes on to describe the difference between the lead and the lag measures is that the lag measures the goal and the lead measures what brings us to the goal. I liked how the 4DX model and the Influencer model used losing weight as the real world example to explain their models. Lag = lose weight, Lead = reduce calories (diet) and run (exercise). Just as in the Influencer model, the idea of leverage can be applied here by focusing on a predictive and influenced measure. We tend to focus more on the lag because that is the thing we believe matters the most, plus the data on the lag measure is easier to gather. Take the weight loss example: stepping on a scale produces data fast but taking the time out to write in a daily food journal or go to the gym is not as easy. When it comes to quick assessments of progress, the Influencer model has its motivation and ability matrix and 4DX provides a compelling scoreboard component. In creating a compelling scoreboard, the atmosphere needs to feel like a game with simple rules that are highly visible to the players. Players need to feel they have the power to affect the score (lead measure) and that they are making a real difference in the score (lag measure). Ultimately, at any point in the game or during the work day, knowing whether or not you are winning or losing is vital to a team's moral. When an employee can easily see their progress and feels as if they are winning, moral goes through the roof. Moral is a huge factor in an organization's success. Having focused, clear, and accountable goals leads to high employee moral. People tend to respond well when given a "from X to Y by when" model. Players are more engaged and eager to keep others motivated. 4DX continues to supplement Influencer by emphasizing the importance of weekly team meetings called WIG sessions. Key questions of the wildly important goals are kept to a minimum as to not overwhelm the key players. Focusing on 1-3 important items lends itself to better results because players are not caught up in the whirlwind of other tasks. Team WIG sessions serve their purpose by helping players account for prior's weeks commitments, review, and update the scoreboard along with making future commitments. Consistently practicing these measures ensure that things will get done correctly and on time much like the Influencer Model does in getting people to focus on 2-3 vital behaviors that continuously produce winning results. In an effort to lead much needed change in my organization, I created a plan using the 4DX model to assist teachers in meaningful and purposeful integration of technology into their personal and professional lives.
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AuthorMadeline Brandi Collins is a Louisiana girl through and through. Raised by her beloved Maw Maw and namesake, she moved to Texas 13 years ago to pursue a career in education which proved to be one of the best decisions EVER!
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