Daniel Goldman says we live and work in “continuous partial attention.” As a 21^st century coach leader how do you offer FOCUS to your staff? Schmoker describes the benevolent and zealous taskmaster allowing workers to focus on only a few carefully selected priorities at a time. Jim Collins in Good to Great, found the essence of profound insight was “simplicity.” Collins reveres hedgehogs because of their simple, singular focus; they succeed because they commit entirely and exclusively to what is essential and ignore the rest.

What is your FOCUS – that which you will commit to entirely and exclusively? What is on your platter of Standards and Expectations that hold the potential of driving success for all? We know what is essential. We have more data than dirt. As the benevolent leader, the coach leader, what conversations are we leading to determine the most important FOCUS for our year?

Mike Schmoker is right – it is a fact that we must have a decent, coherent curriculum with clearly defined standards that are actually taught. So, what conversations have clearly defined and articulated the “what we teach?” Additionally, “how we teach” – how are we modeling and facilitating real, rich and spirited conversations about the structurally sound and consistent lessons designed to ensure all students are learning all aspects of the learning before moving on? One of the main purposes of PLC’s is to have those conversations and ensure clarity across the grade level and content. How are PLC’s appreciating the power of these conversations?

In Marcus Buckingham’s The Knowing-Doing Gap, he reinforces the importance of simplicity – the principle that we accomplish more when we FOCUS on less. He challenges organizations to carefully determine their highest priorities, – even if only one thing – and then expend enormous energy in pursuit of that priority – and resist anything that could detract from that FOCUS.

David Rock’s SCARF has taught us the brain loves certainty. Buckingham’s research found that people crave simplicity and clarity; they want to know precisely what they can do to be the most effective – and then not be distracted from that. The highest priorities – the core – must be clarified incessantly. Clarity is the antidote to anxiety…if you do nothing else as a leader, be clear.”

“It’s this simple: If we want better schools, we have to monitor the implementation of our highest priorities. School children will continue to wait until we monitor and ensure that our priorities are being implemented.”  M.Buckingham

References:

Collins, Jim, Good to Great, 2001.

Mike Schmoker, Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning, 2011.

Buckingham, Mark, The Knowing-Doing Gap, 2005.