Creating a Culture of Moving Forward with Questions

I like to check out the website www.edutopia.org to see what is new about transforming the learning process so that all students are fully engaged in learning.  The site is associated with the George Lucas Educational Foundation that is committed to this process.

Rebecca Alber, the Edutopia consultant Online Editor and instructor at UCLA's Graduate School of Education once wrote a blog titled "5 Powerful Questions Teachers Can Ask Students."  (I am of the age where I print out the things I want to keep!)  Since making the transition from educator to DKG administrator I have thought about these five questions in the leadership arena.  I believe if we were to observe five chapter or state organization leaders, we would see four of these well-meaning conveyors of knowledge asking questions and answering most of the questions themselves.

In her blog, Rebecca taught me how to ask a series of effective questions that probe deeply for thoughtful answers.  I try to be more intentional about my own form of questioning in the facilitation of my work with Society leaders.  The process of asking these five powerful questions elicits responses and discussion that require more cognitive thinking and are surprisingly reflective.

I'm convinced that the same five questions, modified slightly, become empowering questions that will help chapter and state organization leaders in creating a culture of continuous improvement within the organization.  The questions convey a deep respect for the opinion of others, as well as a sincere desire to empower others.

1.  What do you think?  It's my experience as international president that most members have an opinion on most things.   To optimize the value of this question, it should concentrate on specifics and be in context with the situation.  An example of non-specific verses specific question is:  What do you think about the dwindling membership in DKG?  What do you think about the "invitation only" policy of becoming a member in DKG?

2.  Why do you think that?  This gives a chance for digging deeper into the "why.  Asking why someone feels a certain way creates more clarity in the thought process.  People are used to being asked "What do you think?" but they are not accustomed to the follow-up question -- "Why do you think that?"

3.  How do you know this?  This question provides an opportunity to hear about personal experiences in regard to the question.  It also opens the door to learn about what professional books and materials they are reading.  The "how" question provides a platform for the responder to support her position with solid rationale.

4.  Can you tell me more?  Just when the responder thinks she has completely answered your questions of what, why and how, you ask for more.  This question requires the person to reflect on she previous answers and to rephrase and add to her responses.

5.  What questions do you still have?  This probes the need for continued research and investigation.  It will help the responder to view the question from another angle.  This question provides the opportunity to question what she has seen or heard based upon her own intuitiveness.

Authentic leaders develop strong positive relationships through genuinely caring about what members are thinking.  These Five Empowering Questions provide a format to scaffold responses.  When given the opportunity, take advantage of hosting a conversation where you spend 10% of the time asking questions, 20% of the time probing, and 70% of the time listening.

Making Decisions

I was listening to a National Public Radio piece while driving during the recent Thanksgiving Holiday.  It was a conversation with Dan Heath, Senior Fellow from Duke University, and co-author with his brother Chip Heath of the book, Decisive:  How to Make Better Decisions in Life and Work (Crown Business, 2013)

Heath introduced a four-step process for making better and more balanced decisions. He explained that "when it comes to making decisions, it's clear that our brains are flawed instruments."

In order to fix this problem, Heath first explained four villains that get in our way for making better and more balanced decisions.  First, we have too narrow of focus.  We focus on the obvious and visible, and we miss important facts outside our immediate view.

Secondly, we fall into "confirmation bias" when we develop a quick belief about something and then seek out information that confirms that belief.

Third, we also get too emotionally connected to the decision and then struggle with being appropriately detached.

Finally, we can be overconfident.  We assume that we know more than we actually do know and jump to conclusions, thinking we can accurately predict the future.

In order to help counter these four villains and make better decisions, Heath then introduced four steps that he terms "WRAP:"  Widen your options.  Reality-test your assumptions.  Attain distance before deciding.  Prepare to be wrong.

As state organization and chapter presidents, we make many sensitive decisions.  In reflection, I know that there are times I find myself falling into the trap of the four villains; therefore, my "take away" from listening to Dan Heath is to try using the WRAP process.

If you haven't read anything by Dan and Chip Heath, I think you may find their works beneficial to you.  Chip is a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business, teaching courses on business strategy and organizations.  They co-authored an early book, Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard (Crown Business, 2010)

Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

2015 DKG Regional Conferences Were Great!

What a wonderful summer of 2015 Delta Kappa Gamma regional conferences it has been!  Baltimore, Savannah, Wichita, Regina, and Boras held treasures for each attendee.  I cannot heap enough praise upon the steering committees and volunteers from the state organizations of Maryland, Georgia, Saskatchewan, Sweden and the regional directors for planning and executing such meaningful events.

It was my honor to be part of the training for the 2015-2017 state organization presidents from all regions.  What a fabulous group of women you have selected to lead your state organizations!

During the 2012-2014 biennium, an Administrative Board committee chaired by Dr. Jensi Souders conducted web-based research and face-to-face meetings through sessions at all regional conferences regarding what members liked/disliked about regional conferences.  The committee was charged with examining the factors that were contributing to the drop in attendance at the regionals.  The committee  gathered both survey and live input from members.  That research was presented to the 2014-2016 regional directors at the beginning of the this biennium as they began to plan for the 2015 conferences.  

The regional directors decided to incorporate some of the suggestions that were indicated by the research.  One of those changes in some of the conferences was the introduction of the incoming state organization presidents other than at the Saturday night banquet.  Responders to the research thought the banquet was too long, so most of the regional conferences saw the recognition of the outgoing and incoming state organization presidents done at another time.  

The singing of the DKG song was also an element that was mentioned quite often by survey responders and those in attendance at the regional conference sessions.  Most of the regional directors decided to use the song as an anthem during the conference, but not to close the conference with it. I noticed that the DKG song was played at the end of the luncheon in two regional conference.  It was played/used at all conferences this past summer in some fashion, but not all conferences used it as a typical closing event. 

 

As for me, I can't wait for us to convene in Nashville for our International Convention July 5-9, 2016!  A video invitation is available at dkg.org for you to show throughout your chapters and state organization meetings.  As I say at the end of the invitation, "Ya'll come to see us!"

Motivating Yourself this Summer

Dr. Barbara R. Blackburn, a consultant from Boiling Springs, NC, is the author of 13 books aimed at raising the level of rigor and motivation for professional educators and students alike.  (I wonder if she is a DKG member?)

Her newest book, Motivating Struggling Learners: 10 Ways to Build Success will be out in early July.

Barbara's newsletter this month made me think about how much we need to motivate ourselves.  Some of our biggest challenges as educators are not standardized testing, problem students, or interfering parents, or paperwork.  It is keeping ourselves motivated enough to deal with those things. 

One of the things that she shares freely on her website is a Success Journal.  This great template can be printed and used throughout the year and read when you need some motivation.  It works!

 

Recommended resources for additional motivation are:

 

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teacher Tales (book)   What if There Were No Teachers? (book)   Today I Made a Difference (book)   20 Awe-Inspiring Quotes for Teachers and Parents

 

Barbara offers a perspective for administrators and supervisors as well:        

Don't forget to take some time this summer for renewal and rejuvenation!  Reflect on what happened this year that you consider a success, think about challenges you overcame, and list all the students you impacted in a positive way.  Then, describe how you helped your teachers be successful.  Now, read everything you wrote and remember that you made a difference! 

 

Making a Difference

Back in December 2014, a friend in Pennsylvania sent me a message that read, "This is great.  Maybe you can use it somehow!"  It's a wonderful TEDTalk that emphasizes how small things that an individual does has lasting effects.  It's title Everyday Leadership and you will find it at http://t.ted.com/h62xCDb    Well, here I am after the May 2015 Administrative Board Meeting going over my notes wondering if we are really making a difference.

You see, we added a day to the Administrative Board Agenda to do some Blue Sky Thinking about where the Society stands right now and how we are going to evolve it to the next generation of support for women educators.  We talked about how our founders shaped an organization to meet the needs of the women educators in the 1930s, and discussed what organization we need now.  This is all part of reframing DKG to what the culture and the society in which women educators work now calls forth.

We decided that we, as board members, can certainly model behaviors when we are out to your state organizations as representatives of the Society, and make personal contacts to answer questions about how the international tier of the Society operates.  We agreed that we need to make everyone aware of the data that the Dropped Member Survey has given us.  You will soon hear about efforts on this behalf, because therein lies answers to the retention problem that we have throughout the Society.

On that Blue Sky Thinking day, we also settled on 10 things that we will be working on until we meet again next fall.  That doesn't mean that we will stand still until then.  So keep looking for these new ideas that will be unfolding.

Warm Up Your Cerebrum

This coming spring the weather of this winter will be but a memory.  Schools are closed, make up days lie ahead, and the winter doldrums are in full swing for many of our members.   To help you shake the feeling of melancholy, consider a video viewing blitz of educational and leadership videos.  Here are 3 of my favorites:

TED Talks Education - Rita Pierson on Dropout Prevention/Relationships:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dilnw_dP3xk

A Day Made of Glass - Edited Version:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CdsMrgvVWA

Charles Leadbeater:  Education Innovation in the Slums
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X-8TA4RBog


I hope one or all three of these become a catalyst for additional ideas and actions to beat the winter doldrums.  Taking time to think, recharge your passion and connect with new ideas is essential to staying positive and renewing your own personal and professional development.

Installation of New Texas Chapter

Courageous Beta Pi Members
Sponsor a New Chapter in Texas

I was delighted to be in the audience recently when the Texas State Organization Expansion Team conducted a new chapter installation led by:

Joanne Webb Davis - State Organization Expansion Chair
Nancy Newton - State Organization President
Betty Vines - TSO Executive Secretary/Treasurer
Lori Shontz - TSO Area V Coordinator

Beta Pi Chapter women realized that their members had to drive long distances to attend meetings and took the courageous step of discussing expansion to be a solution for their members.  The result was that seven of their members, six reinstated members, and eleven new initiates formed Mu Omega Chapter on Sunday, October 19, 2014, in Premont,TX.

What a thrill it was to see my name on the signature line of the new chapter charter!  I was asked to bring greetings to the charter members, and my thoughts centered on offering my wish that they will think of themselves as a member of a true International Society.  With over 81,000 members in 17 countries, DKG is realizing its mission of impacting education world wide. I also encouraged them to set personal goals for participation beyond the chapter level.  Only then will they experience all that Delta Kappa Gamma has to offer.