Normal Norms Are Not Awesome

When was the last time you walked out of a meeting and thought, “that was an awesome use of time!”? Ideally, you say that pretty often – particularly if you are in charge of leading the meeting. However, my suspicion is that isn’t the case.

While there are literally countless ways to talk about why many meetings are ineffective at best, and torture at worst, I want to focus on the common practice of establishing norms in this newsletter. Discussing norms is interesting because they are seemingly the one area of ‘how to run an effective meeting’ that most people have adopted. Still, if we blindly accept this leadership/management strategy without thinking it through, then having norms will do little to make your meetings more interesting, engaging, or productive. 

There are two main issues with norms. 

First, they tend to set floors on behavior, not ceilings. To explain, norms should articulate the desired behavior necessary to have a productive meeting. Instead, most norms focus on establishing the minimum behavior expected out of any professional. For example, is it great that meetings should start on time? Yes. But, the simple act of starting a meeting on time is A) a very low bar and B) does little to ensure that a meeting is productive, interesting, or helps the involved individuals and organization grow. 

Second, even when outstanding norms exist, they are seldom enforced.
Moreover, when they are enforced, they are usually enforced only by the leader or person in charge of the meeting. For norms to truly propel a meeting or organization forward, they must be upheld by everyone in the room. Said differently, when the team upholds the norms it is an indication of a great culture. When the leader upholds the norms it is an indication of great procedures.
 
If you are wondering if this is you, just think back to the last time someone sitting around the table at a meeting held someone to an established, written down, and articulated norm. (I know, most of you cannot remember such an instance.)

My suggestions are simple. Re-visit your norms and ensure they are aspirational. I have worked with many groups and rewiring their brains concerning norms is hard. If this is the case and coming up with aspirational norms is hard for you – then, consider an accompanying meeting pledge to work with your norms. 

An example of this is provided below. That said, remember that the only way meetings are sure to be productive and engaging is if each and every person around the table commits to making them as such. 

• I will enter the meeting with a positive attitude.
• I will make the meeting interesting instead of waiting for someone else to do so.
• I will focus on helping others instead of judging them.
• I will prepare ahead of time in order to add value to the meeting.
• I will challenge myself to learn something meaningful during the meeting.
• I will try to build a positive relationship with someone in the room.
• I will put away my Smartphone and close my laptop unless it is directly pertinent to the topic at-hand.

THE BEST THING I READ/WATCHED THIS WEEK

Why Does Neuroscience Belong in Classroom Practice? By Meteor Education

“…(Teachers)… work in a laboratory called the classroom, and we have a tremendous amount of knowledge and understanding of the teaching/learning process. We have gained this knowledge through experience and from research in educational psychology, cognitive psychology, and teaching methodology. It is up to us to decide how the research from all these sources (and now from neuroscience) best informs our practice.”

THREE PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME SOON

ON DEMAND – Manage Your Time or Time Will Manage You Book Study

June 23-25

#ASCDAnnualConference

MORE OF MY MUSINGS

Podcasts

NEW RELEASE – MCUSD Staff Room Podcast – End of Year Reflection

NEW RELEASE – Transformative Principal with Jethro Jones(w/Mike Lubelfeld and Nick Polyak)

Writing

Edutopia –Leading with Integrity

“Every time you choose to avoid a difficult conversation, it is a selfish decision. Why? Because the only person who could possibly benefit from avoiding a difficult conversation is you. And that win is only emotional and temporary.”

ASCD – Four Must-Do’s For Empowered Principals

“Vision—now and always—is the difference maker. Great principals can imagine a brighter future for their building, even in the midst of tribulation, that can bring energy and excitement to those they serve. If you cannot imagine education at large and your particular school as significantly better and different than it is in its current state, it is going to be hard to lead significant change.”

Thanks for taking the time to read this newsletter.

It would mean the world to me if you could share it with one person each week. We all get one chance to live a life of passion and purpose. Help me maximize my one at-bat.