26. LIST for Personal Time Management and Cooperative Team Building
E Pluribus Unum: out of many, one: It takes ALL of you
to make you One!
Peter J. Jessen
Wilson High School Leadership Group, December 2 & 9, 1998
Theme: Working As A Team
Managing Time is possible: make lists, keep a calendar.
Managing people is more difficult. In one sense, you manage things
but only lead people (in Harry Bredemeier's phrase, we have the
sovereignty/coordination problem: how to coordinate inter-dependent
role players (actors, individuals) in the teeth of their autonomy.
How can we lead each other & still have teamwork? How do we
handle our various meetings (from large group to small)? How do
we reconcile the group's AND each person's sovereignty? Here
are 12 statements to consider for being better stewards of time, talents,
and treasury (bold = a book title):
1. We need rules of procedures that we add Riddick's Rules
of Procedure to that of Roberts'.
2. We recognize the importance of an agenda and then follow the
agenda format adopted, along with accompanying assignment charts (or lists)
AND calendar charts, including meeting agreed upon deadlines.
3. We need to work more as a team and utilize our time in
getting together to build positive relationships getting to yes by communicating
openly and "unconditionally constructive".
4. Let's spread our teamwork throughout the school following
the principles that will enable us to win friends and influence people,
not make enemies and divide the team. Make this part of our following
the 7 habits of highly effective teens.
5. Let's follow the principles of the one minute manager
to set and meet goals, to praise each other and, as required, to reprimand.
6. Let's anticipate each other better and not take actions
that end teamwork. Let's be careful to make sure that we follow
conduct expected (which means roles: you can't live a role free
existence, so don't break role). What is expected?
7. As school leaders, let's exercise leadership that "endures
in a changing world" by turning to each other and saying, "lead
on", not just "follow me." Be positive and constructive.
Will we deal with the "hard facts" without being hard on each
other? Will we put data over hunches/experience?
8. That we always remember that we are not discussing some
new "new" and "different," and that the simple is
not always simplistic; thus we must all be able to say that all I really
need to know I learned in kindergarten, where we first learned uncommon
thoughts on common things.
9. That time management is an act of personal and organizational
stewardship, and that in following the notion of first things first, in
order to have principle centered leadership, so that we can transcend
the ordinary so that we can have "constant energy", "thought
power", "believe in ourselves" (the heart of teamwork),
generate an "inflow of new thoughts which can re-make us", "create
our own happiness", "break the worry habit" and "solve
personal problems". In taking responsibility, ask:
"Am I confident that this is the way I want to invest my time and
life?"
10. That in the sense that we represent the corporate body of our
school, we must not forget that it will take teamwork to enable us to
be able to engage in climbing the corporate Matterhorn, the secret for
successful climbing being the continuing of our education so we know more,
not less, and that it enable us to more carefully and thoughtfully delegate
the work and tasks in order to share the load in true teamwork fashion.
11. Following these 12 points shows emotional intelligence, which
is needed if we are to have a high enough adversity quotient, to enable
turning obstacles into opportunities, as we stress for success through
learned optimism, joyfully engaging full catastrophe living, which is
why zebras don't get ulcers.
12. KEY #1: L-I-S-T-S (in #'s 1-11; need time
lines to be effective). Learn/understand the key dynamics of social
change (source of uncertainty; the only constant) and social roles.
KEY #2: c-o-l-l-a-b-o-r-a-t-I-o-n (which you can't have unless
all is NEGOTIABLE) as opposed to just accommodation, avoidance, controlling,
or compromise. Hannah Arendt: meet "the irreversibility of
human actions and words with "the power to forgive.
Solve the chaos of unpredictability [with] the power of promise.
Interact with civility, avoid any false pyramid of sacrifice. Love
kindness, do justice, walk humbly. Debunk boys will be boys and
help in (reviving Ophelia) rescuing the lives of adolescent girls.
Mark Twain:
Inherently, each one of us has the substance within to achieve whatever our goals and dreams define. What is missing from each of us is the training, education, knowledge and insight to utilize what we already have."
Thomas Huxley, British biologist
Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make
yourself to do the thing you have to do when it ought to be done whether
you like it or not. It is the first lesson that ought to be learned
and however early a person's training begins, it is probably the last
lesson a person learns thoroughly.
Peter L. Berger: Reality is of course........until further notice.
Sandra Scarr: Opportunity breads predestination.
Caveat: leadership applies anywhere, to any system, any group, whether
democratic (decisions determined by vote) or authoritative (not direct
voting, although many listen to input). Many institutions, by definition,
cannot be. Many situations require authorities (parenting, coaching,
teaching, combat, etc.). In others we vote for our leaders and either
follow them or have them submit their decisions to us for a vote.
You cannot vote on truth. You cannot vote on how much 2 + 2 equals.
And much that we hold to be true is our truth but not THE truth.
BUT: you can negotiate with authority regarding "climate"
and areas of their responsibility that deal with you.
Hence the even greater need for collaboration and exercising your leadership with positive action.