Executing Change

The first step that will lead us to a significant change is to understand where we are now? (video below) and know why we are doing it. 

I propose to solidify an Engineering Class for Central Middle School at Galveston ISD in my Innovation Plan. To make this possible, we must work together to make our plan for the 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX), as this is the framework to produce an effective change for our students. This part of the process contains a basic structure that will be enhanced and improved by our team. 

Aware of the whirlwind, but not distracted.

The whirlwind, or in other words, our daily tasks and challenges at work, keep us extremely busy. There are numerous things on our daily to-do list as teachers and administrators in education, and we often feel like we can never catch up. However, we cannot get so stuck in the whirlwind that we stop trying new things and deviate from our goals. When something important is added to the Whirlwind but is not supported and checked consistently, it gets lost in the shuffle and tornado. 

We will develop our 4 Disciplines of Execution(4DX) plan to implement so that everyone has ownership. We will first start within the Engineering Club and then branch out to include other departments such as Math and Science. Our team must work together to develop our goals and plan. The proposed goals I have set below are only a starting point for our Engineering Team. 

Discipline 1: Focus on the Wildly Important Goal

The team will develop our clear, focused WIG (wildly important goal). Although the team can adjust the percentage and/or timeline, this is the WIG I will initially propose:

    • 90% of our Engineering club sessions will be delivered using Blended learning stations by June 2022.

Discipline 2: Act on the Lead Measures

Identifying our lead measures that are measurable and predictable will bring us closer to meeting our WIG. As I work with my team to define our lead measures, we will focus on what behaviors have the greatest leverage. These are three sample lead measures that I will l share with my team that I believe will focus on what behaviors have the greatest leverage to help our school move towards achieving our WIG:

Possible Lag Measure– To create a truly blended learning environment, Teachers will use the online component in two out of three weekly sessions.

Hypothetical Lead Measure– Plan and schedule opportunities for students to focus on coding and programming lessons into the current engineering club curriculum at least once every week.

Hypothetical Lead Measure– Hold each other accountable by sharing resources, experiences, and problems. 

Discipline 3: Keep a Compelling Scoreboard

The scoreboard will help everyone to see our progress and hold each other accountable. The teachers working toward the goal will design the scoreboard to track Lead and Lag Measures.  Our scoreboard must be simple, visible to everyone, and easy to know if we’re winning. As a team, we will decide the best location, the theme and design of the scoreboard, and who, how, and when to update it. Since our team is spread out throughout the school (Math, Science, Technology, and Marketing), we could make a digital scoreboard on our Engineering Canvas course homepage and our school website, so everyone could easily access it.

Discipline 4: Create a Cadence of Accountability

During our weekly meetings, we will discuss our progress towards the WIG. This measure allows for celebrating success while holding team members accountable to the goals they set for themselves. The fact that team members make their own goals gives them ownership of the WIG, making them more likely to care if the goal is achieved and allowing for every team member to hold each other accountable to reach the shared goal. 

Creating effective and durable change is not easy. We will use the 5 stages of change together with the 4 disciplines of execution to help us navigate this process, hoping to ensure long-lasting success.

Six Sources Of Influence With 4DX

The 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX) process and the Influencer Model work together to make change a reality and a simple process. The 6 Sources of Influence are strategies to influence people to change their behavior through modeling and structural reminders. The Wildly Important Goal (WIG) matches with the goal created for the Influencer Model, and the vital behaviors could be implemented as Lead Measures to track in the 4DX.  

The 6 Sources of Influence and the 4DX focus on creating long-lasting and effective change. Both processes increase motivation and morale in participants, use measurable terms of success, and focus on a small number of factors that lead to success. 

Using the 6 sources of influence as reminders to change behavior and the 4 Steps from 4DX to develop our plan together, will hold each other accountable, and we are more likely to reach our Wildly Important Goal. Once we have reached our goal, we will work together to create a new WIG and 4DX strategy, and accountability will become a part of our culture.

References:

Covey, S., McChesney, C., & Huling, J. (2012). The 4 disciplines of execution: Achieving your wildly important goals. Simon and Schuster.

FranklinCovey. (2012a, March 9). Goal setting [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbUy290KbTA&t=1s 

FranklinCovey. (2012b, April 19). Executive overview of The 4 Disciplines of Execution [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZR2Ixm0QQE&t=1s