The Curious Case of Dr. Doyle, His Unwanted Creation and the Deceitful Feet of D.D. Hume

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The Curious Case of Dr. Doyle, His Unwanted Creation and the Deceitful Feet of D.D. Hume

“But it can’t be all that difficult to be a ventriloquist, on the radio,” I replied somewhat sarcastically. “I mean you’d have to turn the volume way up to see your lips move.”

In an outdoor restaurant overlooking Port au Prince Bay, the enigmatic Dr. Cooper was absent-mindedly entertaining our Haiti mission team with an artifact from his trunkload of stranger-than-fiction memories. This one was about a stint as a puppeteer on his own radio show. But he wasn’t really paying attention to us, his mind was too busy being enslaved by a game on his new smart phone.

I tried to bring him back to into the real world.

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Update! Going Paperless: Better Than Ever with New Hardware and Applications!

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Update! Going Paperless: Better Than Ever with New Hardware and Applications!

One of my most popular series of posts explained _Why and How I Went Paperless and How You Can Too--There Had to be a Better Way! _My first paperless [article] was posted in May, 2013. 

It is time for an update. After three years my workflow is still paperless. The hardware and application options are better than ever making a paperless workflow easier, less expensive, and more productive than ever. 

**Benefits of Going Paperless**
There are many benefits to going paperless. In addition to what I listed in the first [article], I would include the following:
- I have everything I need, anytime, anywhere, on any device
- Less stress
- Less clutter
- Less stuff to carry, especially when traveling
- Improved integration of personal and professional projects
- Sets an example of technology integration for my staff
- Keeps me current with the times and tech "savvy" 
- Easier and more enjoyable than juggling both paper and digital content

More... 

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Add Value to Your School!

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Add Value to Your School!

A great way to strengthen our schools is to increase Marginal Value for our parents. 

Marginal Value can be understood as the calculation that parents make that an increase in tuition is worth more than other discretionary purchases. As tuition increases, parents make a calculation that the added cost is or is not producing an incremental value equal to or greater than the increase in cost relative to other educational options and purchases. If parents do not perceive the quality of education provided to be of more value than other options, parents will choose those options.

In short, we increase Marginal Value by giving parents more for their tuition dollars. 

A great way to strengthen our schools is to increase Marginal Value for our parents. 

Marginal Value can be understood as the calculation that parents make that an increase in tuition is worth more than other discretionary purchases. As tuition increases, parents make a calculation that the added cost is or is not producing an incremental value equal to or greater than the increase in cost relative to other educational options and purchases. If parents do not perceive the quality of education provided to be of more value than other options, parents will choose those options.

In short, we increase Marginal Value by giving parents more for their tuition dollars. 

A great way to strengthen our schools is to increase Marginal Value for our parents. 

Marginal Value can be understood as the calculation that parents make that an increase in tuition is worth more than other discretionary purchases. As tuition increases, parents make a calculation that the added cost is or is not producing an incremental value equal to or greater than the increase in cost relative to other educational options and purchases. If parents do not perceive the quality of education provided to be of more value than other options, parents will choose those options.

In short, we increase Marginal Value by giving parents more for their tuition dollars.

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The Power of Habit

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The Power of Habit

Have you stopped to consider the tremendous power habits--good and bad habits--have on your character, your life, your relationships, your health, and your leadership?

Habits are unconscious but powerful. Consider this except from The Power of Habit:

When you woke up this morning, what did you do first? Did you hop in the shower, check your email, or grab a doughnut from the kitchen counter? Did you brush your teeth before or after you toweled off? Tie the left or right shoe first? What did you say to your kids on your way out the door? Which route did you drive to work? When you got to your desk, did you deal with email, chat with a colleague, or jump into writing a memo? Salad or hamburger for lunch? When you got home, did you put on your sneakers and go for a run, or pour yourself a drink and eat dinner in front of the TV? 

“All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits,” William James wrote in 1892. Most of the choices we make each day may feel like the products of well-considered decision making, but they’re not. They’re habits.

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The Secret to Getting Parents to Read Your Emails

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Recently I noticed a strange phenomenon during school pick up times. All of our parents were in their vehicles with their heads bowed. At first I thought, “they are praying for our school!” Upon closer examination I realized that they were looking at their smartphones! Almost without exception parents were absorbed in their small screens. 

My Director of Advancement, recognizing this long before I did, started sending our weekly communications during afternoon pick up periods immediately prior to students being dismissed while parents are waiting in the pick up line. This significantly improved the percentage of our communications being read by parents.

In addition to sending email communications during pick up times:

  • Keep your emails short.`
  • Use bullet points.
  • Write to fit on a small screen.

By doing so, you will increase the number of parents who read your emails. 

Layers of Accountability: Are We Accountable to Parents?

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Layers of Accountability: Are We Accountable to Parents?

"Schools serve the families in their communities. School Principals serve the parents of those families."

Most of us, whether from a parent or a principal perspective, would agree with those statements. Nevertheless, it remains a topic of heated debate, frustration and misunderstanding. In my experience as a school principal, much of the frustration arises out of a lack of comprehension of what I would call 'layers of accountability'. 

To whom are we accountable? School principals, in their leadership are accountable on a number of different levels ...

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