Moonshot Thinking

Moonshot Thinking

I first saw this in the form of a Google commercial several years ago. It was inspiring, it was motivating and it made we want to get up and do SOMETHING! I haven't felt that way since Apple launched its 'Think Different' commercials about the "crazy one's"!

For those who haven't seen the commercials, and the many keynotes who also use it, the premise is simple. Be bothered by something enough to do SOMETHING about it. When I was much younger and had a myriad of part time jobs, my only thought was to get it done the way I was told the fastest way possible. But now that I'm old...er, I find myself asking questions like: Why? Is this the best way possible? How can I make this better?  It is no surprise that this comes with age and even less surprising that educators around the globe continue to ask the same questions.  Is the student experience a good one, or in the case of my private school friends, is our expensive experience better than public schools free one?  

Looking back at all the jobs I had, young and old, I was able to finally pinpoint when and where I was bothered enough to change something. I worked at McDonalds flipping burgers, I worked at Walmart in the lawn and garden department, and I threw bags at Delta, just to name a few, before coming to education! In each and every one of those jobs when I asked if there was a better way, or perhaps to discuss other options, the leadership that responded positively to my questions received my best possible performance. The leadership that wanted quality feedback, and asked for it often, created the best possible environment where employees felt valued. But creating that environment is only part of the solution. In fact, it is the easiest part as well.

We all have opinions. Good leadership can cultivate, categories and utilize those opinions to improve performance and the overall experience. In education, administrators are the key. Literally, they are holding almost all the keys!  That isn't to say that classroom educators don't hold a few keys of their own. So much of what happens within your classroom walls is your doing. You can control that student experience in your classroom. Administrators want that to occur. That's why they hired you in the first place!  But if you are looking at large scale, school wide change then yes admin support is key. Meetings without reasonable outcomes, little to no accountability across the board are NOT motivational fodder for educators. The solution lies, as it almost always does, in the middle. Working together to define the problem, design the change and empower all stakeholders to be part of the process (students and parents included). Only then can change take hold. 

Moonshot thinking is a great motivator. It still gets me every time I watch it. But that motivation must be cultivated by quality leaders and met with open arms to embrace the possibilities of the change that lay before us and the understanding that change is painful and often a long process. But if your bothered enough and care enough, trust me when I say...it is worth the effort!