The Summer Systems Advantage

Some leaders see summer as recovery time. I always saw it as my edge. I just needed a week to reboot, then it was game on!

The campuses that hit the ground strong in August aren’t “lucky.” They’re prepared. Their systems were sharpened when everyone else was just trying to breathe.

If you’re willing to give a little time and thought to the right things, you’ll create a calmer, more focused start to next year for you and your staff.

Start here:

1. Rebuild clarity from the top.

As Pat Lencioni says in The Advantage, the most important work of a leader is creating clarity. Revisit your purpose, values, and current priorities. Then test this: if I asked three people on your leadership team to name our #1 focus for August, would they say the same thing?

2. Over-communicate (on purpose).

Set your message now and repeat it often. Not new messages -- the same one, said ten different ways. If clarity is your strategy, repetition is your tactic.

3. Build systems that reinforce what matters most.

If you say culture matters but your onboarding is an afterthought… people notice. If you say learning matters but there’s no calendar for walkthroughs… people notice.

Summer is your chance to line up your systems to match your words.

Lencioni talks about these in his short YouTube videos, especially this one on organizational health and this clip on clarity. Both worth 5 minutes of your time.

You don’t need a retreat. You need a notepad, some time, and a focus for clarity.

Find me if you need me,

John