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Volume 5, No. 1
Spring, 2011 Exclusively online at
www.EducationHall.com
7-10 Split “Standing in the middle of the road is very
dangerous; you get knocked down by the traffic from both sides.” Are you a bowler? Have you ever been to one of AMF Bowling’s 300 locations throughout the United States? Maybe a Starlight Lanes or BowlAmerica? If you’re anything like me, you have experienced the stylish rental shoes, eaten a day-old hot dog and have been a part of the atmosphere of pure athleticism that bowling alleys offer…but to say that I’m a bowler, no. I will be writing this column with this in mind. In bowling, a 7-10 split is when, after hurling your first bowling ball down the middle of the lane you are left with the pesky 7 and 10 pins still standing. These pins are opposite each other in the back row of the set. If you can picture this scenario, it is obviously the most difficult pair of pins to knock down with a single ball in the game of bowling. While there are differing statistics, the ability to successfully knock over both pins in this split is somewhere in the .5-.6% range. As educational leaders, we are presented with this 7-10 split frequently. We must make decisions…tough ones. Do we try and knock down both pins by attempting to make everyone happy? This will likely be unsuccessful thus making both sides unhappy. Do we aim for the 7? Do we aim for the 10? We are guaranteed to please one group and displease another. Do we avoid the decision, aim for the middle and hope the result is in the .5-.6% range of success? This will at least ensure that we are all equally dissatisfied. The 7-10 scenarios I am writing of take on many shapes and sizes and may deal with any one of the millions of issues a school leader encounters throughout the school year. This may be a large scale organizational situation such as how to align allocations, hire staff members, scheduling or budgeting. It may be a daily occurrence like discipline, conducting observations, leading staff meetings or bus duty. Or it might fall somewhere in between but ultimately, the 7-10 split is inevitable. Whichever 7-10 split you come across, there is a decision that must be made and the results will, undoubtedly, fall directly on your shoulders. Roy Disney, the nephew of Walt Disney, once uttered the words, “It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” As the leader of an educational institution, you must be true to your values and steadfast in your beliefs. I will not provide a list of values, give dos or don’ts or share any examples. Values and beliefs are built over time and become as personal as your toothbrush. They stem from individual experiences, personal and professional obstacles and overcoming challenges in life and in careers. Regardless of what they are or how they became yours…stand by them and use them to guide your decisions, your actions and your words. People will respect your passion, your commitment and appreciate the consistency in your choices. So…how do you pick up the 7-10 split? You don’t. You make a decision…the 7 or the 10. Make it with conviction and use your values and beliefs as the backbone for your choice. Own them, share them, believe in them and use them to pave the way through difficult situations. What are your core beliefs? What are your values? What will guide you when you encounter a 7-10 split? It’s just common sense.
Bring Derek
Cordell to your school or district: Click
http://www.EducationHall.com/contact.htm for more information. |
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Copyright
© 2011 EducationHall, LLC. All rights reserved. |
