March 19, 2010
Tom Peters is a well known consultant in the business world. In the video below, Tom describes a brief conversation with Barry Gibbons, a chain restaurant executive, which Barry refers to as life changing.
After Tom mentions that he'd visited some of Barry's burger establishments, Barry nervously asked, "How were they?" Tom's reply was a brief, "Nothing wrong with them." Only four words, but Barry says it was the worst thing he'd ever heard and the turning point of his professional life. He was devastated by the thought that when they did it right, when everything was to standard, it was still so very ordinary. In his mind, it was a worse judgment than being awful and he decided that he'd do whatever it took to fight being ordinary.
As we listened to Tom speak, we couldn't help but think about our own schools and classrooms. Are we proficient, but ho-hum, or do people say, "Wow! This place looks like they are up to something interesting." How can we fight being ordinary?
We have the privilege of travelling around the country and have been wowed by so many of you. What have we witnessed that makes you far from ordinary? We've seen classrooms don disposable gloves and take brief brain and body breaks to pick litter up from around the school. We've heard so many teachers greet each and every child with a warm smile and the words, "Thanks for coming. It's going to be a great day!" We've seen principals greet students as they get off the school bus in the morning and see them off at the end of the day, not to maintain order...but to show genuine interest in their lives. We've sat in "no complaint zone" lunchrooms where staff members laugh, share their lives, and try to figure out the latest Lost episode. We've watched student ambassadors welcome new students to the "best school in the world" and provide personal tours and introductions to key staff.
Vince Lombardi said, "The quality of a man's life is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence, regardless of his chosen field of endeavor."
So, how about you? What is one simple thing you can do today that will show your commitment to excellence? What one simple act will you perform today that will cause someone to think, "Wow"?