August 19, 2024
People need to hear something seven times to hear it once. People need to hear something seven times to hear it once. People need—okay, you get the point. But it is an important one—as leaders in the classrooms and in our schools, we are effectively what Patrick Lencioni calls “CROs” (Chief Reminding Officers) and not only do we need to repeat the message again and again, but we need to choose the right language for the culture we desire.
After all, language creates culture.
The culture of our classrooms and our schools comes down to the language we use. If we are not intentional about the development of this culture, we leave it to chance and that often doesn’t develop the kind of culture we want.
What does this mean in practicality? It means choosing the words that clearly and accurately communicate the desired culture you want in your school. And it means sharing that language with every teacher in the school so there is clarity and consistency (remember, consistency compounds) in the messaging—this is why synonyms don’t cut it. Choosing the words intentionally and then defining those words clearly and then repeating those words over and over and over creates the foundation of the desired culture.
And if this desired culture is one where the entrepreneurial mindset thrives, then choose words that speak to this outcome. Here’s a list of suggestions along with key reasoning:
“effort” – using the word “effort” rather than “talent” helps us encourage a culture of resilience. Both Angela Duckworth and Carol Dweck have associated the intentionality around praising effort with the development of grit and growth mindset. When we praise effort, we encourage students to try harder and to persevere rather than rely on innate abilities and stagnate.
“abundance” – the abundance mindset, like the growth mindset, is diametrically opposed to a fixed mindset of scarcity and suggests unlimited growth and potential. If we operate from the belief that the amount of pie is limited, we will find ourselves fighting over the scraps rather than seeing the possibility that the pie will keep getting larger. There is a reason that Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler titled their entrepreneurial minded book, Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think.
“thrive” and “flourish” – not just survive, not just get through, but live in a state of joy and supercharged growth. I highly encourage schools with garden programs to connect the learning in these spaces to the entrepreneurial mindset as there are so many parallels. When the healthy plants in the garden flourish, we see the power firsthand of a growth mindset.
“transform” – transformation is central to the entrepreneurial mindset—the very act of problem solving is an act of transforming, of taking something (a problem) and turning it into an opportunity. Inherent in the word “transform” is the connotation of positive change, of improving the current state of something. Consider the electrical transformer and its role in taking and input voltage and transforming it into a different output voltage—with the expectation that is a necessary and helpful change.
“curiosity” – curiosity is a skill that we must help our students develop and when we are constantly engaged in asking “what if?” to encourage our students to do the same. Consider the famous “5 whys” technique of root cause analysis—asking why over and over allows us to dig deeper into the true problem so that our solution has larger impact.
“follow-through” – Angela Duckworth credits this idea to the development of grit—encouraging follow-through and emphasizing the importance of it helps with long-term goal setting and she argues that when passion and perseverance come together toward long term goals, grit development becomes the byproduct of the experience. Starting a project is easy—following through on completion requires
“vision” – vision is essential—understanding where we are going and what we want helps make prioritizing easier by providing a filter for decision making. Vision can also help us clarify expectations and success—Brené Brown entertains this concept with what she calls “paint it done.” Creating and communicating a vision of success can help with any assignment, event, meeting, or lesson plan.
“collaborate” – Malcolm Gladwell called collaboration THE skill of the 21st century. Encouraging our students to collaborate around problem solving and project-based learning opportunities creates the framework for the development of healthy team players. Remember the African proverb which explains, “if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”
When I work with teachers and administrators on creating cultures where the entrepreneurial mindset thrives, I encourage them to pick four or five key words and make a commitment to repeat them daily for the entire year to establish the foundation of the desired culture.
If we have to hear something seven times to hear it once, it is worth repeating these words each and every day until they become so ingrained in our attitude and mindset that it becomes internalized into who we are and who we inspire others to be. In doing this, we will inspire others to embrace the entrepreneurial mindset and supercharge their lives.
The future of education is bright indeed!
You may also be interested in reading more articles written by Stephen Carter for Intrepid Ed News.
