Using the 7 Habits to Plan for the Unknown
Author: Sara Delgado, PhD
“In our current reality, leaders cannot control how long the COVID-19 outbreak will last, if there will be a second wave, or when they will be able to return in person to the workplace. They can control, however, if they have an actionable plan in place for when they do.”
Educators are starting to enter the phase of the school year in which they have the time to reflect on the previous year and think forward to what next year could bring. One of the many blessings of working in education is every school year, you have an opportunity for a fresh start. Not only with your students, but also with the ideas you implement in your classroom and school building.
One thing that makes this year unique, however, is the fact that due to COVID-19 most people’s school year did not end as planned, and next year may not begin typically either. There are a lot of unknowns. That does not mean school leaders should not plan for next year, it merely means that they will have an opportunity to be creative in their thinking and may need to plan for multiple scenarios, focusing on those things that are within their control.
Forward thinking and focusing on what you can control is not a new concept. Stephen Covey’s work with The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People outlined its importance over 30 years ago. When considering how to think ahead and plan for our return to the workplace, Habits 1 and 2 are essential for effective planning for the upcoming school year and all the unknowns it could bring.
Habit 1: Be Proactive. Habit 1 is about taking responsibility for your life. Proactive people recognize that they are responsible for identifying the conditions that are within their control and acting on them. They choose to ignore the factors over which they have no control and focus on those that they do. In our current reality, leaders cannot control how long the COVID-19 outbreak will last, if there will be a second wave, or when they will be able to return in person to the workplace. They can control, however, if they have an actionable plan in place for when they do. Proactive leaders will be well-planned and ready when the time does come to return to the office.
Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind. Habit 2 is based in imagination. It is the ability to mentally envision what you currently cannot see with your eyes. While we may not know exactly what the next school year will look like, if it will be in person or online, or if it might even change throughout the year, we do know that our job as educators is to focus on relationships and providing consistency and positivity for students and staff members. Leaders who work to envision the culture they hope to create and the plan they will enact to do so when they return to the workplace will experience more success than those whose mindsets are planted firmly in the now.
By employing these philosophies, leaders have an opportunity to create and execute a thoughtful plan for a return to the workplace. Proactivity in planning with your leadership team may even help to lower anxiety surrounding all that is unknown by focusing on what you can control. While it may feel different than ever before, this year's planning phase offers a unique opportunity for teams to collaborate and plan in ways that they never have before.