Chapter 15: 25 Ways to Encourage Managers, Principals, and Parents to Continue the Learning
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15.
S
end course-related birthday cards signed by their
supervisor or leader.
At the beginning of class, ask each person to list his birthday. With adults, it’s best to avoid the
years—just get the month and day. Then, throughout the year, send a birthday card or postcard
that contains a quote from a course-related figure and the signature of someone who is
significant in the participant’s life (a manager, a principal, a department head, and so on).
Examples of course-related figures to quote:
Shakespeare: “There was a star that danced and under it was I born.” Add: “May the stars keep
on dancing on your birthday and always.” (for an English or literature class)
John Muir: “I never saw a discontented tree. They grip the ground as though they liked it, and
though-fast rooted, they travel about as far as we do.” Add: “Here’s wishing you a birthday of
contentment.” (for an environmental studies or science class)
16.
H
old a benchmarking meeting.
From the Total Quality Management (TQM) movement that started in the 1980s, we learned
about the value of benchmarking—the process of comparing one organization’s methods to
those methods employed by best-in-class organizations. Here are the official steps in that
process:
1. Identify potential benchmarking requirements.
2. Prioritize and select one process.
3. Prepare the benchmarking project plan.
4. Gather data on existing practices.
5. Identify possible benchmarking partners.
6. Contact the potential partner and negotiate mutually beneficial terms for the partnership
agreement.
7. Arrange a visit to the partner’s site.
8. Analyze the partner’s operation.
9. Synthesize results of the visit, delineating gaps between your existing operation and the ideal
operation.
10. Develop an action plan, incorporating findings from the benchmarking visit.
11. Implement the plan and monitor it.
12. Make adjustments as needed.
(continued)
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