The 4 Disciplines
of Execution
The 4DX model addresses one of the most important aspects of change; it is so difficult to actually achieve goals when we have so many other things to worry about. This model encourages organizations to embrace and understand the “whirlwind” of life in order to accomplish their goals. By implementing the four strategies, organizations and individuals can stay more focused and surpass their expectations.
For my disruptive innovation plan, I am asking my colleagues to incorporate blended learning into their Health and Physical Education classes and alter what they normally do. Because many people dislike change and would rather continue to do what they’re already familiar with, I have some fears that there will be some push-back from my colleagues. However, with everything going on in schools right now, I don’t see a better time to start implementing blended learning. With the help of McChesney, Covey, and Huling’s Four Disciplines of Execution Model, I can show my colleagues how they can easily handle the daily “whirlwind” while also accomplishing goals that lead to positive changes.
5 Stages of Change
Stage 1: Getting Clear
In order to make my disruptive innovation plan a success, it is important that I communicate with those in my department about my plan to implement blended learning into the classroom. I want to open the floor and allow my department, an opportunity to openly discuss the importance of allowing students to have a more active role in their learning. Although this school year (2020-2021) is going to be somewhat crazy with all the rules and guidelines, my goal is to start this process of implementing blended learning into my classroom, as an opportunity to model and share successes and setbacks with my colleagues as the school year progresses. I think this would be a great opportunity to show how technology is a tool that can be used to improve instruction and provide students with opportunities that would not otherwise be possible. As a department, it is important that we come up with a Wildly Important Goal (WIG), that can help us successfully implement blended learning into our classrooms. Once we figure out our goal it will be crucial to hold weekly accountability meetings to make sure everyone is staying on track and can talk about what is working and not working in their classrooms.
Critical Actions:
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Be a model of focus on the WIG by implementing blended learning in my classes and openly discussing and collaborating with colleagues about the WIG and blended learning.
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Define the difference between Lead and Lag measures.
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Identify the Lead and Lag Measures as a department.
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Create a shared digital scoreboard that will be sent out weekly and discussed weekly at WIG meetings. The scoreboard will show the Lead Measures.
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Select a time during the week when the HPE department can meet for 20 minutes for a WIG meeting.
Stage 2: Launch
During the 4th quarter of every school year, my department meets up weekly to discuss what lessons went well during our school year and what we want to change in our curriculum for the future. During these meetings, I will discuss with my department the successes and setbacks that I experienced with implementing blended learning into my curriculum. Throughout this school year (2020-2021) I will take note of any setbacks, conflicts, student feedback, and successes that occur in preparation to make a smooth transition for my department next Fall (2021). During these meetings, we will also develop a plan to continue this initiative throughout the department. We can also discuss any potential problems that may occur and ensure that there is enough working technology in every classroom. Finally, as a department, we will discuss a realistic WIG, so that we can all take ownership and accountability for our outcome.
Critical Actions:
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Coordinate with the HPE department supervisor and department chair on a concise and shared message.
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Allow teachers to discuss ideas, express concerns, and ask questions.
Stage 3: Adoption
Once the Health and Physical Education (HPE) Department has established its expectations in implementing blended learning, there will be a lead teacher to help develop lesson plans that include technology. The team will also have time to collaborate and develop plans during weekly department meetings and WIG meetings. In these meetings, they will collaborate on any changes that need to be implemented, the effectiveness of implementing blended learning and offer support to one another. During the WIG meetings, the department will also be able to see the current and up to date scoreboard. Throughout the school year, as the implementation of blended learning becomes easier and teachers begin to see student growth, hopefully, they will be more inclined to continue this plan and eventually expand blended learning throughout the entire school district for HPE teachers.
Critical Actions:
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Make sure the scoreboard is up to date.
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Have incentives based on scoreboard.
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Provide support for struggling teachers.
Stage 4: Optimization
During the 4th stage, teachers have become accustomed to the 4DX model and will have the ability to shift their mindset in the realization that these results have made a difference in students’ lives (McChesney, Covey, & Huling, 2012). Instead of just trying to figure out what blended learning is and how to implement it into their curriculum, the HPE department will now begin to try novel solutions to make greater progress on their WIGs. This is a great time for increased collaboration and encouragement over the variety of creative ideas that the teachers are coming up with to implement and use blended learning.
Critical Actions:
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Offer ideas to teachers for collaboration
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Provide opportunities for collaboration.
Stage 5: Habits
Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. It is important that the 4DX model is not just viewed or used as a way to implement this one WIG but is recurrent for all future WIGs as well. Through using the 4DX model the HPE department will not only successfully accomplish the WIG, but they will do so in high-performing ways, both individually and collectively. These kinds of habits will be supplemented by habitually celebrating our accomplishment of the WIG, visualizing the scoreboard, and moving those who are average performers to high performers. This will benefit not only the teachers in the department but the students as well.
Critical Actions:
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Develop new WIG(s).
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Identify lead and lag measures.
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Maintain scoreboard.
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Encourage and support colleagues.
The Four Disciplines of Execution
Discipline 1: Focus on the WIG (Wildly Important Goal)
In order for this initiative to be successful, a clear goal must be established. In the first year, I will be the only one involved in implementing blended learning into my curriculum. My WIG goal is to use technology in at least 50% of the lessons allowing options for students to choose how to receive information at their own pace and allow peer collaboration by June of 2021. This will translate to about 2 lessons a week following the blended learning approach. After piloting this in my classroom, I will work with the HPE Department around April 2021, (beginning of the 4th quarter) to develop a similar goal for the following year when they will start to implement blended learning into their classrooms. We will work together to create a WIG so that each department member has ownership and accountability in achieving this goal.
The lag measures track the success of your WIG, it was either accomplished or it wasn’t. They are easy to measure but hard to influence. Whereas, lead measures track the critical activities that drive or lead to the lag measures. They predict the success of the lag measure and are influenced directly by the department or team (McChesney & et al., 2012). For blended learning in the HPE department, the lag measure is developing a weekly lesson plan 100% of the time that incorporates blended learning and is implemented sometime before the end of each week. This goal allows the teacher’s flexibility to create and implement their lesson at their own pace throughout each week. In order to hold myself accountable during the first year, there will need to be lead measures in place.
Discipline 2: Act on Lead Measure (Launch and Adoption)
In order to accomplish the WIG, lead measures need to be agreed upon by the group. The lead measure is the action that makes the lag measure happen. As a department, we will come up with our lead measure at the initial team meeting in April 2021. However, I believe a good start for a lead measure would be to have weekly WIG meetings with the team 95% of the time. During these meetings, teachers will have an opportunity to collaborate lessons they have created, discuss struggles, and exchange successes. The reason the lead goal is not 100% of the time is that these meetings will take place each week and a teacher may not be available to attend every week but they will be held accountable for gathering the information discussed at the weekly meeting.
Another lead goal is to pair teachers up with a partner in their department and have weekly check-ins to discuss problems they may have encountered and to provide support to one another. As many people in our department have a grade partner that they already work closely with this will be their partner to check-in with each week. This will allow them to hold each other accountable throughout the week and support each other through the process of implementing blended learning into their curriculum. Once the department is together we can discuss changes to these two lead measures as everyone deserves to have input and control of these goals. After the WIG and Lag/Lead Measures are established, a scoreboard will be created and meetings will be scheduled.
Discipline 3: Keep a Compelling Scoreboard
People are often motivated by success and being HPE teachers we are always competing with each other. In order to keep my department engaged, a scoreboard will be created that shows whether or not the department is winning. The scoreboard will be clear, simple, and will display the lag and lead measures. If goals are not met, that will be reflected on the scoreboard.
The scoreboard will be digital (so teachers can view it at any time), and an email will be sent out bi-weekly so that teachers who are not participating as they should be, will not be able to avoid the scoreboard. The scoreboard will be broken up into three sections: the first section will display the lead and lag measure the WIG, the second section will show the percentage of teachers using blended learning, and the third section will be a pie graph showing which teachers are using it the most (based on the number of blended learning lessons taught each week).
Discipline 4: Create a Cadence of Accountability
In order to reach the WIG, teachers will have to hold themselves accountable as individuals. The weekly goals need to be met and teachers need to make their best effort with the entire initiative. The weekly WIG meetings will help to hold people accountable, but it is highly unlikely that all department members will be able to attend every week. If teachers are unable to attend, they are responsible for emailing the group a summary of their weekly progress or struggles. The weekly meetings will be a great time to reflect on the scoreboard and to discuss new weekly goals for the group. As an individual, my goal will be to incorporate blended learning into my lessons every Friday. By picking the same day every week I will get into the routine of implementing these lessons and also get my students involved to help me reach my goal.
Influencer Model and 4DX
The Influencer Model and the 4DX model have quite a few similarities and differences. Both strategies complement one another because they focus on successfully developing and achieving a goal through multiple steps or pathways. While the influencer model utilizes two or three vital behaviors and the implementation of six different strategies to evoke change, the 4DX model simply encourages the use of just one to two goals and then collects information based around lag and lead measures.
The Influencer Model is also very specific and detailed, which is helpful when initiating change. On the other hand, the 4DX model focuses more on how the team can succeed as a whole, rather than how to make individuals succeed within a group. Together both models paint a picture for how to accomplish a goal in a group setting, and how to make the people within the group enthusiastic about participating.
References:
Grenny, J., Patterson, K., Maxfield, D., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2013). Influencer: The new science of leading change: 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education
McChesney, C., Covey, S., & Huling, J. (2012). The 4 disciplines of execution: Achieving your wildly important goals. New York, NY: Free Press.