While there has been no change in the physics of time and space, the days and weeks morph into years more rapidly the older we get. Our responsibilities in the classroom are never ending and seem more daunting as each day passes. Thus, our “whirlwind” is ever looming and resistant to be tamed (McChesney et al., 2022). The pandemic set us into a perpetual fast-forward motion within education. We are presented with the opportunity to find and focus on what we, as educators, can control.

The Four Disciplines of Execution (4DX) approach gives us the blueprint to execute change and move towards a culture of execution to sustain the success of any Wildly Important Goal or WIG (McChesney et al., 2022). What are the four disciplines? They are:

• Focus on the Wildly Important
• Act on the Lead Measures
• Keep a Compelling Scoreboard
• Create a Cadence of Accountability

The five stages of change will help us successfully navigate and implement these four principles (McChesney et al., 2022). Nevertheless, first, we should begin with our goal and find clarity in how we start reaching it.

Focus on the Wildly Important

With an Innovation Plan established, we had to narrow the focus of our intentions. We found focus in the desired results we seek in the Influencer Strategy. Our WIG is as follows: By May 2023, math learners will reflect on and assess their learning 2-3 times per week while participating in the Blended Learning model of a Flipped Classroom.  This WIG will create opportunities to focus on the campus expectation of writing across the curriculum while maintaining the implementation of only one WIG for our team, as McChesney et al. (2022) suggested.

Act on the Lead Measures

We will look at two measures to monitor our progress. Lead measures have to meet two criteria. First, it must be predictive. In other words, if we complete a specific action, the results are predictable. Secondly, the measure must be influenceable. As a team, we can make changes that will have a direct effect in our favor. The second measure will be the lag measure. This data will allow us to track where we are in our journey to the destination, the WIG.

Lag Measures:

• We will track the number of times per week each educator has learners reflect and self-assess 
• We will use feedback from learner reflections and self-assessment to measure student growth

Lead Measure:

• Teachers will incorporate the reflection and self-assessment opportunities into lessons using a Flipped Classroom model at least two times a week.

Keep a Compelling Scoreboard

When team members can see the score during a game, their level of play rises (McChesney et al., 2022). They can see their contribution to that win. Thus, motivating the team to work harder to ensure they will keep winning. In a table, we can track the opportunities provided for learners to reflect on and assess their learning. We can easily create a line graph from the table that will quickly provide a glimpse of our progress on our WIG.

We will establish an expectation to review the reflections of our learners. That feedback will be addressed regularly in our WIG meetings.

Create a Cadence of Accountability

The Algebra I team already meets weekly. We will add to the agenda of our PLC time to include a 15-20 minute discussion of our WIG. We will use that time to debrief individually during class to reflect and self-assess. We will each state what one or two items we can focus on for the coming week to make the most impact on our progress toward meeting our WIG (McChesney et al., 2022). During these discussions, we will focus on the right WIG and how to change course if necessary. Accountability is determined and followed through during these meetings. Norms will be established at the beginning to protect time and opinions. We all need to know that everyone is essential for the team to win the game of accomplishing our WIG!

Five Stages of Change

Now that we have established the four disciplines let us address the stages in which change will occur. We will find success as the most likely outcome through these five stages. Is it going to be easy? Of course not! Change human behavior to never easy. However, by utilizing 4DX with fidelity, we will win and find ourselves starting the process again with a new WIG while our accomplishments will return to our whirlwind (McChesney et al., 2022).

Stage 1: Getting Clear

It is in the beginning that we build our four disciplines of execution. We will determine our WIG. We establish the lead and lag measures. We will decide on a scoreboard that will work for the team. Accountability is set in place through developing norms for our WIG meetings that will occur often. These meetings will be structured and brief to respect all the team members. We are ready for launch!

Stage 2: Launch

Commitment and focus on the 4DX process are imperative from day 1. It may prove rough, but the beginning is crucial for any leader to exemplify that commitment. Models (those ready to get work done), Not Yet (those who need some more convincing), and Nevers (those likely to never be a team player) need to be identified to be addressed in the future (McChesney et al., 2022). We should always model positivity in addition to our commitment. Leaders should refrain from allowing the whirlwind to interfere with accomplishing any WIG. 

Stage 3: Adoption

As we roll our sleeves up and dig into the hard work, we need to support and counsel those who have yet to commit fully to the WIG. Those identified as Models can provide mentorship to those who have yet to commit to the WIG. Training will be provided to support those who are struggling. We must drive the process before we can address the preliminary results. Maintaining accountability and motivation through our scoreboard and crucial conversations is necessary to push toward a win. Adjusting and pivoting can and will happen based on discussions and results brought forward in weekly WIG meetings. With the adjustments and conversations, we hope to see attitudes change and our lead measures give us positive outcomes.

Stage 4: Optimization

Results should begin to show significant progress toward accomplishing the WIG. Positivity and encouragement should continue to dominate the ongoing regular WIG meetings. Celebrating the successes will also be a regular occurrence. New and innovative ideas should be considered as team members perfect their practices. During this stage, we find that a team has reached a 4DX mindset (McChesney et al., 2022). Habits are being formed, making a path for future wins with future WIGs.

Stage 5: Habits

We did it! We accomplished our first WIG. Hopefully, these practices and processes that started out as uncomfortable and foreign will turn as natural and expected. Our team will be in a position to tackle the next WIG with even greater success. We will be in a place to grow our team and include our math department or even campus.

4DX and Influencer

With these books to guide us, we can accomplish our goals. The Six Sources of Influence can guide us in narrowing our focus on how to change human behavior (Grenny et al., 2013). Both strategies complement each other. It seems intuitive to utilize both to lead change in an organization. We can take that desired result to find our Wildly Important Goal and implement the Four Disciplines of Execution to bring about that change (McChesney et al., 2022). With a focus on motivation, positivity, and the emotion of change supported by implementing both strategies, we will find our learners’ maximum growth and potential.

References

Grenny, J., Patterson, K., Maxfield, D., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2013). Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change, Second Edition (2nd ed.). McGraw Hill.

McChesney, C., Covey, S., Huling, J., Thele, S., & Walker, B. (2022). The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Revised and Updated: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals (2nd ed.). Simon & Schuster.

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