Legacy Large!

After fourteen rewarding years with ASCD (and more recently ASCD+ISTE), I will be wrapping up my tenure there the end of June. My entire career has truly been a journey, and I leave full-time work on a high note. Much like I emphasize with each of you I coach and mentor, I kept the focus on my passion and it became my legacy. I can say with confidence I have walked it like I talk it!

Here us what comes to mind as I hit this milestone:

ASCD+ISTE:

Affiliates: putting in place an affiliation agreement that established the program’s offering of services and supports, and later piloting a hub-and-spoke model for the delivery of professional learning from one central location to remote locations all over the world, bringing together our authors and speakers with the expertise of local affiliate facilitators who understand the needs of educators where they live and work. This was groundbreaking work in its time, and I am proud of everything we accomplished for practitioners doing the work on the ground.

Connected Communities: growing the capacity of these geographically-based local chapters until they were ready to become affiliates, like Bahamas ASCD, Jamaica ASCD, Nova Scotia ASCD, Pakistan ASCD and so many others. I am proud of how these leaders in their respective countries worked with us to implement the tenets of the Whole Child to create a brighter future for their children in innovative, culturally responsive ways.

Emerging Leaders: expanding the program to offer skills and opportunities along multiple pathways, moving from mentoring to a coaching model and launching the regional Leaders Meetups in response to needs expressed coming out of the pandemic. I am proud knowing that the community born from this program will live on through the classes of 2005 through 2023. These are the next generation of leaders of the association who will lead the transformation of education to its future state.

Champions in Education: my most recent initiative, with much credit and thanks to Dr. Gretchen Oltman who was a true partner in its development, to identify and support mid-career educators who are seeking to intentionally plan the second half of their careers with identified outcomes that leave impact and lasting legacy. It is a small, select group of amazing educators, and they have given to me every bit as much as they have gotten out of the program. I am proud to watch each of them realize everything they are working to accomplish as they move on in their careers.

Professional Learning Communities: it was a big lift moving these communities online so that their subject-matter expertise could be shared with a wider audience than their immediate geographic environs. Largely university-based, the world was shifting beneath their feet and we had to rethink their approach to engaging educators beyond face-to-face meetings and traditional methods of communication and outreach. Publishing is important, but getting the research into the hands of those doing the work in districts and classrooms is the true mission of this program. Looking back now, it positioned each community well for all the changes taking place in society.

Student Chapters: moving from meeting at annual conference to holding our first ever virtual student chapter conference this past year so that faculty advisors and chapter members can share strategies and practices for growing engagement on campus. Also, securing free memberships for all student chapter members ensured full access to our quality content and services so that they see us as a trusted partner as they enter the classroom to begin their careers. I am proud that the organization made this investment in preservice educators. They are the future of our profession. 

Much thanks and gratitude to staff, including Theresa, Judy, Layla, Meg, Scott, Molly, Dave, Tim, Sean, Tracy, Genny, Anthony, Felipe, Eddie, Penny, Dennis, Shanté, Bryan, Barbara, Cheryl, Linda, Alexis, Annie, James, Christian, Dulce, Margret, Heidi, Lauren, Sabrina and everyone over the years who teamed up with me to get things done!

Forever in awe of, inspired by, and indebted to the amazing members of the programs mentioned above, for fourteen incredible years of learning, growing and achieving together!

 

Arlington, Virginia Public Schools: after a first stint as an instructional technology coordinator years earlier, it was an honor to be asked to return as the district’s first-ever assistant superintendent for information services, completing a successful Oracle ERP implementation as soon as I walked in the door. In the big picture, the relationship-building and team-building were key to our success, and I am most proud of our focus on the support of teachers and students having classroom success, and the implementation of the ITIL framework for our entire department, increasing end-user satisfaction to 92% in three years’ time. It capped off 25 years in public education with big impact for a high profile, nationally recognized district.

Thank you, Rob, Jim, Sheryl, Ena, Jeannine, Camilla, Jan, Heidi, Susan, Martha, Connie, Alice, Diane, Cynthia, Raj, Julie, Dana, Matt, Chris, Terrence, Johnny, Girish, Nora, Bridgett, Jemica, Hannah, Rosemary, Mary, Lonnie, Jeanie, Shannon, Clarence, Mark and so many more dedicated Arlington educators!

 

Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough, Massachusetts: serving as director of technology for my boyhood hometown, proudly  championing teacher efficacy using technology,  empowering coaches to model and lead in its effective use. We upgraded to a then state-of-the-art network and put in place a three-year district hardware leasing program that built towards savings on replacements and repairs. At the same time, making impact across the region, bringing together district technology leaders to share and collaborate in what became the state tech directors association, and leading the formation of the the first-ever regional ISTE affiliate. My heart is still there. New England is forever home.

Eternally grateful, Bob, Charles, Barbara, Nena, Debbie, Pam, Cheryl, Sheri, Jim, Don, Jean, Andy, Susan, Linda, Amy, Mary, Keith, Pat, Edward, Elaine and everyone back home!

 

Salem, Massachusetts Public Schools: as director of information systems, engaging leadership across the district and at the building level to utilize technology for administrative and instructional practices, putting in place enterprise network and student data solutions, and instituting Salem’s first-ever electronic reporting to the state department of education. I was so driven to get this done I remember telling my data team if we couldn’t get it right I’d drive the data to Malden myself! It was my first district-level role and I am proud of the impact our department had on every aspect of Salem’s program. We all led as innovators and an ambassadors for technology.

Thank you, Scott, Monty, Jim, Ted, Bobbie, Loretta, Maria, Michael, Tom, Deb, Mary, Kiki, Charlie, Larry, Herb and the entire leadership team who provided guidance and support in my first district role!

 

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: as a senior technology training specialist, working with staff at HUD headquarters here in DC and in field offices around the country, learning new applications, developing training sessions and the accompanying materials, maintaining the hardware, putting together and taking apart training labs of computers, and troubleshooting whenever anyone up to and including Secretary Cuomo called for help – we did it all! I am proud of how much learning and growing I did working outside of education for this portion of my career, and I highly recommend all educators do so at some point. It truly enhanced my understanding of and appreciation for our profession.

So thankful, Bonnie, Tom, Anne, Zabrina, Michael, Tim and everyone on our team at headquarters as well as the various field offices we supported!

 

Classroom Connect: I first served as a regular presenter at its conferences around the country, presenting my work on the use of multiple intelligences theory in effective media selection for instruction. This led them to bring me in on the ground floor of their online postgraduate professional development initiative, Connected University, where I wrote and taught courses, served as the trainer for all faculty, and led the department of professional learning. All of this was done as an adjunct for Pepperdine University, a leader in online learning at the time. I am proud of  how we pioneered virtual postgraduate professional development back in the 90’s, and I still stay in touch with colleagues through the common bond we share from this work. It’s amazing to see how we all have grown and flourished since that time.

Thank you, Terrie, Scott, Rem, Mary Anne, Hazel, Linda, Cyndy, Bill, Sean, Terry, Deb and all the educators with whom I worked and learned with during these exciting times!

 

Classroom Teaching: after graduating from The Ohio State University, I looked to return home to begin my career, but Massachusetts had enacted “Proposition 2 1/2” slashing district operating budgets to the point that no one was hiring (or even keeping resumes on file), so I spent that spring driving along the east coast in my ’66 Buick Special with my one suit hanging in the back seat, interviewing in districts as far south as Virginia. A young, charismatic principal named Stewart Roberson convinced me that I belonged on his team, and I spent the next 14 years in the Fredericksburg City, King George County, and Spotsylvania County Schools teaching everything from Kindergarten through sixth grade as well as a stint as district gifted program coordinator. Looking back, these were glorious days. I have no idea why I ever left the classroom, but I am very proud of the fact that I remain in touch with so many teachers and students from those years. It is a constant reminder of what is best and most important in education.

Forever grateful, Stewart, Billy, Thelma, Marci, Tracy, Rick, Stephanie, Marilyn, Phil, Cindy, Sandy, Mary Kate, Karen, Dan, Lee, Sarah, Allen, Betty Lou, Bonnie, Anne, Susan, Sherilyn, Sue, Kathy, Scott, Ken, Valerie, Renee, Mary, Dave, George, Emily, Anne, Jan, Jackie, Amy, Eileen, Fred, Sara and everyone who touched my life and contributed to our mutual learning and growth!

 

Congressional Intern: coming out of high school in Williamsville, New York, I had offers to intern for both Congressman Jack Kemp and Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and I went with the latter. I was proud to be an 18 year old on a team of interns doing everything from pouring the senator water as he sat in committee to responding to constituent correspondence one letter at a time, and driving his limo as his chauffeur. I loved congressional life, the camaraderie among interns, the intricacies of the tunnels beneath Capitol Hill connecting the congressional buildings, and the hustle and bustle of a place where no two days were ever the same. I still smile remembering when I would be handed a nondescript manilla envelope along with cab fare and an address and the instructions to “get this delivered right away…just knock, hand the envelope to whoever opens the door, and get back here.” It was like a scene from All the President’s Men! Who knows what I was handling on those mystery runs?

Thank you to Senator Moynihan’s staff, especially Kay Stearns, and to Jack Kemp’s staff for the offer to serve in his office, as well!

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Whew! And these are just my immediate thoughts!
Delve deeper here, as you have time and interest.

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It was never dull…largely because I was always the maverick willing to push boundaries and find new ways to make a difference. As I comb through the years, what truly stays with me goes beyond the work or the titles or the accomplishments. It’s the names and the faces of all of you: your voices, your smiles, your friendship, the conversations I still remember, the laughs, the lessons learned, and the impact on peoples’ lives. This is my legacy. And for each of you, please know the difference you have made for me is immeasurable. I couldn’t have arrived at this point forty years later without you. Thank you! Thank you for engaging me, working with me shoulder to shoulder, giving me your very best and demanding no less from me in return. Thanks to you, I can say with a big grin: “We did it!”

 

 

Of course, for everything accomplished the work is never finished. The next generation is already in place moving things forward, standing on our shoulders with a vision far beyond our wildest dreams! I am here keeping my footing steady, holding them high so they can see even farther. No longer the young maverick, I know this is now my role.

I may be finishing up my formal career, but I am by no means done. I will continue to engage in good work wherever I can be of help. The only difference is it will be on my time and on my terms. 

And so, I leave you with this: “On that last day of your career when you close your office or classroom door that final time, what do you want your legacy to be?”

I’ve got mine! How can I help you with yours? 

Be reflective. Be intentional. Plan for the impact you want for your career. Let’s DO this!

Walter McKenzie is Senior Director for Member Communities at ASCD+ISTE. Learn more here.

The Bottom Line

After leading Member Community meetings at ASCD’s Annual Conference last week, I took a drive along the Pacific Coast Highway, reflecting on the legacy of this storied organization.

For eighty years, ASCD built a reputation for serving educators and their students. Originally the curriculum arm of the National Education Association, it formed a separate identity in 1943 as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, a thriving organization doing curriculum and instruction work through the second world war and into its aftermath. The 1950s and 1960s brought an era of social change and ASCD established itself as a trusted, impartial voice for educators, priding itself in remaining apolitical and noncommercial in its pursuits. When ASCD spoke, people listened.

The 1970s through the 1990s were a time of innovation for the association, with notable names like Bob Marzano, Heidi Hayes Jacobs, Grant Wiggins, Jay McTighe, Thomas Armstrong and Carol Ann Tomlinson (and so many others!) publishing through ASCD and becoming headliners at our conferences. Their work redefined educator practices, raising standards worldwide. As we entered the new millenium, Educational Leadership was well-established as the flagship journal, Whole Child as the flagship initiative, and ASCD as the flagship professional education association, serving as the standard bearer for excellence in thought leadership, programs, publishing, products and services. These were amazing times!

There’s certainly a lot to be proud of, but our true legacy is the people and the relationships we formed over the years. No matter who I talk to, everyone has their ASCD story. For me, it was 1995 when my district curriculum director Sara Branner took me to my first-ever ASCD conference in Baltimore. “You need to be here,” she insisted. Sara was such a champion for me. Who was I to argue?! And it was good that I listened because I was bowled over by the scope, depth and quality of the experience. There was a buzz in the air of educators committed to excellence in public education and professional practice. I remember seeing a young Jay McTighe proudly showing off his pointing finger pencil-topper technology on the overhead projector to display his acetate overlays, and then joining Roger Taylor as he led us holding hands singing “Bye-Bye Miss American Pie” as a demonstration of the power of integrating teaching across the curriculum. My first ASCD conference set my soul on fire, just as my member community leaders described their experience at this year’s conference. Gratitude abounds! It is an honor to pass the experience on to this next generation of educators.

This is the true legacy of ASCD. Beyond the quality content and professional learning, there are the relationships forged between like-minded educators. Each of us was first introduced to the association by a college professor, supervisor, teammate or colleague who simply said, “You need to belong to ASCD.” That organic, grass-roots nature of belonging set the tone for our member experience ever since. We ourselves are the value proposition. Everything else is gravy.

All this became very real to me as I met with leaders of our various member communities a week ago in DC. More than a year into the merger, there is much change in the air, and many of us took the time to appreciate everything ASCD has meant to us in our careers personally and professionally. The world has changed much in eighty-plus years, but the value of ASCD is a consistent theme in our lives. While we come into this space through different pathways, we all agree its true legacy is the relationships we carry on. From young, energetic Emerging Leaders full of dreams and ideals to long-serving Affiliate Leaders proud of their service and accomplishments, our collective connectedness is our strength.

Change is hard, and it’s happening everywhere around us. Indeed, the ASCD story is a microcosm of the huge shifts happening across society. As Americans we are world leaders, and as educators we lead from wherever we serve around the globe. I honor each and every one of you in the choices you will be making, however you decide to proceed, knowing that the bonds between us remain strong. They sustain us, feeding our souls, keeping us involved and engaged, vibrant and relevant. We define this rich tradition just as much as it defines us. Take pride in knowing you contribute to it each and every day. It’s good work. It’s hard work. It’s important work. It gets exhausting at times, but it’s ours and together we are getting the job done.

In closing, thank you for who you are to me, and thank you for allowing me the honor of joining you on your journey. You enrich my life, and I am a better educator and a better man because of you. No matter what the future holds, keep collaborating and creating space for one another, honoring the Whole Child and all those who blazed the trail for us. Rest assured I will be reaching out to you just as I know you will be touching base with me. There is so much more for us to accomplish!

Bottom line: ASCD’s legacy continues through us.

Walter McKenzie is Senior Director for Member Communities at ASCD+ISTE.

Learn more at waltermckenzie.com

PLRM

Educators work hard wearing many hats far beyond the school day. It’s easy to blur the boundaries of our desired work-life balance! The demands of our work aren’t getting any more manageable, and our passion for the work isn’t letting up, either. Something has to give!

Why not give to yourself through your professional learning? There’s more out there than what’s required of the job. Choose opportunities that invest in you both personally and professionally: your health, wellness and growth, Pursuing your career should be sustainable with nurturance and resilience, not a recipe for burnout.

To this end, we present our ASCD+ISTE Leaders Meetups to support you as a dedicated professional and as a person striving to make a difference and leave a proud legacy. One shouldn’t be at the expense of the other. You matter. Your health and happiness matter. Based on feedback from past Meetup participants, these events provide three key takeaways for everyone:

Professional Learning

You can find training and content anywhere and there aren’t enough hours in the day to sift through the vastness of what’s available. We need targeted, practitioner-based opportunities to learn in ways that enhance our understanding and solve specific problems of practice. It shouldn’t be a luxury to have meaningful discussions with likeminded professionals actually doing the work. Our organic Meetup format allows you the time to actively engage in your own professional growth getting the answers you need and making connections you can take with you as you continue on your journey beyond the event.

Relationship-Building

No one in education makes their journey alone, yet too much of our professional learning community is dictated by our location and chance encounters with the right people. Today’s leaders in education understand that the “right” people are not necessarily the ones with the platform or the microphone. We need access to people who are doing the actual work, tackling challenges and finding solutions for educators and the communities they serve. The connections we make and the relationships we pursue define our success. Our Meetups create an energized environment in which this can happen.

Memory-Making

Your career trajectory is fueled by more than earnings and accomplishments. Coming out of the pandemic, educators are even more aware that self-care and quality of life are critical to success. On the last day of our careers, when we close the door that one final time, we take with us the memories we made along the way. Who did we encounter and enlist in our cause? How did we have impact on others’ lives? Of what are we truly proud and grateful? Our Meetups take place in settings ripe for memory-making throughout the day and each evening with people you are able to take with you long after your initial conversations conclude.

Professional Learning + Relationships + Memory-Making = PLRM, adding new value for your personal and professional growth. And the low-overhead design of our Meetups makes it a unique value that is outstandingly affordable.

Success and wellness are not mutually exclusive, so don’t sell yourself short! Make you the priority in your career. Experience PLRM at our ASCD+ISTE Leaders Meetups. Because passion isn’t meant to burn out, and neither are you!

Walter McKenzie is Senior Director for Member Communities at ASCD+ISTE.

Learn more at waltermckenzie.com

Social Maximum!

There’s a lot going on. But you know what’s missing? A social movement set to music. More than half a century ago, brilliant singers and songwriters set the passions of the time to melody advocating for justice, peace, equality, ecology and more. Whatever happened to this artist-activist class? Instead of another social medium, we need a social maximum! Consider the progression of these anthems from an earlier turbulent time, 1962 to 1972:

Where have all the Flowers Gone – Kingston Trio (1962)
    …”Where have all the young men gone? Gone to soldiers, every one.
     When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?”…

Blowin’ in the Wind – Peter, Paul and Mary (1963)
    …”How many times can a man turn his head
     and pretend that he just doesn’t see?”…

The Times They Are a-Changin’- Bob Dylan (1964)
    …”The line it is drawn, the curse it is cast, the slow one now will later be fast
     and the present now will later be past, the order is rapidly fadin”…

Turn! Turn! Turn – The Byrds (1965)
    ...”A time to gain, a time to lose, a time to rain, a time to sow, a time
     for love, a time for hate, a time for peace, I swear it’s not too late”…

Nowhere Man – The Beatles (1966)
    …”Nowhere man please listen, you don’t know what you’re missing,
     Nowhere man, the world is at your command”…

San Francisco – Scott McKenzie (1967)
    …”All across the nation such a strange vibration; people in motion.
     There’s a whole generation with a new explanation, people in motion”…

Twelve-Thirty – The Mamas & the Papas (1968)
    …”Young girls are coming to the canyon and in the mornings I can see
     them walking. I can no longer keep my blinds drawn and I can’t
     keep myself from talking”…

Fortunate Son – Creedence (1969)
    …”Some folks are born made to wave the flag; they’re red, white and blue;
     when the band plays Hail to the Chief they point the cannon at you”…

Big Yellow Taxi – Joni Mitchell (1970)
    …”Don’t it always seem to go you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone?
     They paved paradise, put up a parking lot”…

Sunshine – Jonathan Edwards (1971)
    …”How much does it cost? I’ll buy it. The time is all we’ve lost. I’ll try it!
     He can’t even run his own life, I’ll be damned if he’ll run mine”…

I am Woman – Helen Reddy (1972)
    …”Yes, I am wise but it’s wisdom born of pain.
     Yes, I’ve paid the price but look how much I’ve gained.
     If I have to, I can do anything”…

Notice the progression, from innocence to experience, from detached observation to impassioned call to action. They were on our turntables, on our televisions, on the airwaves and at huge outdoor get-togethers celebrating our common experience. From my grandparents to my little sister, we all knew these songs by heart. Together we survived and ushered in a new age of thinking and expressing and being.

Our parents and their parents did not recognize the ways we changed the world those ten years, and in our youth we were too close to it to realize the fundamental ways things changed. But perspective helps me to appreciate the transformation over time. I know I don’t recognize the world today as the world I inherited. For all the good we accomplished, though, we also left some challenges unresolved and we’ve created new problems in the process. It’s with a heavy heart and yet much hope that we pass on the torch.

My generation’s anthems inspired us through very uncertain, turbulent, transformational times so we could find a better place. They aren’t fifteen-minutes-of-fame one-offs. They were the soundtrack of a movement set it to music still played on national holidays, at sporting and community events, in churches and concert halls, at school assemblies and by marching bands. It is striking to realize as I write this that time has now rendered these same songs the soundtrack of our history. Spend an afternoon listening and become immersed in my generation’s social maximum, washing over you and inspiring you to lead the next transformation of society. Then look for more music from this era; this is only a small sampling of the entire movement!

My point in all of this? There’s never been more and varied social, political and environmental concerns than today, and with this new age comes the need for new voices to rally all of us around our common human needs and aspirations: new voices setting new words to new tunes that unite, not divide. We don’t need more pandering to polarized factions of society. Maybe the media landscape has fractured, but we need a singular movement of ideas and energy uniting all of us to meet the challenges we face. And what better year to unleash this than the present, where everything is on the line?

Calling the next generation of socially conscious singers and songwriters to build commonality and community, not just making use of this or that social medium to resonate with their “tribe” but to amplify their voice to all humankind…to the social maximum. May you inspire all of us to take action, to exercise our rights starting with the right to vote, recommitting ourselves to those common hopes and dreams that make us resiliently human…all set to music!

Walter McKenzie is Senior Director for Member Communities at ASCD+ISTE.

Learn more at waltermckenzie.com

Can You Relate?

I was a young father sitting in a child psychologist’s office searching for answers. My son Christopher had not made a smooth entry into school. He was such a source of pride and happiness at home, but once he started into the primary grades he struggled inexorably to fit into the classroom. Wanting to be a good father, I was doing everything I could to support him and his teachers and find ways to success. My Dad’s voice kept playing in the back of my mind, saying Chris needed to learn to toe the line with “tough love,” but that was creating more problems. As I sat there lost, I heard the psychologist telling me, “It’s all about the relationship.”

Wait. What? I was stumped. What does that mean? He’s a smart kid, his teachers are at their wits’ end and it’s my job to help him turn this around. Right? I know what my son needs!

No, he advised. Parenting a struggling child requires an open, loving, trusting relationship. Ratcheting up expectations and putting pressure on an already tenuous situation does more harm than good, he explained.

He did not know what the core issue was. ADD? ODD? Some other non-specific adjustment disorder? He could not say at Chris’ young age. But he did know talking to this frustrated father that the way forward was to change how I supported my son.

For years we felt our way along, Chris’ psychologist, his teachers, his Mom and me, helping him with everything from impulsivity and distractibility to social queues and friendships to notetaking and study skills. Sure there was still traditional parenting in the mix, but it required more. Both growing up and parenting are hard work!

The first break was when Asperger’s Syndrome became “a thing” and we were able to provide the accommodations he needed. As understanding of autism evolved, he was eventually found to be on the spectrum, which helped get additional supports so he could successfully graduate high school. Through all the struggles and breakthroughs in elementary and middle school, and even after accommodations were in place in high school, the advice I received early on served us well!

Hindsight is great. I can see how my relationship with Christopher made a decisive difference over the years. At age thirty-one, there are still challenges…hard conversations and difficult decisions ahead…but with the relationship as my priority everything is better. Instead of being at odds, we are a team. I am so proud of him, and I am equally proud of us.

Why am I telling you this? Because decades later in reflection, I realize this experience permeates my world view in everything I do. It’s all about the relationship.

It’s an American ideal that sheer will and persistence are keys to achieving our goals, and we spend enormous amounts of time and effort asserting ourselves to these ends. Haven’t we all been taught how, with enough grit and determination, we can score big successes in work and in life? I know I bought into it early in my own career.

But, eventually it began to dawn on me the cost we pay by plowing over over, under and through things. And success doesn’t justify it, either. Friends and allies called me the machine, the force and the velvet hammer because of everything I was getting done. These were actually meant as compliments at the time but now they make me cringe! 

See? <kuh-RINGE!>

There is a price we pay for making our goals the priority: personally…locally….globally. Looking at the trail behind me, both good and bad, I realized if I’m not careful those labels could become my legacy.

So I made changes. I practiced mindfully choosing how I interact with others. Thankfully, Christopher (and his psychologist back in the day) taught me this. I may think I know what I want or what is best or what others should do, but it really doesn’t matter. Focus on relationships first and everything else will follow.

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In an age where everything is framed as a win or a loss, the reality is that most of what we accomplish is done in the everyday ways we work together. Fighting for what I want is easy. Advancing the cause within the context of relationships requires more thought and nuance. I’m not talking about being a schmoozer. I get bored with small talk and I have no patience for gratuitous banter. I always thought getting the job done was the way to keep things real, but…

Stating up front that you are a steamroller isn’t a substitute for authenticity, and neither is the opposite approach of quietly dabbling in deception and manipulation. The genuine you is measured by the people whose work and lives and hearts you have touched. Sometimes it’s what you don’t do or don’t say that makes the difference.

As I learned and grew over time, this truth became my calling card. People know me for my deliberateness and consideration and respect…that I am a dependable source of honesty, caring and support. Integrity matters. Regardless of the stakes, relationships determine our success personally, in community-building and across global politics. We accomplish great things in teams.

Am I stating the obvious? Well here’s the rub: all of this is dependent on my relationship with myself. I need to know I am good with who I am every time I look in the mirror. I need to go to sleep every night knowing I like me. How I feel about myself directly impacts how I treat others. If I’m good with me, I’m good with you. If I’m fighting internal battles, it spills out all over everything.

The converse is equally important: if I’m damaging relationships with others it fuels negative feelings about myself, undermining my ability to be a positive influence in what I’m trying to accomplish. It’s never too late to start reversing these dynamics and mindfully practice putting people first…to help them help you.

So yes, I learned the hard way, and each day I continue to practice what Chris taught me. I purposely begin with myself and focus on each moment. I can build all my tomorrows on what happens today! It grants me a fresh start and a focus as I engage people and nurture each relationship. No looking-behind-baggage or future-focused-assumptions; just caring about how I engage with others and the positive energy that flows from it.

Life isn’t easy, but we make it even harder losing site of what’s important.

Can you relate?

Walter McKenzie is Senior Director for Member Communities at ASCD+ISTE.

Learn more at waltermckenzie.com

Ingrown

We are ingrown. You know…ingrown…ingrained, entrenched, embedded, deeply rooted in ourselves. Literally. It’s painful to anyone paying attention. WINCE!

Are you wincing yet?

Globally, the world is pitted against itself. Look at any issue no matter how existential, and we work hard to protect self-interests over survival.

Here in the U.S. we’ve gotten so good at marketing to consumers, everyone is happy as long as they get what they want. Disagree and cause dissonance…which is not well-received.

In education, our profession is so politicized people either take sides or shrink from saying anything. Experience and expertise can barely breathe in this climate.

Personally, reliable relationships are harder to find. Everyone is out hustling and following their own narratives. Relationships can’t grow without cross-person honesty, trust and communication.

There’s little to nurture the soul, the profession and the world in all this ingrownness. It’s lonely out here! And the more we are dug in to our own selfishness, the lonelier it gets. How ironic this is the epidemic over which we have the most influence.

At each of these levels, macro to micro, the missing gut check is the need for agreed-upon values. Everything seems to be relative to one’s own personal interests, which means everything is negotiable so far as we get what we want out of it. Right or wrong? Good versus evil? It comes down to your agenda. The target keeps moving depending on the players, and eventually, anything goes. But the first thing to go is the truth…

We are all exhausted living in this ingrown world. As a result, we point to people and actions inconsistent with our own narrative, deflecting personal responsibility. After all, we’re right. Right? And the more exhausted and overwhelmed we are, the less energy we have to step back and objectively see our own part in the problem and the solution.

Steps to consider:

1. Stop accepting being told what you want to hear. Only fools feel validated by being played. You’re smarter than that.
   
   
2. Strive to deal in facts, whether you’re in agreement or vetting opposing ideas. Verifiable data creates common ground.
   
   
3. Participate in life, engaging others and building common understanding with them. Isolation kills collaboration.
   
   
4. Do not be silenced. Be counted. Let others know you are with them even when you disagree. Make a difference by being inclusive.
   
   
5. Beyond dialogue, let your actions speak for your integrity. People believe what you do. It energizes everything around you.

We’re all in this together. One-sided wins or losses perpetuate more ingrownness. Want to save our planet? Our country? Our schools? Our selves? Reach out to others in your sphere of influence…not just the ones who agree with you. Everyone. Do the work of building understanding and trust and solutions together.

If you’ve outgrown being ingrown, this is the way out.

Walter McKenzie is Senior Director for Member Communities at ASCD+ISTE.

Relevant Resilient Resurgent

We never really arrive.

Arrive only has two r’s. We need three:

Relevance – bringing pertinence to current challenges and opportunities

Resilience – possessing unyielding energy, ideas and enthusiasm

Resurgence – taking our drive into overdrive

We need all three to have impact.

In a quickly-morphing society, it doesn’t matter where we’ve been…and I say that as a history minor who embraces his heritage; I value the context of the past. All of our accomplishments and awards, setbacks and sidelinings help get us to the here and now…but that’s as far as it goes. In today’s world, it’s the trail we blaze forward that matters. There is no back to the future.

People know us for where we’ve been, but they follow us for where we’re going. So position yourself well on the current landscape…not the world you left behind or the world the way you want it to be…the world as it presents itself. Positioning…not posturing…know the difference…everyone else does. Position yourself to address the work at hand with all the wherewithal you possess. Even if you can’t see where it leads, proceed in faith that what you bring to the work will get you there. Own the journey.

And keep it iterative. Discuss what you’re seeing and discovering and figuring out with others so that you synthesize a common vision of the future. Talk it up and listen just as much. There’s no bond stronger than shared experience working and making progress together. And here’s a value add: when you build those understandings and aspirations together, there’s no need to go looking for stakeholders. They’re right there with you. They join their relevance and resilience and resurgence to yours and build legacy.

Creating new value is as unsettling as it is uncertain, but as the world continues to morph, it’s invigorating to evolve with it. It keeps the work fresh just as it keeps us fresh…relevant…resilient…resurgent…

It’s true. We never really arrive when we’re living future forward. But, “future forward” does have three R’s…

Walter McKenzie is Senior Director for Member Communities at ASCD+ISTE.

Work It!

Work it! Not to keep busy. Work it to contribute to the good of the profession and the students we serve. Work it because there’s no substitute for doing the hard work.

Don’t work your brand. Your reputation comes from your authentic self. What’s the point of trying to package something that’s short on substance? Solid brands are based on solid accomplishments. When you are known for the ways you make a positive difference, your brand flourishes.

Don’t work your exposure. Don’t spend energy looking for attention and recognition. Let them come to you as they learn of the good things you are accomplishing. Fame doesn’t last even fifteen minutes these days, so why spend inordinate amounts of time focusing on it? Do the work, the media exposure will come.

Don’t work experiences. These days everything is about the experience: what we eat, what we do and how we do it. But if we are all about experiences, we can be easily manipulated in our behavior. Appreciate feel-good experiences, but not for their own sake. Make sure they are based in solid objectives and outcomes.

Don’t work relationships. Yes, healthy relationships sustain us and the people we associate with help define us. The right relationships are not forced, they come to us easily and grow over time and are sustained by common goals and successes. The people who stay in your life work it right alongside you.

Don’t work the resume. A well-developed resume reads like a self-reporting of the journey, not self-promotion. Successes, trials, learning and growth all drive it as it tells the story of how you are working it. Sure it can be framed by an aspirational narrative, but it reads best when it is grounded in the ongoing work.

All these things can benefit from working it, but they can also distract us from it.

What does it look like when we’re not working it?

We feel stuck. There’s a sense of no longer having traction and a fear of losing momentum.

We start assessing the circumstances instead of addressing the work, looking for answers.

We react to external influences instead of using what we already know to get back on track.

We seek affirmations, accolades and opportunities to address our fears and insecurities.

We question why progress seems more elusive than it used to be, and we feel lost.

The good news is the work is right there waiting. We simply get caught up in things that take us away from it. Ignore them and reconnect to your passion for the work. Passion overcomes fear. Passion is the reason we got into this work in the first place. And if that isn’t the reason, that may be why you’re not feeling effective and fulfilled.

When we’re working it, everything else falls into place: providing more exposure, enhancing brand, building out a meaningful network, and amplifying experience and resume. Solid, substantive, sustained work is not glamorous or glorifying in the moment but it leads to a legacy that is the crowning achievement of any career.

Work it!

Walter McKenzie is Senior Director for Member Communities at ASCD+ISTE.

Differen’t

These days people define themselves by what they’re not. It makes them feel different. unique. unconventional. defying the norm. “Don’t fence me in.”

We see it in how we speak about our work. We hack. We disrupt. We dismantle. Breaking assumptions and conventions. unconstrained by boundaries. refusing to be hemmed in. “My way.”

But here’s the thing: being human is defined by all of us. We are who we collectively say we are. Individually we can say, “They told me I couldn’t do it, but I’m different!” but it’s only in reaction to who we say we are as a community. Whoever “they” is, we are all a part of it. “We are the world.”

We see athletes do this, reacting to billboard material to motivate themselves for a manufactured competitive edge. Hey, if it fuels you to success, go for it. But even athletes are successful within the context of the sporting world: the records, opponents, teammates and fans who celebrate the glory of winning and even of trying but coming up short.

We see it everywhere: the polarization of society. in our politics. in our schools. in our relationships. Think of any situation in life. Is it defined by common connectiveness or by breakdowns in how we treat one another? Society has become so conditioned to respond to differences, celebrating our common experience has become unremarkable.

My undergrad arts professor Kathy Desmond framed this for me early on. “Everyone likes to say ‘I don’t know a lot about art, but I know what I like!’ It’s popular to say, but in reality art is a body of knowledge agreed upon by the entire community. It’s only as subjective as our agreed-upon experience.” And isn’t art the ultimate expression of being human? Thank you, Kathy, for being so foundational in my understanding of the human context for work and for living.

No two humans are alike, but we are not that different, either. Sit with that for a moment. For all the ways we react against norms and expectations, we’re more alike than naught. We’re an affirmation of what it means to be human…our shared state of being. And when you really think about it, emphasizing how we do not conform is a negative statement of who we are. It limits how we see ourselves and how we treat others. We’re not so much different. We’re differen’t.

Of course you can stand out. Blaze trails that aren’t there. Pioneer your own path. Show the way forward in these troubled times. But don’t do it at the expense of our humanity…at the expense of others…at the cost of the greater good.

Instead of being immersed in a sea of differences, see the expanse of our common humanity…not as a detached onlooker gazing off at the horizon, but as the center of a breathtakingly panoramic view. From that vantage point, it’s much harder to be cruel, hateful and dehumanizing…connected to greater possibilities than we can see on our own.

In the final analysis, this is how we define humanity, dignity and integrity. It’s how we respect and protect human worth: all together.

It’s not about how we break the mold, it’s how we use the mold to build a better future. We have inherited the achievements of an entire species, benefiting from the actions of indefatigable figures as well as the quiet, noble persistence of everyday people. We are all part of this glorious story, and the next chapters will not be written by solitary heroes on horseback but a global push towards the common good.

We need each other and our interconnectedness to win the day and claim the future. It channels our collective potential. There’s nothing about any one of us that makes us special to the exclusion of the rest of us.

It’s not how we’re unalike. It’s how we’re differen’t.

Walter McKenzie is Senior Director for Member Communities at ASCD+ISTE.

Balancing the Equation

The formula for association member communities was effective for decades: provide programs, products and services that add value beyond basic membership, then extend engagement through events, communications and discounts that promote the mission of the organization.

I say “was” because this approach is no longer bearing itself out. Like all formulas, they have to balance on both sides to produce a valid outcome. And here’s the thing: the organization side of the equation is no longer solving for the member side. Today’s prospective membership profile does not point to member cards, insider perks and a journal in the mailbox. All that is fine and good, but today’s professionals want more.

Associations are responding with a spectrum of new strategies to respond to this shift in expectations, and what works depends on the industry. Regardless of your sector, there are ten value adds that can reinvent your member experience:

Go local: the days of jet-setting to events around the the globe are over for busy professionals. Engage them in their backyard and build models that are responsive to local needs.

Go social: professionals are communal in their work and in their personal lives. Build capacity as a convener for members and prospective members to connect and collaborate.

Go impact: today’s professionals look for ways to make a difference. Focus less on membership numbers and more on ways for them to get in on the ground floor of your work.

Go leadership: members aren’t waiting for their turn to lead. They are laser-focused on chances to learn by doing. Experience still matters, it just isn’t a prerequisite for opportunity.

Go partnership: associations are rarely an exclusive source for anything anymore. Carve out your niche by partnering with members to support them in achieving their goals.

Go personalized: standardized offerings are so industrial-aged. Customize and personalize your member experience to match each professional’s unique career journey.

Go branded: not your brand; theirs. Find ways to showcase their individual accomplishments and promote their work to a larger audience. Enhancing their brand enriches yours.

Go heightened: elevate your members. Recognize their needs and interests. Champion their passions and amplify their voices. Be the summit from which they can see and reach farther.

Go problem-solving: provide a safe, supportive place for professionals to bring their problems of practice, not because you have all the answers but because collectively, they do.

Go ground-breaking: this is an age of redefining society, its institutions and the work we all do to build a better future. Share a vision of what innovation and transformation looks like.

Choose from these ten strategies to reset your work as a professional membership association. Prioritize them and align your resources to get the job done. You’ll know you are on the right track when your new membership equation balances itself out with increased numbers for all your indicators. The goals haven’t changed, just how you reach them.

Walter McKenzie is Senior Director for Member Communities at ASCD, leading its Affiliate, Champions in Education, Connected Community, Professional Interest Community, Student Chapter and Emerging Leader programs.