Seven Ways to Insure Your In-Service Programs Get Results

Far too often in-service programs fall far short of their potential to create meaningful change in a school district.

Here are 7 ways to make sure your School in-service programs get the kind of results that make them worthwhile.

1. Get input from all of your staff on the type of programs they would like to attend.

2. Form an Action Group with representation from all of the different departments to formulate a list of topics distilled from the input you get from all of your staff.  Identify and select the most important ones. 

3. If possible, conduct concurrent sessions on various topics that have been identified.

4. Make sure that people from different schools and departments, are mixed in the seating arrangement. This allows for an opportunity for people from different schools and departments to get to know each other and for a fresh exchange of ideas during the program.

5. Begin and end the program with the sharing of successes that have been experienced in the last year.

6. Have all participants set a goal of using one to three ideas over the next six months. Pair each participant with a “buddy” and have them report to each other the results of their efforts to implement the ideas they have identified.

7. Encourage all school board, PTO and other school related volunteer groups to attend.

For more ideas or to book a speaker to make your next In-service program a success, please contact our office at 734-404-5909.

Shifting Paradigms for Public School Administrators

Times have changed and it is critical that the leaders of public school systems begin reshaping the way they and their team of administrators, teachers, transportation personnel, food services personnel, school board members, coaches, volunteers and anyone else they have on their team,  represent their school district.  Why? Because coupled with declining birth rates and an economy that has forced some adults—often with children in tow-- to leave the state in search of new jobs, school

systems are losing enrollment.

Leaders of school districts must look at what they can control that will retain their present student base and attract additional students. That is, the need to look at the quality of the experience students and their parents experience within their school system. School of choice has given parents and their children the powerful option of attending the school they want to attend. They are voting with their feet, choosing different options for schooling, and taking their state funding dollars with them.

Some of the places that are competing for students today are
    Private schools
    Charter schools
    Other school districts
    Voucher schools
    Online schools
    Home schools

Leaders in public school districts no longer have the option to believe that if they just wait a little while, this whole idea of treating students and parents like customers will just go away. Why should it? The people they and their respective school districts serve are human beings who want to be treated with courtesy and respect.


For more information on how Tom Borg Consulting, LLC can help your school district change it's paradigms and thrive in today's world please contact us at 734-404-5909 or visit our website at www.tomborgconsulting.com

Ten Tips on Dealing with Change in Your School District

Here are 10 tips to help you deal with change more effectively.

1. Don’t be surprised by trouble.
2. Don’t act like a “clenched fist”.
3. Allow for renewal on a regular basis.
4. Find something to be cheerful about when you are unhappy.
5. Accept what you cannot change.
6. Remember to live one day at a time. If that is too difficult try one hour at a
time.
7. Count your blessings.
8. Don’t forget that based on the law of averages only 8% of the things we worry
about are worth being concerned about and taking action.
9. Remember the saying “This too, shall pass”.
10. Expect you will have control over your future and then take action.

For more information on Tom Borg Consulting, LLC and our services please contact our office at 734-404-59096 or visit our website at: www.TomBorgConsulting.com

The Power of Answering the Telephone Properly

Have you ever called another business or organization and heard something like this,
“ABC Company.” That’s it, nothing else. How did it make you feel? Probably not very welcome.
Yet, this type of a response is repeated day in and day out all across the country.

When it come to differentiating your public school district as one that is exemplary, the telephone is the place to start. It has been shown that your callers are forming an opinion of your organization based on the way your telephone is answered within the first six seconds. That opinion can be a positive or a negative one. If it is the latter, don’t expect to make the kind of an impression that will lead to attracting new students or retaining the ones you already have.

The main reason the telephone is answered in a positive or a negative way in school districts is because of what leadership will tolerate. The superintendent or principle is responsible for making sure that the telephone is answered properly each and every time it rings. If leadership makes it a priority it will be a priority.

Here is simple format to use when answering the telephone. 
“Good morning, ABC Public Schools,  “This is Mary. How can I help you?” A variation of this is
“ABC Public Schools, This is Mary. How can I help you?” The difference between the two examples is rather than using the words “good morning”, the person answering the telephone can use his or her voice inflection to communicate their greeting.

Please note, it is critical that the person answering the phone identifies themselves by giving their name. Your parents and community members want to know there is a real person answering their phone call and not some nameless entity. By having the employee give his or her name to the caller, it demonstrates the desire to be personally accountable to satisfy that person. Your parents or community member like to know that if they need to call back about this particular concern, they will know a person on a first name basis who is familiar with their situation.

By making sure that all of your staff at each one of your schools uses this simple formula on a consistent basis, you will maximize the way you communicate your school system’s professional image. It will be a constant reminder to the people you serve, that you and your school system are committed to excellence, and stand out from the rest.  

For more information on how Tom Borg Consulting, LLC. can be a speaker for your next in-service day or consult with your school district to help it attract and retain more students please contact our office at 734-404-5909 or email our office at TomBorg@TomBorg Consulting.com

How to Thrive on Change in the 21st Century

As the famous folk/rock singer Bob Dylan once said, “the times they are a changin’.” And changing they are!

In the last 25 years we have witnessed many historic and life altering changes that have taken place. The crumbling of the Berlin Wall, 9/11, the quantum leaps of the internet, a stock market crash, tremendous downsizing by the big three US automakers, huge layoffs, the iPhone, the country of China emerging as a huge economic leader, the BP oil disaster and the list could go on and on.

People love change and they hate change. They want to see the models of the new automobiles for the next year, but they hate the fact that they have to change their area code on their telephone number (and everything else that has their telephone number on it). They love the fact that their new cellular telephone has the latest upgrades on it, but they dislike the chore of having to sort through their trash and put recyclables in a separate container. They like the idea of ATM machines but fear the loss of their job due to a downsizing of their company.

The right amount of change in a person’s life is similar to the sun rising on a new day. It’s full of possibilities and opportunities. It is that special something that adds to the magic of life. Like a fresh diaper, some changes are needed and wanted. If not, it’s the same old stuff.

It would be boring (for most of us) to see the same old reruns of the Monk TV show week after week. We want the all new comedy program. Many of us would not want the same redundant meal, night after night; we need and want a variety of delectable and healthy foods. Change is predominantly good and of course, change will always be with us.

So how do we deal with the issue of change? Are there some guidelines that will help us through the maze of confusion? The answer is a resounding and emphatic YES!

A famous success philosopher, Kop Kopmeyer, once suggested a system for dealing with adversity that has served me well. He called it “The Four A’s for Dealing with the Challenges of Life”. Let me share with you my interpretation of them and how they can help you deal with the challenge of change.

The first A stands for Admit. We must first, admit to ourselves, that change is inevitable. It is going to happen. It has been, will be, and is part of every facet of our lives. So, when faced with a change at hand, the first step is to simply admit that this change, whatever it might be, is or has happened. To admit or acknowledge that this change is real is the vital first step.

The second A stands for Accept. It is important to accept the shift that is taking place. Not lip service, but a true acceptance of this modification of our present existence is needed. It means recognizing things will never be the same again. We don’t have to like the change, but we do need to embrace the reality that has occurred. The job is gone; the child is now an adult, or the strength and quickness we knew as a youth has been diminished.

Since the door to the situation as we knew it, has been closed, we must seek entry through a new door, down the hall that is now open. In order to be able to pass through that door we must first accept the change that has taken place.

The third A stands for Adapt. What are we going to do about it? What kind of a plan can we create to help us make a successful transition into this new reality? What type of help or professional assistance will we need to seek out? What kind of knowledge or skills must we acquire to help us turn this potential loss into a win?

After we have deployed the creative resources to come up with a plan to adapt, we must take the next step which is to take Action. As the saying goes, “you can’t get to second base if you leave one foot on first”.

All the planning in the world is useless, unless we take action. What happens to some people is that they go through the first three steps of this formula, but hesitate to take action. A good example of this is when Chrysler, Ford and General Motors created an electric car but failed to totally commit to marketing and selling it. In the meantime, automakers like Toyota and Honda did, and gained a huge head start on the big three. The key here is take action.

Another example, on an individual level, is when a person loses his or her job. The first move might be just a telephone call or simply doing some research on the internet about the change he or she is contemplating. It may mean securing the services of a career planning specialist, doing some informational interviews, or enrolling in a training program to begin the process of upgrading ones’ skills. The important thing is to get moving; like the saying goes “the universe rewards action.” It is vital to move in the direction of our goal. Once we get moving, adjustments and corrections can be made.

In summary, the four steps to successfully deal with change are:
Admit – admit that the change has happened or is about to happen.
Accept – accept the change, and welcome it with open arms.
Adapt – come up with a plan to help you adapt and make the best of the situation.
Action – take the necessary action and follow through to insure your get the desired results.

By implementing the above formula for dealing with change in our lives, we can grow and benefit from the myriad of challenges and transformations that are sure to come our way in the months and years ahead. Not only will the times be a changin ‘, but so will we.

To learn how to help your public school district succeed in 2012 and the years to come contact our office and request your free e-copy of our white paper report entitled: “How Public Schools Can Thrive in Today's Economy.”