Category: Culture
Culture is the expression of human communities – in business, in schools, and in life. Why is culture so important to you? What is culture? How is it crafted? Join us in the Mafost Blog as we explore how human systems—especially schools, teams, and digital spaces—craft meaning through leadership, empathy, and innovation. This collection of essays and reflections challenges conventional thinking, offering metaphors, strategies, and provocations to help readers shape culture with intention and impact
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Calling the Bluff on AI Doom & Gloom
The article argues that AI organizations use fear-based narratives about existential risks not to warn the public but to manipulate regulation for their advantage. Drawing parallels to political strategies employed by Obama and Trump, it suggests these companies aim to shape oversight, ensuring their interests are prioritized as they prepare for IPOs.
Somehow Travel is not Enough
Five years ago, I left a traditional life to pursue sailing, seeking freedom and adventure. Initially enjoying blissful travels, I soon realized the need for deeper cultural immersion. Instead of rushing through destinations, I embraced longer stays, allowing me to truly understand and appreciate the diverse rhythms and traditions of each place.
Beyond the Brushstroke: How AI is Reshaping the Designer’s Canvas
What It Means to Be a Human Designer Now. Speed, agility, and responsiveness are no longer aspirational — they’re becoming the new baseline.
Unveiling the Canvas: Design and Creativity in 2024
The year 2024 paints a vibrant picture for design and creativity. This dynamic interplay of imagination and craftsmanship is not just thriving, it’s transforming sectors, fostering cultural expression, and shaping the future of education and business. Let’s delve into the canvas of this exciting landscape, with a brushstroke of statistics and a splash of insightful…
The Problem With Pointing To Heroes
When changing school culture, we’re often told to point to the heroes. Create examples of people who are doing what you wished “everyone” else would do. There’s a major problem here that’s not often cautioned about. Point to heores without first creating a cueing system will create divides – them vs us. It’s exclusionary by…
9 Change Resistors That You Must Manage Successfully
Like gravity, old ruts constantly pull us into their path. Also like gravity, only a bigger mass can free us from their pull. Question is, how do we create a bigger mass? Another question is, what are the masses that create ruts? Let’s start there – masses that act like gravity and resist change. Here…
Injustice and Oppression
Maybe it’s time that schools stop teaching fairness. Maybe instead, it’s time to begin teaching this…
At a distance without norms
In a building, we can walk through classrooms. In the hallways, we can be visible and hold conversations. At bus duty, we can high five and talk to our community. At a distance, we can’t. At least not yet. At a distance without norms, it’s hard to know how to do what we know we…
Empathy Speaks
Actions do the talking. What words speak when you’re walking? Leading with empathy is not merely a feeling – it may not even be a feeling at all. Instead, empathy speaks. It speaks in actions. It speaks in conversations. It speaks in the climate that you craft.
Uncertainty
Uncertainty – What is it? What can we do about it?
Actionable Ideas for Emotional Safety
Emotional safety and classroom culture go hand in hand. We often say these are important, but what are some actionable ideas to increase emotional safety? That’s the question I asked Elisabeth Bostwick. And her answers are insightful. Listen here.
Maneuverability and Mandates
How do you maintain maneuverability among all the mandates? I was sailing last night, and we almost hit a channel marker. It was just 20 yards in front of us, but we couldn’t see it until the last second. Luckily, the boat was nimble enough, and we evaded a horrible wreck. The momentum of the…
A Yes Culture
While it’s good to be able to say no to good ideas to leave room for great ideas, it’s better to say yes. And to say yes again. Repeat yes until the right yes catches on. Then say no. Yes to innovation. No to pendulums. Yes to ideas. No to pendulums. Yes to creativity, risk-taking,…
Craft, Draft, Graft
Craft – skill in carrying out one’s work. Draft – selecting a group of people and leading them somewhere. Graft – a form of political corruption, being the unscrupulous use of a politician’s authority for personal gain. Each of these deals with shaping culture. Your school culture depends on you knowing the difference.
High Performing Teams
Every team has the potential to perform at high levels. Every team is stronger than any one individual. Likewise, every team is subject to the force of team entropy. The key difference lies in a team’s ability to resist the force of entropy. Some do it naturally and some do it intentionally. Either way, for…
Four Phases of Team Problem-Solving
Team problem-solving can be divided into four distinct phases. The phases require different types of collaboration and thinking. Learning Together – Identify what we know, deciding what the problem is. Understanding the Problem – Coalescing information about the problem. Consensus about the solution. Evaluate and revise the solution. If teams lack protocols for problem-solving, it…
Back to School Tasks as Vehicles
There’s so much to plan for as a school leader: master schedule, student schedules, hiring, handbooks, facility repairs, new student registration, instructional materials, and the list goes on. It’s easy to let tasks take center stage. However, what if tasks were thought of as vehicles? Yes, vehicles. What if instead of allowing the back to…
When Narratives Collide
The topic of school culture has gained importance in the professional literature in the last decade. That’s a good trend. But we must always remember that no amount of imaging, branding, or social media activity can change the culture of a school. What is it then, that changes school culture in a positive way? Let’s…
Teacher Appreciation, 6 Ways of Being
A few years back, I wrote an article Teacher Appreciation is Not One Week of the Year. The premise was simple: Teachers can take control of being undervalued and unappreciated. I offered six ways to do this: Appreciate Another Teacher Call Parents with Good News Gather Your Own Student Growth Data Help Out Another Teacher…
What’s a Connection Worth?
We know that not all teams are the same. Some cooperate and others collaborate. We also know that cooperation is not the same thing as collaboration. However, there’s a third dimension not often discussed in PLC lingo. It’s connection. Collaboration is not the same thing as connection. My question is, what’s a connection worth to…
This Is Getting Personal
Things become personal when there are inadequate processes or a lack of clarity. Have you heard these sentiments: I didn’t know your grade level was working on that! I didn’t know you wanted us to prepare that! You never told me you wanted… If you’ve had these conversations, you know that feeling. You might have…
Engines, Grease, and Climate
Three metaphors: Engine = school culture Grease = school climate Pipes = communication The thing about Porsche and BMW fans…they love their engines. Engines make the car. Their power and their efficiency is something special. No engine can run without grease. The fluids keep the engine running. The pipes, hoses, and conduits keep the fluids…
Three Factors of Instructional Climate
In yesterday’s post, the instructional climate was compared to the soil of a garden. How do you impact the instructional climate? Focus on three areas: Improving the effectiveness of school leadership. Making student learning visible – celebrating student success. Collective teacher efficacy.
Drop the Grenade, Grab the Spotlight
It’s not completely untrue, but there is something not quite excellent about feedback. It’s almost like feedback is about focusing on flaws in order to improve.
Crafting Culture, A Short List
Culture isn’t built. It isn’t created – it’s already there. It is, however, crafted. You can craft culture using a few strategies and principles: SGI Clarity Conditioning Avoid the But What Abouts Avoid Rubbernecking These five strategies are discussed in yesterday’s podcast. Here are four more essential strategies and principles for crafting school culture: Focus…
Action, Finishing Strong, Empathy, and Impact
This is a mashup of season 1 focusing on Action, Finishing Strong, Empathy, and Impact on Learning. Topics include: Dynamic Teams for Culture Data Developing the Instructional Plan Using April and May to Finish Strong Empathy in School Leadership Situational Awareness Research on Staff Happiness Misuses of Data Impact on Learning Dynamic Teams A dynamic…
The Power of Have-To Myths
You’ve heard of the importance of a stop-doing list – that list of programs, processes, and initiatives that we’re going to stop doing. It’s a brilliant way to minimize initiative overload. On the other hand, there is a power at play when we aren’t clear about the have-tos. Have-To Myths Have-to myths spread just as…
A Culture of Celebration
What happens when leaders model how to have fun at work? What happens when words of affirmation are given more often than not? What changes when high fives are more frequent than corrective emails? What shifts when innovation is celebrated, even when mistakes are made? It’s likely we find: More dedication. Willingness to try new…
School Health, Culture, and Climate
Climate is the temperature of the school. It’s how people interact with the culture. Culture is the combination of routines, rituals, habits, and beliefs of the school. It’s the engine. School health is an overarching factor that encompasses culture and climate. It is the degree to which leadership teams unify and mobilize their people to…