Proficiency is a function of practice. Practice is measured by time

You should see my son play his video games.  I am amazed by his proficiency.  With the movement of his thumbs and fingers, he can scan the layout of a virtual battlefield, lead a squadron through various terrains, and manage a surveillance drone; all while minimizing his squad’s demise.  Every effort is perfectly timed and coordinated to accomplish a common goal.  He is a GAMER!

When I took my turn, it was a struggle just to move forward a few steps while working my artillery and avoiding the enemy.  My squadron was definitely in big trouble with me at the helm.

The difference between my son and I is practice.  For me the game is chaos, but to my son the dizzying activity unfolds in a predictable series of patterns. He is familiar with multiple aspects of the game and can interact with each of them simultaneously.  His “impressive” skill was honed by hours, no days of preparation.  With each video game session, he learned the subtleties of interacting with multiple elements of the game.

As leaders in education, our mission is to approach this level of proficiency.  At Blueprint Education we are blessed with a leadership team of gamers.  Over the past twelve months we have met a series of challenges and opportunities together.  In each circumstance I have been gratified to see our group work together to move our organization forward! We have faced the challenge of constructing new school facilities, the challenge of delivering services in a slowing economy, and the challenge of launching brand new programs to our students. 

In every challenge, the key to seeing clearly through the chaos is practice. Just like my son and his video game, we are more effective as we learn to see the dynamic challenges as a predictable series of patterns. The ability to see through the fog only improves as we become familiar with each other.  We learn the strengths and talents each person brings and we work together to foster synergy.  We become skilled at matching the strengths of each team member to the tasks we face.  As we practice working together we learn where we can contribute and where we can rely on the strengths of others.

Sometimes I am frustrated by the time consumed in meetings but I am reminded that the time is required to make decisions and to organize our resources.  Time spent working and practicing as a team is not wasted.  With each challenge we become a more cohesive team capable of taking on even greater challenges and reaching all new heights.  It’s Game On!