You’re Going to Be “Off Track” 90 Percent of the Time. So What?

One of my favorite metaphors for program effectiveness is written by Steven R. Covey in his book “the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families.” In this passage, Covey uses the flight of an airplane to emphasis the need to plan, monitor and adjust:

“… Before the plane takes off, the pilots have a flight plan. They know exactly where they’re going and start off in accordance with their plan. But during the flight, wind, rain, turbulence, air traffic, human error, and other factors act upon that plane. They move it slightly in different directions so that most of the time that plane is not even on the prescribed flight path! Throughout the entire trip there are slight deviations from the flight plan. Weather systems or unusually heavy air traffic may even cause major deviations. But barring anything too major, the plane will arrive at its destination.

Now how does that happen? During the flight, the pilots receive constant feedback. They receive information from the instruments that read the environment, from control towers, from other airplanes – even sometimes the stars. And based on that feedback, they make adjustments so that time and time again, they keep returning to the fight plan. The hope lies not in the deviations but in the vision, the plan, and the ability to get back on track.”

Three things that will help you achieve and maintain an exemplary program:

1. A clear vision of the program results you want to achieve

2. A plan to get those results

3. Feedback that helps you stay “on course” with your plan

Not there yet?

Reflection is part of the “continuous improvement process” and an exercise we should all engage in. I want to share with a “personal favorite” of mine, called: A Road to Results: A Performance Measurement Guidebook for the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Education Program. This publication provides a very clear perspective on the principles of performance measurement. Here is a link to the publication: Road to Results

The California Department of Education recognizes effective school programs and processes in the California School Recognition Program.