After surveying thousands of leaders, Franklin Covey discovered that the most significant obstacle they faced was the breakdown of execution to achieve goals. The biggest obstacle that leaders faced was their day-to-day responsibilities. The “whirlwind” is the constant, urgent distractions that consume your entire day and massive amounts of energy; when the urgency of the whirlwind clashes with the importance of a goal, urgency will always take precedence.

Image from Simon and Schuster

Image from Leader In Me

Four Disciplines of Execution

Discipline 1: Focus on the Wildly Important Goal (WIG) - To execute change, leaders must create a Wildly Important Goal that has their teams do less and will most likely result in a breakthrough.

If you have goal-setting autonomy: “If every other aspect of our team’s performance remained at its current level, what is the one area where significant improvement would have the greatest impact?”

If you don’t have goal-setting autonomy: “What improved outcome would represent our team’s most significant contribution to the overall strategy?

WIG Formula = “From X (current level of performance) to Y (finish line) by When (date you will achieve your goal).”

Discipline 2: Act on Lead Measures - Lag measures are the measurements that show if you have achieved your goal. Based on the concept of leverage, lead measures are the most impactful actions or behaviors your team must do to accomplish your WIG. Lead measures must be predictive in their impact on the lag measure and influenceable or within the team’s control.

Discipline 3: Keep a Compelling Scoreboard - Scoreboards visually represent where the team is currently in relation to the WIG. Scoreboards signal to the group what is essential in driving engagement.

Discipline 4: Create a Cadence of Accountability - Leaders meet with their team weekly to ensure they are committed to their fellow teammates and moving forward with the WIG.

Image from Franklin Covey.

Five Stages of Change

Stage 1: Getting Clear - Leaders and the team write a clear Wildly Important Goal (WIG) and agree to hold themselves accountable to the Lead and Lag Measures.

Stage 2: Launch - The initial launch of the initiative requires intense involvement from the leaders.

Stage 3: Adoption - Team members begin to see that the 4DX methodology is working, and there is forward progress toward the WIG despite the urgency of the whirlwind. Team members start holding each other accountable for their performance.

Stage 4: Optimization - Team members become emotionally invested in moving the scoreboard. They start optimizing performance on their own accord.

Stage 5: Habits - The team maintains new standards of excellence, and the WIG is now part of the whirlwind. The leaders and team can start crafting a new WIG at this stage.

4DX for Student Technology Teams

Discipline 1: Focus on the Wildly Important Goal (WIG) - After creating the Student Technology Team, 20% of teachers will have been assisted by at least one member of the Student Technology Team.

Discipline 2: Act on Lead Measures - Team Members will present their services at PLCs and faculty meetings, check on teachers during planning periods, and present monthly technology tips during Advisory.

Discipline 3: Keep a Compelling Scoreboard - Team members will input every encounter with teachers and students to create a digital dashboard. Team members will share their WIG and dashboard with teachers, who will then be compelled to request help from Student Technology Team Members.

Discipline 4: Create a Cadence of Accountability - Team members will debrief for 15 minutes every Thursday or Friday (block schedule) to discuss that week's progress and goals for the following week.

Comparing Influencer and 4DX

Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change by Joseph Granny and Kerry Patterson (2013) guides change agents to address multiple human behaviors and influences to address persistent problems and increase success. By reading Influencer (Grenny et al., 2013), I could outline the vital behaviors, metrics, and six sources of influence that must be addressed to successfully implement Student Technology Teams to improve technology use and campus culture.

I was very impressed by the simplicity of The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals (McChesney et al., 2022). However, I still need concrete data on teacher technology issues and new student frustrations. Once the student technology teams are given the green light and we collect the necessary data, installing 4DX will significantly improve our school's climate and culture.

Watch the YouTube video below to learn more about 4DX for Educators

References

Change Starts Here. (2021, September 21). Bonus Episode - The 4 Disciplines of Execution for Educators [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUvc9-47UVk

Grenny, J., Patterson, K., Maxfield, D., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2013). Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change, Second Edition. McGraw Hill Professional.

McChesney, C., Covey, S., Huling, J., Thele, S., & Walker, B. (2022). The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Revised and Updated: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals. Simon and Schuster.