Balance

It seems that having balance would be an oxymoron for a turnaround leader - the amount of work that needs to be done and the pressure to meet goals and targets can be all consuming. Without balance between the work and "real life," there is a very real concern that both ends will begin to unravel. Real life has a way of forcing balance - it might be an illness, a relationship, a family situation, a friend in need, or the passing of someone important to you that brings you back to seeing that the work must be balanced with a level of focus on "real life" that matches the focus on the work.

What are the roles that you play in your life? I am a wife, a mother to two teenage boys, a sister, a daughter, a turnaround principal, a friend, a learner, a boss, an employee, a musician, a creative thinker, and a manager. Balancing these roles is challenging because each of them requires so much energy - emotional, creative, and physical. When I am too focused on the role of being a turnaround leader, the other parts of my life - like wife or mother - start to unravel and I am forced to adjust my time. Right now, both of my teenage sons are struggling in school and not maintaining their grades. I have been sick for three weeks and my relationship with my husband has been strained. My house is a mess and I have not taken any time for myself in weeks or months. We are coming off of a site review at school and it has been physically and emotionally draining for me as a leader and for my staff, who is working incredibly hard as well.

So, if the question here is "do we need to be superheros in order to turn our schools around?" The answer is no, but there are some things that we need to do in order to find balance. Here are some things that I find important to keeping things in check and moving the work forward:

• Use lists to keep track of deadlines and things that must be done - include things that must be delegated, can be done quickly, or just pop in to your head in order to capture the big picture. Enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that you get when you cross things off your list!
• Delegate. When delegating to team members or teacher leaders, be clear in your expectations and deadlines for tasks so that what has been delegated doesn't become an additional headache when the deadline is not met. Make the deadline for completion well ahead of the deadline for submission so that there is time for revision.
• Ask for help. Know who on your team can help with things that need to be done but don't necessarily require your personal involvement. Things like flyers, notices, robo-calls, letters can often be generated by someone else on your team.
• Have clear expectations. This may seem like it is unnecessary, but no one can read your mind and being clear at the onset will save you headache in the long run. The other part of clear expectations is to give actionable feedback so when your expectations are not being met, they can be by providing clear, specific, and actionable feedback. This applies to tasks, instruction, classroom management, or anything related to successfully turning around a school. If you are not clear as a leader, no one around you will know how to move forward. 
• Set goals and targets. Where do you expect to be in 3 years? After year 1? After the first 90 days? Share your goals with your staff and get their input and involvement. The goals and targets will feel ambitious, but the more everyone is on board and can pace their own progress against the goals and targets, the more likely it will be that you will get there. When I began as a turnaround principal, I set goals and targets for the first 90 days. The first work that we did as an SLT was to articulate what we expected to see after the first 3 months, half-way through the first year, and by the end of year one of our turnaround plan. This was powerful work, and now that we are planning for year two, we are able to build on the initial goals and can better plan for how we will continue to grow in year two.
• Take time to support those around you. If you are feeling stressed and overworked, your team is likely feeling stressed and overworked. Find time to celebrate the people around you and the work that they are doing. 
• Walk away. There is always work to be done. Know when you can leave it and when you need to take it home with you. It will be there tomorrow, so prioritize what must be done in the time that you have to do it.
• Make time for friends and family. However it looks in your world, make time to be with the people you love. I have made Sunday the day that I work with my kids on their homework and try to cook ahead some meals for the week. Weeknights are fast paced and often feel like more of a check in than real quality time, but Sundays we are able to spend the time it takes to re-connect. This works for me, but you need to know what will work for you.
• Take care of yourself. I am awful at this, but I recognize the importance of it. This is an area I definitely need to improve in.
• Thank people. Thank your family for their support. Recognize your team for all of the hard work that they are doing. Write notes, send emails, give shout-outs at meetings, include appreciations on every agenda, thank parents for supporting their children, thank your students for the hard work that they are doing - create a culture of positivity and optimism by purposefully recognizing the efforts of individuals in moving the team forward. 
• Give yourself a break. You are not a superhero. Know when you need to put it in low gear. (Yeah, I need to work on this, too.)

For more resources on finding balance and helpful strategies, check out this resource on the Wheel of Life ( http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_93.htm ). And no matter what, keep calm and #turnaround.