Leadership Activity : Headlines to Action Items

Planning for change can be difficult and it may be hard to know where to start. Recently I had to opportunity to plan a Leadership Event sponsored by the Golden LEAF Foundation, an organization who's mission is to increase economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural and tobacco-dependent communities through leadership in grants-making, collaboration, innovation, and stewardship as an independent and perpetual foundation.

Together we assembled over 120 leaders and educators from fourteen districts across North Carolina, and I had the privilege to design and facilitate an activity to get their minds buzzing and some action items in place to make the transition. The activity was so simple and effective, I wanted to share.

What's Involved?
Get your team together and ask them, on 3x5 cards to write individually, a BOLD headline that reflects where they would like to see their district/school's digital learning initiative (at the end of the school year? at the end of four years? you chose what works best for your discussion).

With that bold headline written, then it is time to mix things up. 
Each participant then trades cards and keeps trading until the facilitator says to stop.
Then, with a new card in hand, each participant ranks the headline, 1-5 (5 being the highest). 
Write this rank in a corner of the card. 
Repeat this process (mix up and rank) until all four corners have a rank.

The Headlines with the highest rank added - Highest would be the number 25 - are what the team will now focus on. Select the top two - four, depending on the size of your group. Split group up for the next part, each with their own headline from the top picks.

Now it is time for action. In order to make this Headline a reality, the team will now create a TOP TEN list of action items. This list is the pathway to start to make change happen.

Not only does this get the gears turning, but it produces results that CAN and WILL happen for your growth and change.

See this facilitation TACKK with step by step instructions. 

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