Leveraging Time - A Value-Add

As I suggested in my last writing, I identified 7 components that form a lever for value add that go beyond cost to benefit. These components came about as I was challenged by CEOs to identify my value-add for products and services for K12 education.

I started with six and later added the seventh - "thought leadership" as it became clearer and clearer that my thinking, mindset, and mental models needed to be informed, challenged, stretched, and is some cases, replaced.

The framework came about from a word picture. Though at the time, the word picture was not about value-add, the more I thought about the need to explain value-add the more applicable the word picture became (Thanks to Dr. Larry Lezotte and Mike Rutherford - you will certainly recognize the application).

The Greek mathematician Archimedes is attributed with saying, "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world."

Both the lever and fulcrum are essential to making the lift - the length of the lever as well as the placement of the fulcrum.

Raising student achievement and the variables that have the greatest influence in doing so are equal to moving the world. The challenges are many. The great news is that these challenges albeit daunting are not insurmountable.

The fulcrum is value. The relationship of the fulcrum is what differentiates the value-add. Placed strategically, the fulcrum allows the lever to effectively move or "lift" the intended object.

The components of the lever are time, theory, team, training, technology, tools, and thought leadership. My reasoning for shifting from seven different levers as previously published to one is to reinforce that each of the seven albeit powerful has even greater influence as one.

For example, time.

Time as a value-add must not only create and deliver greater time effect and efficiency, it must have proven efficacy in utilizing time differently. There must be more than recognition but appreciation that time constraints are the bane of our existence in education - right, wrong, or indifferent, they are.

To suggest and therefore promote a solution, product, practice or service as a "value-add" with time efficiencies is fraught with conflict - initially. You don't "save" time in education. You feverishly guard or protect time. You avoid or minimize distractions or disruptions of time to repurpose or reallocate time.

There is so much competition for time. As an aside, take a look at Jamie Volimer's work "The Ever Increasing Burden on America's Public Schools" for quick snap shot of all that has been added with respect to what is expected to be taught and learned in our schools.

It is absolutely critical therefore to present time as a value-add within the context of providing a great deal of assistance in identifying what can easily be abandoned or stopped in addition to alignment or harmonizing of processes, practices, or programs.

In a like manner, it is essential to articulate the capacity, confidence and competence capacity building plan - not product training - that is commensurate with adult learning theory.

Further, a deep understanding of the J-Curve theory is required for managing expectations for both implementation and initial results. Often applied and known as the "implementation dip", the J-curve is powerful graphic depiction of implementation correlated with capacity, competence, and confidence. There is always a state of uncertainty, anxiety, and conflict in learning expressing itself more often or not with a dip in performance and results before achieving expected and desired results.

Building capacity to leverage time differently requires courage and commitment. There are no quick fixes or short cuts with teaching and learning. We can accelerate the application of skills and knowledge. We can now more than ever accelerate interventions.

Suffice; it takes time to become more efficient and effective with time. The value-add with time requires a comprehensive plan that incorporates more than just the immediate product offering. Therefore, be careful and intentional when suggesting that “time” is a value-add for your product, service, practice, or program.