How can we better utilize our campus features and the design of our classrooms and gathering spaces to foster community and advance our mission? 

That's the motivating question for school leaders across the country in every genre of education who are looking for a competitive edge while also elevating the quality of learning and engagement. Building on the momentum of stronger enrollment and philanthropic commitment, they are exploring methods that are uncommon within the education space but appear to offer powerful distinctives.

Culture, more than any other strategy or program, is the one sustainable competitive advantage that enables greater joy in school leadership and long-term impact throughout the community.

Interpretive Master Planning (IMP) is uncommon among educators, but it offers a transformative approach to school design that aligns closely with strategic planning and campus master planning.

In light of the leadership's desire to create a beautiful culture and campus, this approach to designing physical spaces and experiences offers a significant advantage for competitive differentiation and life-changing impact.

Learn more about the process and benefits of IMP through this infographic.

Did you know that a beautiful school has a harmony that uplifts the soul? It's true.

We've witnessed the difference.

And, this isn't an experience that is limited to an elite few. Using an integrated approach to planning and design, a dynamically engaging experience can be created that inspires greater learning and powerful community moments.

This doesn't require some "cutting edge" innovation that's full of promises but wholly misses the mark. Instead, we're applying a proven method of design that also works wonders for schools.

School growth and improvement is an elusive goal that many pursue but confusion lingers among boards and administrators about what success looks like. What should be measured to learn and improve? What matters most? How do we win?

Tensions and expectations are high, so it’s imperative that we find some common language for excellence and alignment around meaningful goals.

In other words, elevating the quality of our schools is more about renewed commitment to the disciplines of effective school leadership than cutting edge innovation. 

"Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don't have great schools, principally because we have good schools." (Jim Collins, Good to Great) And the primary reason good schools remain the norm is a lack of understanding of and commitment to the Discipline of Talent.   

The core value proposition of a school is the Living Curriculum, and nearly all school problems are ultimately people problems. Recruiting and retaining talented educators is an area of leadership where innovation matters far less than process and discipline.

Leading a school is extraordinarily stressful without a cohesive team that has clarity, communicates expertly, and consistently executes day-to-day.

Motivated by the hope of working with such a productive team, schools across North America  ask us to help them gain advantage through a leadership retreat--one that is designed to advance the disciplines of Leadership Capacity, Organizational Health, and Continuous Improvement.

The words "School Strategic Plan" often strike fear in the heart of a head of school, principal, or superintendent because they've suffered through the nightmare of a planning approach that miserably fails to recognize and strengthen the complex relationships that comprise a school. 

Some management consultants think that a long weekend visit is all that's required to learn about your school and print a plan, but your work is more valuable than that. Your people deserve better!

Inspiration can come at the most unexpected times.

In September of 2020 we hosted an online symposium for school administrators on sustaining a healthy school culture in the early stages of the pandemic. The mood among these leaders wasn't good―actually it was miserable. 

They were tired, tired of it, and some were already making other career plans as a result of the unending conflict and stress.

That moment was the catalyst for the Weekly Encouragement for Educators email and the recently published book, "Love'em and Lead'em: Encouragement and Inspiration for Educators." Genuine care and relationships among colleagues is crucial in this work, and we have a new tool to get there.

Below are three ways you can more effectively Love and Lead educators.

We are constantly searching for new strategies to grow schools and elevate the culture for educators. Every now and then we learn about a concept or an idea that we believe is going to have a big impact.

That's what happened when we met Alan Metcalfe at the National Business Officers Association (NBOA) conference a few years ago and learned about Interpretive Master Planning. 

If you're looking for a better way to distinguish your school, then you will definitely want to explore this powerful growth method.