Page 39 - AASBO The EDGE Summer 2022

SPRING CONFERENCE WRAP-UP

BY CRAIG ZABLOCKI
Hi AASBO Folks! Craig's Here

Craig Zablocki

I had a great time with you kicking off your don’t worry, are OK with not knowing, they give
conference at the Aquarius Hotel. Thanks for 100%, they share their toys, they aren’t pretentious,
putting up with the “challenging” sound system, and they have tremendous enthusiasm.
and a shout out to our friend in the front/center
of the room firing someone during my keynote! So, how would it be if, in your professional and
Also wanted to let you know about my in-services personal lives, you could reclaim and apply some
for support staff, teachers, and administrators. I’d of those wonderful traits that we once had as
love to come down and work with your district. children? Try to imagine this for yourself – feeling
www.craigzablocki.com/new-programs/education/ more freedom inside yourself, worrying less,
having more fun at work and home, being more in
Of all the institutions and organizations I’ve the here and now, letting your creativity flow. Do
worked with over the years, the most successful you feel something loosening?
ones have some things in common. For example:
• They work with passion – they bring their best selves Now think about what would be available for you
and their creativity to their work. within your organization? How about you and your
• They have accountability – they do what they say and family? Can you imagine what might be possible
say what they do. if you could recover some of those generous,
• They have fun – people really enjoy the challenge of authentic and life-renewing qualities again?
what they are up to.
• Their culture is positive, staff-centric, and client-centric. Here are my “Three Secrets to Reclaiming the Joy
and Adventurous Spirit” we once had:
• They have great people… honest, direct,
compassionate people.
• They know what they do, and are great at how they do it. First, it's not about learning anything. In fact,
• And most importantly – they know WHY they do what it's about un-learning. Does it make sense that
we once had all these qualities? So, we’ve got to
they do!
ask, what have we "learned" that is blocking these
qualities? How can we unlearn that? I think we've
Do you recall me asking some simple but hard
learned to be afraid, and this fear controls us. What
questions to shake things up a bit?
are we most afraid of? Perhaps most of all, we’re
• How much are you really giving? 10% 25% 50%? afraid of feeling completely out of control, afraid
• How do you let fear get in the way of your life of what others think of us, afraid to fail, afraid to
and more? take a positive risk, afraid that we’re not keeping
• Is your work culture hap hazard or on purpose? up with the neighbors, afraid that our image will
be tarnished, and so on.
We talked about children, especially four or five
year-olds, and those qualities that we all once had We spend an incredible amount of time trying to
in abundance and have mostly lost. Kids laugh be accepted, concerned that we've "got the right
a lot, they are not self-conscious, they’re highly answer," "chose the right seat at the table," "are
creative, they live in the moment, they’re honest, funny enough," etc. We’re avoiding looking bad
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