Culture is a Strategy

You may have heard the following oft repeated quote regarding culture, misattributed to Peter Drucker, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." I don't use it here to perpetuate this deception. I'm also not the biggest fan of it, as if a ping pong table in the faculty lounge will enhance the productivity of a school. Its aggressive and convicted tone also cause me to pause.

I definitely get its essence: the best laid plans will go awry unless they align with our mission, beliefs, values, and unscripted behaviors. For example, the manner in which we convey a message also conveys a message. If we desire our teachers to communicate professionally yet inform them of this in an email with misspelled words, or at a meeting in a demeaning tone, or by revealing a particular teacher's snafu along these lines, our culture just ate our strategy. Similarly, we might have lots of strong policies and procedures and clear expectations yet not attend to the human needs of our community members for belonging, rest, and purpose. It won't be long before burnout ensues and productivity suffers.

The positive connotation of the quote posits the power of culture, suggesting that a strong culture can compensate for a subpar strategy. Get the culture right and you'll be on your way to higher job satisfaction, greater productivity, and operational viability.

But, I think we can also understand the quote in nuanced way: many believe breakfast to be the most important meal of the day. As such, culture's beginning of the day meal choice strategically provides the energy and strength needed to sustain the culture. We might promote parents and families as the primary educators of our students yet only communicate with them when a problem has arrived at its last resort. In this scenario, lacking a more specific strategy for communicating with parents and families causes the culture to grow weaker.

Culture eats strategy for breakfast because culture needs strategies in order to thrive. In fact, to mix aphorisms, if we are what we eat, then culture is a strategy. Aligning our strategies to our culturally foundational statements (mission, beliefs, values, pillars, philosophy, and/or charisms) strengthens both. Striving for this type of coherence between and among the various aspects of our schools anchors what we do in who we are, and operationalizes the pithy language that adorns our walls, email signatures, and handbooks.

As we continue to emphasize our schools' mission statements, consider the ways in which we can create strategies as leaders to accomplish it.

Likewise, what parts of our communities need pruned because of their disconnection from or opposition to our mission? The monkey paradigms in our schools dim the parts that shine brightly.

How might we build shared understanding about our shared language so that we can ensure shared experiences? Be explicit about what the various words and phrases in our foundational statements mean: how does the school community collectively define values like "hope", "tradition", or "change"?

What behaviors need checked because they misalign with who we say we are as an organization?

Since culture is a strategy and our strategies reveal our cultures, let's be intentional about what we're eating and feeding others for breakfast or any meal. As we become what we consume, may we grow into the strong, vibrant, and life-giving schools we hope to be.

The Inspiration of the Holy Spirit

The following reading from the prophet Ezekiel has surfaced in my prayer routines in a few different contexts over the past few weeks. As a new academic year takes flight, this passage from Sacred Scripture has inspired some reflections about the work that lies ahead for teachers, leaders, and staff members of our Catholic schools. 

Ezekiel recounts one of his divinely inspired visions of both the return of the Jewish people to Israel and Christ's resurrection from the dead. He sees a valley of dry bones over which God commands him to tell bones to "hear the word of the Lord" (37:4) because Ezekiel will "make breath enter you so you may come to life" (37:5) so that "you shall know that I am the Lord" (37:6): 

...I prophesied as I had been commanded. A sound started up, as I was prophesying, rattling like thunder. The bones came together, bone joining to bone. As I watched, sinews appeared on them, flesh grew over them, skin covered them on top, but there was no breath in them.

Then he said to me: Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man! Say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: From the four winds come, O breath, and breathe into these slain that they may come to life.

I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath entered them; they came to life and stood on their feet, a vast army. 

(for the full passage, go here: Ezekiel 37:1-14)

I pray that this reading from the prophet Ezekiel will inspire our efforts as Catholic school educators:

...I prophesied as I had been commanded...

Ezekiel, even though he stood over a valley of dry bones, did as the Lord commanded him. He prophesized for the breath of the Holy Spirit to come upon the dry bones and bring them back to life. Two quick scientific insights to drive home what God has commanded Ezekiel to do: bones aren't dry unless they have been out of a body for a long time, and dry bones are dead bones.

Takeaways: 

• In the moments where your ministry mirrors a minefield, call upon the Holy Spirit to fill you with His gifts: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.
• When what God has requested of you seems impossible and trying to accomplish it seems foolish, act anyways. G.K. Chesterton described a prophet as someone who stands on his/her head to see the world aright. Let Christ use you as He sees fit for His greater glory. 

...A sound started up, as I was prophesying, rattling like thunder. The bones came together, bone joining to bone. As I watched, sinews appeared on them, flesh grew over them, skin covered them on top, but there was no breath in them.

Ezekiel's first prophetic attempt to bring the bones back to life had some, but not complete, success. 

Takeaway:

• Keep grinding. Keep improving. Keep working. Stay encouraged. As you work really hard to bring students to fullness of life in Jesus Christ and experience disproportionately small success, DO NOT GIVE UP. A prophet acknowledges dire circumstances, recognizes the need for God's truth and goodness, and breathes HOPE into the situation so that it can and will improve.   

 

...Then he said to me: Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man! Say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: From the four winds come, O breath, and breathe into these slain that they may come to life.

I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath entered them; they came to life and stood on their feet, a vast army. 

Ezekiel's obedience pays off in the end. The bones come back to life and a "vast army" assembles. 

Takeaways: 

• Remain faithful to the call you have received to "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Mt. 28:19-20).
• Trust that our efforts to educate in the Catholic faith and intellectual traditions will create a "vast army" for God's Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. Remember that "(t)he vocation of every Catholic educator includes the work of ongoing social development: to form men and women who will be ready to take their place in society, preparing them in such a way that they will make the kind of social commitment which will enable them to work for the improvement of social structures, making these structures more conformed to the principles of the Gospel" (Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, 1982, para. 19). 
• The word "inspired" means "God breathed" in Greek. As such, those of us inspired by the Holy Spirit must breathe new life into others. Allow the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to resurrect the dry bones inside of you so that you can, in turn, breathe His life into others. 

Come, Holy Spirit, come!  

Worthy of the Call

Ephesians 4:1-6

Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:

one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call;

one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

I have been reflecting on this passage from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians for the past week or so. I used it for a retreat with new principals in the Diocese of Cleveland last week and in a letter to my nephew on his senior retreat. Then, during this past Sunday's celebration of the Eucharist, this excerpt from St. Paul was the second reading. 

I've acknowledged before how much I benefit from repetition in my learning and coming across these words in yet another context in a relatively short amount of time leads me to believe that God wants me to hear these words and take them to heart.  

Moved and inspired by the Holy Spirit, these three messages emerged through my many recent touchpoints with these words from St. Paul:

First, when Paul encourages the Church at Ephesus to “live in a manner worthy of the call you have received” I am reminded of that Christ’s call has echoed throughout the ages and has come to me and you: “Follow me.” Like the first disciples - Andrew and Peter, James and John - Christ has called us to lay down our nets and follow Him. There are many ways in which we forget this call and cling to the nets of our lives - claiming our identities in our talents, abilities, status, possessions, interests instead of His love for us; growing discouraged that we’re not qualified instead of trusting that He will qualify those He has called; or just being too busy, distracted, and self-centered instead of intentional, prayerful, and focused on others. 

In many ways, we have to fight to remember that Christ has called us to discipleship and that this call demands us to act like it! 

Let us remember that God has called us and that He has an important part for each of us to play in His story.

Second, St. Paul reminds the Ephesians that we can live in a manner worthy of the call we have received through our humility, gentleness, patience, and love. At first glance, this could sound a bit like being passive or quiet. But, our Lord was anything but passive. 

He drove out demons, He overturned tables in the temple, He healed the wounded, cured the sick, loved the outcast, challenged the religious and political leaders of His time, and selflessly allowed Himself to be sacrificed for us. 

Living in a manner worthy of His call means that we must live like Him! 

So, instead of gentleness in a way that might be considered weak, I interpret this part of Paul’s message to mean meek. Meek means that you have immense power and strength and that you can control both in productive, beautiful, and life-giving ways. 

May each of us continue to harness our strength so that we can put it to use for God’s glory and building up His Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. 

Third and finally, the passage ends with a great urge for unity with God and with others. I often like to think about the difference between unity (connected together) and uniformity (all the same) prioritizing the first instead of the second. This call for unity means that we strive to stay connected to God through prayer - reading scripture, conversing with God, silently listening to Him, and offering Him our worship and praise. This will look different for you and me and every other person. The way that we unite ourselves to Him will be personal and unique to each person (again, unity not uniformity). 

May we keep developing our relationships with Him and know that healthy relationships will evolve over time. In this way, let us stay anchored in our habits of prayer and remain open to new ways of uniting with Christ. 

Similarly, Paul reminds Ephesus that staying united to Christ requires that we also unite with each other. Acts of service, especially to those closest to us, honor our divine heritage. Just like God - three persons in one God - we were made for each other and we thrive when we unite together. As such, be a person who connects. Do the hard work of uniting with others in your relationships as Christ did. Whether it was turning water into wine, multiplying the loaves and fish, or raising Lazarus from the dead, Christ constantly united with others in His ministry. 

Do the same: invite, unite, and ignite a flame in the hearts of all who come to know you.

Let us live in a manner worthy of the call that we have received for God's glory and honor and praise. 

Be in the Light and Be the Light

Cleveland has experienced a heat wave over the past few days. Right in time for the beginning of summer and the day with the longest amount of daylight in the year, the extreme temperatures have caused power outages and the resulting anxiety about how the blackout will last - should we try to go somewhere with power (and air conditioning), what should we do about the food in our refrigerator, how much charge does my cellphone have, should we gather candles and flashlights.

Thankfully, given the longer days and shorter nights during this time of year, that last worry about gathering handheld and small scale lights decreases. The sun won't set tonight until after 9:00 p.m. in Northeast Ohio, meaning that it will stay light until almost 10:00 p.m.

Growing up as a child and through my teenage years, I loved the longer periods of light and the many other ways in which light is associated with summer. 

Lightning bugs/fire flies.

Sparklers and fireworks. 

Bonfires/grills and smores. 

In the summer, especially in Northeast Ohio where it can otherwise be pretty cloudy, I just want to be in the light. 

But, there are consequences. 

Too much sun damages our skin.  

The summer sun brings with it intense heat.

At times, the light can be blinding, especially while driving.

Thanks to sunscreen, shelter, moisture wicking clothing, air conditioning, fans, and sunglasses we can enjoy the good parts of the sun while mitigating its negative effects. 

While today I will embrace the length of daylight and try in vain to keep the extra time with the sun throughout the year, I'm reminded of another kind of light that never fades or harms: the light of Christ. 

His light doesn't go out. It never burns or even gets too hot. 

It illuminates the true, good, and beautiful. It provides comfort, healing, relief, clarity.

Obviously, we can soak up the light of Christ through the Celebration of the Eucharist. 

Adoration offers another opportunity to bask in His glorious light. 

Similarly, the other Sacraments, especially penance, provide us with His light. Christ's light shines through the reading of Sacred Scripture. We experience His light when we look outside of ourselves and perform service to others. Christ's light glows when two or more are gathered in solidarity with Him and each other. The light of Christ chases away the darkness of ignorance through study in all forms, but especially about our faith.

And, the more time that we spend in Christ's light, the more that we, in turn, start to shine. 

Similar to something that glows in the dark only after exposure to light, we become a light for others only after our encounters and relationship with Jesus. 

This summer and always, be in the Light and be the light. 

Let it shine!  

Father Time

I've written about the concept of time multiple, err, times. 

My current reflection on it stems from a recent experience I had with one of my children. Despite the many demands on my time, I intentionally made the choice to "waste" time by engaging in imaginative play. What started off as a chance to use a seldom chosen toy turned into a multi-hour and multi-prop session. 

This recent experience replicated similar ones throughout my time as a father "wasting" time with my kids: coloring, playing, dancing, singing, building, cooking, imagining, snuggling, laughing. 

The thing is, though, these moments are anything but wasted. 

Think about the various ways that we describe how we use time: 

• Waste time. 
• Make time.
• Take time.
• Spend time. 
• Invest time. 

Time is fixed, finite, limited. So, it makes sense that we consider it much like a commodity or resource such as money or food or oil or wood. 

And it is possible to do all of the above. I've definitely wasted too many hours, days, weeks, months and years throughout my life. 

When it comes to the time that goes toward our relationships, though, perhaps we need another way to capture our intentions. 

How about "cherish"?

Instead of saying that I was wasting time with my kids, might it be better thematized by saying I was cherishing time with my kids? 

Now, I admit that I don't always feel like I'm cherishing this time. Like Bandit, the father in the show Bluey, I often lament when my kids suggest certain activities - like ones that require me to move a lot when I'm really tired.

But, despite any of my hesitations, I have never regretted cherishing time with them. 

I pray that, despite my human limitations and failings, that they know of my deep and abiding love for them. In addition to saying it, I hope to tell my kids that I love them through my actions. 

Ever since becoming a father, I have had many moments of prayer when I have reflected on the Father's love for me in relation to my love for my children. 

Whether time spent in adoration, at weekday mass, in the confessional, in quiet prayer when I first wake up, or pausing to ask Him to bless my food before eating, I know that our Father cherishes time with me. His perfect love delights in my efforts to connect with Him. Much like how I appreciate when my kids just want to be close to me, I know that God rejoices in my efforts to be in His presence.  

As the old hymn sings, "How deep the Father's love for us! How vast beyond all measure!" 

Time, while it can be wasted or taken or spent, should be cherished. Instead of an exchanged commodity, we should view time as a gift. 

In accepting it, I can then cherish it, and offer it back to God and my kids and my wife and my family and my friends and my co-workers and everyone as a gift. 

Accept. Cherish. Offer. 

Your time. 

Your self. 

Re-creation

For educators, the next few days and weeks will mark the completion of graduation events, final exams, grading, teacher meetings, end-of-the-year picnics and the welcomed shift to the behind-the-scenes vision-casting, strategy-forging, program-building, policy-revising, and breath-catching time of summer.

Make the most of it. I don't offer this in a harsh way, but rather with encouragement and compassion. Bl. Basil Moreau, the founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, recommended those within his order follow this advice during periods of downtime:

How many things we have to learn! We have only to recall the duties of the priest or the teacher to understand how frightful would be our responsibility to religion, parents, and ourselves were we to neglect to acquire or preserve the knowledge proper to our vocation. Let us make good use of all our leisure time, so as to increase the fund of information that will make us more useful to the congregation and build up the reputation of its members. Above all, let us not only study, but let us observe the liturgy and ceremonies of the Church, the rubrics, the sacred chant, and let us be faithful to our rules and constitutions.

As you take time to replenish, restore, and rejuvenate, stay anchored in prayer and continue to enhance your knowledge and skills in Catholic school education and leadership.

The God of the universe built the seasons into the rhythm of creation to allow for this regeneration each year. This same God inspired His Church to mimic this wisdom and do the same with the liturgical calendar to foster new growth. Similarly, one of His commandments invites us to set aside time each week for worship, community, and rest. 

The same is true for how we have been created as humans: taking periodic breaks can provide more productivity, moving can reset our ability to concentrate, and God hard-wired us to need sleep each day.

While there is much about education that we can and should change, having periods of recreation can garner greater gains during our times of intense focus. 

The key in any of these seasons, but especially in those of recreation, is to be intentional about what, how, and why we do it. 

Plans guard against binge watching and mindless scrolling. Plans encourage us to look back at periods of break with satisfaction - I finally read that book, I finally took that trip, I finally made that phone call, I finally cleaned that room, I finally tried that recipe, I finally got back into exercising, I finally took up that new hobby, I finally spent quality time with friends/family. Plans keep us from overindulging in these needed moments of pleasure, leisure, and entertainment. 

While this nudge toward intentionality isn't meant to be harsh, it also isn't meant to script out and control every moment of our lives. Too much rigidity, especially in seasons of recreation, can illicit a negative effect. 

Spontaneity, whimsicality, improvisation, and flexibility play key roles in allowing the Holy Spirit to mold, fill, and use us in ways beyond our limited imaginings. 

So, create a plan for this upcoming season of summer. And, allow God to re-create both it and you in the process. 

He's making all things new.

Including you.   

Tinker

Due to many various factors - lags in repair shop timelines (May is apparently a busy month for lawn mower maintenance) to name the most impactful one - I have been trying to bring an old lawn mower back to life.

I am far from handy. Most DIY projects in the Zelenka household require going back a few steps and redoing something correctly.

I also know nothing about engines big or small or in-between.

But, there are many outstanding resources online - tips from experts, PDFs of manufacturer manuals, and step-by-step videos from people who have navigated similar problems in the past. So, I have cleaned out the fuel tank, replaced the sparkplug and filters, changed the oil, and disassembled and de-clogged the carburetor (multiple times).

Two weeks ago, I successfully got the mower to start and cut about 1/2 of our yard before it sputtered out. After a series of starts and stops, and new internet searches diagnosing this new problem, I borrowed a friend's machine and finished the job for that weekend. 

Throughout the week, I reassessed what I had already done (was the carburetor only clean enough, was the sparkplug not as sparky as it needed to be, was the fuel filter dirty, did I not put the choke back together correctly...), and I scoured the internet for more insights, especially considering the mower was now only mostly dead.

Since the machine had started the sparkplug had to have been okay. A quick check on it found it to be sparkling clean. 

Since it had run for a bit and then died, there must be something happening with the gas. The filter checked out as clear. The gas tank was free from debris. The carburetor took an overnight bath in cleaner and emerged almost like new.  

It turned out that the final ailment was a clogged fuel line.

It had new oil, fresh gas, a sparking sparkplug, and a completely cleaned out carburetor, but because of the buildup in the fuel line, the engine didn't have enough gas to keep running. Over time enough gas would trickle into the carburetor so that it would start and run, but it wasn't able to tap into a steady supply of fuel.

It wasn't that it didn't have enough gas. The tank was full.

The engine couldn't access it.

I am proud to report that I successfully cut my lawn with my rejuvenated lawnmower on Friday of last week thanks to a new fuel line - and the other maintenance procedures that were performed. 

To prove it wasn't a fluke, the grass got cut again last night with my restored machine. 

I share this saga to inspire your own efforts to determine the root causes to some of the aspects of your schools that you would like to change:

• Dig into the data.
• Study up to enhance your own understanding of the situation.
• Make an informed tweak and try again.
• Dig into the data and start the cycle for improvement over again.

Our academic year - much like the seasons - provides us with a natural cadence to affect positive changes and the summer is a wonderful time to dig into the data, study up, and craft a tweak for improvement.

As we move to the end of the 23-24 school year, set the table for some data analysis, study, and tinkering. Consider the areas on which you would like to focus and plan out your approach to breathe new life into them.

Come next fall, if these changes don't yield the intended harvest, the process can begin again...and again...and again...and again...

Also, as we finish the 2023-24 academic year with teachers and students and look ahead to a summer of diagnoses and tweaks to our organizational machines, let us also take the time to ensure that our spiritual engines are getting enough gas. 

Take time to clean out the fuel lines of your ministry and vocation to ensure that the Holy Spirit has access to the engine of your heart. Remove the buildup of the past year by establishing new routines of prayer, reclaiming those that fell away, and reflecting on the tests, trials, and triumphs of your prayer, professional, and personal lives.

Keep striving to become the best people, ministers, leaders, and organizations that we can be. 

Tinker. Over and over and over again with data analysis and ongoing study.

Improve.