This Website Uses Cookies

Read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for more information.

Rethink. Redesign. Revolutionize.

AuthorAuthor

Dan Watt & Danny Bauer
February 03, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Want to transform your dreaded faculty meetings into powerful innovation engines?

Most principals run meetings that make teachers want to fake a fire drill. But what if you could solve your biggest campus challenges in just 90 minutes?

Here's the counterintuitive approach that's revolutionizing how Ruckus Makers run their schools...

First time reading? Sign up here and join 5,699 Ruckus Makers Doing School Different 🎉

INSPIRATION STATION

It’s okay to steal — Feel free to share any of these links and how we write about them and drop ‘em right into your staff newsletter this week.

A MESSAGE FROM QUEST FOOD MANAGEMENT SERVICES

THE CAFETERIA REBELLION IS HERE

School lunch doesn't have to suck. 

Quest Food Management Services is proving it with their scratch-made revolution sweeping K-12 schools nationwide. They're not just another vendor – they're your partner in disrupting the status quo, handling everything from facility design to daily operations. With locally-sourced ingredients and chef-crafted recipes, they're making cafeteria food cool again.

THE RUCKUS MAKER MONTHLY THEME: DESIGN THINKING

The 90-Minute Design Sprint That Will Transform Your Next Faculty Meeting

Innovative school leaders know that traditional faculty meetings often miss the mark. Design sprint methodology offers a transformative approach to problem-solving that will revolutionize your faculty meetings, turning them into powerful innovation workshops.

The Power of Sprint Design:

  • Rapidly solve real campus challenges in less than two hours

  • Engage teachers in collaborative problem-solving

  • Transform traditional meeting structures into innovative strategy sessions

Design sprints transform passive meetings into dynamic problem-solving sessions, but turning this vision into reality requires strategic preparation.

It’s All About the Setup

Effective design sprints require intentional preparation and thoughtful participant selection. The right groundwork sets the stage for breakthrough ideas.

Your implementation guide:

  • Gather 6-8 teachers from diverse roles and departments

  • Select one critical campus challenge to address

  • Collect basic supplies: sticky notes, markers, large paper

  • Schedule a dedicated 90-minute block outside regular meeting times

With the groundwork carefully laid, it's time to unleash your team's creative potential through a structured yet dynamic design thinking workshop.

Design Thinking in Practice

The design thinking workshop follows a structured yet creative approach to problem-solving. Each phase is carefully designed to maximize team creativity and practical outcomes.

Here’s how to dial in the process:

  • Break each challenge into a specific problem statement

  • Generate multiple solution ideas through individual and group brainstorming

  • Use quick sketching and rapid prototyping techniques

  • Vote on the most promising solutions

  • Create an actionable implementation plan

Now that you've generated creative solutions through structured ideation, it's time to explore how your leadership can transform these ideas into meaningful organizational change.

Your Leadership Playbook

Successful design thinking depends on leadership that empowers rather than dictates. Principals must create a space of psychological safety and collaborative exploration.

Here’s how to make it happen:

  • Act as a neutral guide rather than a solution dictator

  • Encourage wild ideas and suspend judgment

  • Time-box each workshop phase strictly

  • Capture every idea visually

  • Ensure psychological safety for all participants

Design thinking isn't just a strategy—it's a leadership revolution!

While a 90-minute sprint can spark innovation, transforming your school culture requires expert guidance and a proven framework to sustain these practices. The 90-Day Accelerator is a powerful, proven method that will take your leadership to the next level.

Are you ready to transform your next faculty meeting from mundane to magical?

❝

"Design thinking isn't just a strategy—it's a leadership revolution."

Dan Watt

LEADERSHIP EDGE

MONDAY VIBES

WEEKLY CHALLENGE

Reimagine Your Leadership in 90 Days

Your first 90 days as a school leader are critical. This is your moment to break free from old patterns and design a transformative approach to leadership.

Your Leadership Challenge:

  1. Do you have a clear, actionable 90-day plan?

  2. Are you relying on old habits or are you willing to challenge yourself and try something new?

  3. What one strategic move could help transform this period from survival mode into thriving leadership?

If you’re stuck, you’re not alone. Over 640 principals have successfully reinvented their leadership approach by being intentional and courageous. Join the 90-Day Accelerator waitlist and commit to making this your most successful school year yet.

Keep Making a Ruckus,

How did you like today's newsletter?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.