The game of
life is like the game of poker. You strategize, analyze the odds, match your
ability against others in the same arena, make a play and take a chance you
made the right decision. It sounds like an oversimplification of a game, but
being in a position to lead others requires people to make decisions about
themselves, the group and the organization. I had a professor who felt that
decision-making and management of issues and scenarios in managing
organizations could be compared to the arena of poker (Wiles, 1988).
“Poker
theorist David Sklansky once wrote that you should consider yourself a winner
as long as you had the higher probability of winning the hand when all the
money went into the pot. This attitude is consistent with the underlying
mathematical reality of poker, and it can smooth out your emotional reactions
to losses and wins. What matters is the quality of your decisions, not the
results that come from them.” (Chabris, 2013)
I love that
quote: what matters most is the quality of the decisions.
Think
about the number of decisions that are made each day in an educational
organization that have an impact on student learning and achievement. You might
think that many of those decisions might be insignificant in the bigger scheme
of learning, but I would contend that if a school leader is mindful of how that
decision will impact one child, greater care and focus might be made to bear in
one’s mind. These could be decisions that are seen in class placement, teacher hiring’s
and firings, resources, textbooks, technology, health services, cleaning the
hallways and the cafeteria, lunch schedules,as well as landscaping and grass cutting on the
playground. And, believe it or not, there could be hundreds of others as well.
A
good poker player practices mindfulness activities to prepare his/her
decision-making in a game. An excellent school leader practices mindfulness in
creating a vibrant and exciting culture that nurtures and supports the education
of every child.
Remember:
what
matters most is the quality of the decisions.
Chabris,
C. (2013, July 26). The science of winning poker. The Wall Street Journal.
Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323610704578625812355516182.html?utm_content=buffer8fcf8&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer
Wiles, D.
(1988). Practical politics for school administrators. New York: Allyn
& Bacon.
