I love the the All State Insurance commercials. The main character, Mayhem, wreaks havoc in someone’s life and makes everyone laugh at the chaos he causes. What’s most memorable is the end of the commercial, where Mayhem leaves the customer distraught as he leaves saying his unforgettable catchphrase.
“Don’t let cut-rate insurance turn your life into Mayhem, like me.”
This commercial may seem extreme, but it is a great illustration of what school can look like in May if we’re not careful. In the commercial, the customer ignores the warning signs and the potential for Mayhem. Trouble builds while the customer is oblivious to Mayhem waiting for his opportunity to pounce until it finally explodes into a full-blown dumpster fire. Mayhem could have been avoided, but due to disorganization and blatant disregard, the customer missed his chance to prevent catastrophe.
Are You Ignoring Mayhem?
At the end of the year, people are naturally exhausted and therefore easily frustrated. In May, I have seen educators at all levels allow Mayhem to destroy the end of the year and ruin relationships simply because the educators didn’t take purposeful steps to prevent Mayhem in the first place. May is here, and Mayhem will take over if you don’t make a plan of action to defeat it in the first place.
5 Tactics to Avoid Mayhem
Here are some important tactics I recommend to avoid and defeat Mayhem.
Disseminate All Events and Deadlines - All parents, staff and students need to know EVERY event and deadline. Get all of this information on a one-pager or easy to find webpage, and disseminate it multiple times in multiple media pathways to your stakeholders to eliminate the potential of not-knowing.
Prevent Failure before It Happens - If someone is in danger of losing credit due to grades or absences, pick up the phone, call the parent now, and tell them what they need to do now to get credit or prevent failure. If a staff members is in danger of not meeting a future deadline, let them know now. Mayhem erupts when we allow failure to occur BEFORE we make the call.
Communicate in Tough Situations - Mayhem wins when we think disseminating information by itself is enough to communicate with people. We also think emails expedite communication in tough situations, but they really don’t. If bad news has the potential to upset people, pick up the phone and call them.
Don’t get Offended because They’re Offensive - Mayhem can be defeated when we are quick to listen, slow to speak, and slower to get defensive and angry. Don’t take their frustration personally. Witness their pain, but don’t become the reason it gets worse.
Anticipate and Collaborate - Mayhem warning signs are easy to spot if you actively look for them. Be alert and watch out for undercurrents that could explode into full-blown chaos. Collaborate with colleagues, and alert your leaders of the potential of problems. The more we anticipate and collaborate, the more Mayhem will evaporate.
May is the Downpayment for August
It’s easy to be exhausted and look forward to the summer break, but you haven’t crossed the finish line yet. Push yourself and your colleagues to stay strong and vigilant in May. Keep your wits about you, and do everything you can to defeat Mayhem now. It can be defeated, because you are equipped to succeed.
Finally, think of May as the down payment for August. If you anticipate, intercept, and defeat Mayhem in May, you will make May a very positive experience for the staff, students, and parents to such a degree that it will serve as a positive precursor to the good things to come next August when the students and staff return. If Mayhem reigns in May, August is already in trouble. When Mayhem is defeated, the next school year has a strong foundation with positive culture within it.
Believe in your ability and in your team.
Be alert, finish strong, and defeat Mayhem!