As I watched the end of Game 7 of the World Series, I got excited. My beloved San Francisco Giants were going to win their third championship in the last 5 years. It was amazing to witness the clutch hitting of Pedro Sandoval and Hunter Pence and the absolute dominance of 25-year-old pitching phenom, Madison Bumgarner.
Having just moved to a new state, I didn't have that many people outside of my own family who were cheering along with me, so I decided to have a little fun.
After the Giants racked up two outs on the Royals in the bottom of the 9th inning, I composed an email to every one of my school employees promising two celebratory jeans days and a personal delivery of donuts to each campus in recognition of the Black and Orange taking home the championship.
After sweating out the Royals' two-out triple, I hit "send" when Panda caught the foul ball to end the Series. Within minutes, my inbox was full of happy replies filled with the appropriate mix of congratulations and good-natured teasing.
Thursday and Friday were jeans days on all five of our campuses. I walked around a bit, basking in the glow of victory and delivering donuts to staff lounges (loaded with orange sprinkles, of course). And I realized something.
I love jeans days.
Not because I'm used to Silicon Valley where CEO's of the world's most valuable companies deliver earnings news in denim, but because there's something different in the air on jeans days.
People seem more upbeat.
Happier.
More engaged and interactive.
Comfortable.
And just plain enthusiastic.
Now, I'm a big believer in professionalism, and I love setting high expectations for ourselves that are conveyed by our facilities, our words, and yes--even the way we dress.
But I love the way our team feels on jeans days.
If being a leader is about building a successful organizational culture, then it would probably be a good idea for me to figure out how to bottle the energy and enthusiasm of jeans days and spread it out more and more within our schools.
Sometimes culture-building seems touchy feely, and it's more tempting to focus on data, strategy, and finances (you know, "business stuff"). But a strong team is hugely important for success . . . and its impact is palpable, even if it can't always be quantified or measured.
So I'm going to dedicate myself to having clarifying conversations about our identity and direction. I'm going to look for opportunities to specifically and authentically praise people for what they are doing as champions of our school. I'll tell the truth and be vulnerable. And I'll make sure I spend time telling people what I love about this place--not just what needs to be fixed.
The Giants aren't going to win the World Series every year, and we aren't going to wear jeans every day.
But that doesn't mean it can't feel like it.
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What "jeans day" experiences have built organizational health in your experience? When do you relish being part of something special?
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