The 3 R’s Should Include Responsibility

(One of the 83 quick and practical life & work lessons from Sh*t Sandwich: Quick & Practical Success Lessons for Practically Anyone.)

The Decline of America’s Schools

I’m hopeful your first reaction to the title above was something like “What the hell does that have to do with my success?”

I need you to be selfish here. You paid for this book; you deserve to get your money’s worth.

Successful schools – whether they’re public, private or charter – share one key ingredient: accountability. Of course, accountability is such an amorphous term and is so bandied about that most have no idea what it means or how to duplicate it. Let me make it simple for you here: these schools don’t take any shit. They don’t take any shit from students, they don’t take any shit from parents and they especially don’t take any shit from the unions.

Kids are successful at successful schools for the same reason I did well in school. I had to. If a teacher called my Mom to report something that I had done that was out of line; she didn’t march down to the school and demand that teacher’s resignation; she didn’t request that I be transferred to another class where that teacher might better understand me; and she certainly didn’t hire a lawyer to protect her precious little Stephen Michael.

She served me a great big shit sandwich, and then she made damn sure the school served me a couple more.

Unfortunately, real accountability has been removed from our schools; and the void that a lack of accountability left behind has now permeated beyond the classroom. It’s invaded our workplaces and our homes. No one seems truly accountable to anything or anyone any more.

The lesson for you in your career (or your private life) is to find that one person who can keep you straight; who can hold you accountable; who won’t take any of your shit. Enablers are a dime a dozen. Find yourself a true mentor/partner who will tell you when your breath stinks or when your shirt looks like you slept in it. They’ll not only become your best friend, they’ll help you succeed at every turn.

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Sh*t Sandwich is available in paperback at Amazon.com and is free on Kindle Unlimited.