Punch the Shark (Not Literally)

 

A few years back, my good friend Nate Eklund (@nateek) shared a story with me about punching the shark. I can never tell it as good as he can, so check out the video HERE to watch. Over the years, I have shared this story with the staff members of the school's I have been fortunate enough to lead. While I can never replicate Nate's enthusiasm and gusto, the point of the story gets out there and it resonates with everyone. It's safe to say that Nate knows what he is talking about and every time I speak to him on the phone, I mention to him that I shared his story yet again and we have a laugh together. He also always asks me what "sharks" I need to punch or if I am exhibiting any shark-like behaviors myself. Needless to say, it is always a pretty reflective conversation.

A couple of days ago, when I came to work, I found a jacket hanging on my door handle. As I walked toward my office, I thought to myself, "Good Lord, what now?" As I reached for my keys to enter my office I grabbed the jacket without even looking at it and entered my office. When I turned on the lights, I realized that someone had left me sweatshirt with a shark face hoodie and a dorsal fin sewn on the back. Additionally, on the front left of the chest, the words "Daddy Shark" were embroidered.

A younger version of myself would have taken this gesture extremely personal because my head would have immediately gone to what shark behaviors have I been exhibiting in order for someone to pick out this specific garment and gift it to me. Additionally, who in their right mind thinks that I can fit into an XL hoodie. It is obvious from the picture that I cannot pull that off both literally and figuratively. Instead, I took this gift as a compliment because I had just spoken to my staff about punching the shark as a way to improve culture and climate in our school. I relayed to everyone the same message that Nate Eklund had shared with me years ago and how it is a productive exercise to make an organization a better place to work and grow. It has become part of our school's vernacular and people are actually following through by punching their sharks.

You see, each of us have sharks we need to punch (not literally) and we all exhibit shark-like behaviors that probably deserve to be punched (not literally). It is only when we develop the courage to speak up and tell each other what is making our work environment miserable that we can truly move towards a better work environment. If you assume positive intentions, most people may not even know that they are a shark, so they aren't going to change until you tell them. Once they do know, they have a choice regarding whether or not they will change. Telling them is a professional courtesy that you hope will be reciprocated to you. When all the adults in the building share this same mindset, things really have an opportunity to move in the right direction.

Actions speak louder than words, so simply having a tagline of "Punch the Shark" isn't enough to improve your organizational culture. You actually have to do the heavy lifting and reflection that is going to lead to meaningful change. If you do it right, you might end up having some very real conversations that are tough to have, but will make coming to work in the long run, a whole heckuva lot more enjoyable. Heck, it might even get you a shark hoodie.

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