During the 2018-19 school year, West high school started to incorporate some of the principles of Focus3 in an effort improve the school culture. Beginning with the 2019-20 school year, Washington-Nile School District entered into a full partnership with Focus3.

Tim Kight founded Focus 3 in the mid-80's in Southern California, a life-long student of elite performance with the passion and drive to help organizations achieve their goals.

In his college days, Tim transferred from Ohio State to UCLA while running Track. It was at UCLA that he witnessed John Wooden win his 9th and 10th national championship. An experience that instilled a great curiosity in Tim as to what distinguishes elite performers from average performers. A question he's pursued answering ever since that moment.

The answer for Tim was curated through observing and documenting the mindset and behavior patterns of elite performers. What was discovered was that elite performers think and behave differently because they've adopted a system.

Using the equation: E + R = O (Event + Response = Outcome), Focus3 gives organizations and individuals a system for building better leaders, better culture and better behavior. (Focus3.com).

“To be productive in life, you must do the work required. Achievement is the result of consistent, discipline-driven action in pursuit of your goals. The outcome you get is determined by the action you take. You don’t get the outcomes you want; you get the outcomes you work for.

Want to learn a new language? You must do the work.

Want to lose weight and get in shape? You must do the work.

Want to strengthen the culture in your organization? You must do the work.

Want to improve a relationship in your life? You must do the work.

This is why Event + Response = Outcome (E+R=O) is so helpful. For every outcome you want, there is a necessary response. If you don’t engage in the necessary R, you won’t get the desired O. If you engage in a default response, you will get a default outcome. But if you choose a disciplined response, you will get the best possible outcome. It’s cause-and-effect. Outcomes are earned by the quality of your response.

It’s important to understand that the O is feedback about how well your R is working. If you are not getting the outcome you want in some area of your life, the E+R=O system is giving you feedback that you need to change and improve your R.

Don’t take it personally; don’t waste time complaining or trying to defend yourself. Focus your time and invest your energy in doing the work to get better” (Tim Kight).

On October, 24th 2019, the District Leadership Team along with a few key community members met with Focus3 and developed a Culture Playbook for our school district. Our culture is the heart of our school system. It makes Washington-Nile Local Schools a special place to learn and live, and it gives us a unique advantage. Building and sustaining the Washington-Nile culture requires intentional effort from everyone in the district.

What is culture and why is it Important?

Culture is not a document that hangs on the wall. Culture is what we believe, how we behave, & the experience our behavior produces for others. It is the foundation on which our education community is built. Written statements help clarify the culture, but documents don’t build culture … our actions do.

Our core beliefs provide the standards for how we behave toward each other, our students & our community. Because our culture shapes behavior, it determines how effectively we execute our strategy. Culture eats strategy for lunch. Our success depends on the ability to collaborate and execute in a constantly changing environment. Culture aligns everyone in the district around a common set of values & behaviors that ultimately determine how we prepare our students for success.

20 Square Feet™

20 Square Feet is simply a metaphor that expresses that each person in the district has a sphere of influence. It expresses the reality that the way we behave personally – the way each of us manages our 20 Square Feet – is what determines our culture.

Beliefs 🡪 Behaviors 🡪 Outcomes (BBO)

The BBO is a blueprint for our culture. It makes clear the specific behaviors & results we want from each of our beliefs. The behaviors outlined in the BBO are essential to how we engage students in the classroom, and how we operate our schools. Our goal is to create an educational environment where everyone consistently engages in behaviors that produce exceptional outcomes.

Washington-Nile Local Schools

Culture Playbook

Over the next few years, we will continue to work with Focus3 as we strive to develop the behavior skills necessary to become an elite organization.

At the High School, we have developed a point system to reward students that exhibit discipline and the core beliefs of teamwork, work ethic, and personal responsibility. Students earn points for GPA, attendance, good behavior, and extracurricular participation. Following each nine weeks, the top point earners are invited to attend a Field Trip. These trips have included the United States Air Force Museum, COSI, the Columbus Zoo, and the Newport Aquarium.