ReviewOfTheBook

In
RockingTheBoat
,authorDebraMeyersonpresentsanecdotalstoriesofindividuals
thatlearnedhowtoeffectchangewithintheirorganizationsevenwhentheirownidentities,
beliefsormoralsareatoddswiththeirorganization.Meyersonusesinterviewsfrompeople
likeMarthaWiley(alias),vicepresidentofalargefinancialinstitutionandJohnZiwak,
managerofbusinessdevelopmentforatechnologycompanyandJoaineMason,an
employeeataninternationalretailwebsitetohighlightmultiplemodesofpositivedeviance.
Eachpersoninterviewedpresentsauniquestorythatshowshowtheypersonallymade
changeswithintheirorganizationbyactingasatemperedradical.
ThoughIwasabletofollowMeyersonsexamplesoftemperedradicalbehaviorand
outcomesthroughoutthebookIoftenstruggledtomakeapersonalconnectiontoher
narratives.Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthepersonalaccountscomefromindividualsinthe
businessfield.Ifoundmyselfwishingtoseemoreexamplesoftemperedradicalsinother
areasofprofessionalworksuchaseducation,medicineorothersocialjusticeprofessions.
Thoughmanyoftheanecdotescouldhavebeenfromanindividualinanyfield,Ithink
Meyersoncouldhavedoneabetterjobdiversifyingthetypesoforganizationsheresearched.
AsaneducatorIfoundthemostconnectionstothebookwhenMeyersontalkedabout
choosingappropriateresponsestoencountersandleveragingmotivations.Though
Meyersonframeschoosingappropriateresponsesaroundpersonalthreats,Ibelievethis
strategycanbebroadenedtoanyencountertostrengthenrelationshipsandencourage
collaboration.Meyersonalsospeakstoutilizingthemotivationsandcommoncurrenciesof
someonewithanopposingviewinordertofacilitatepositivenegotiations.Iagainthinkthis
tacticcanbeexpandedtonotjustinteractionsofopposingviewpointsbutanytimeyouwantto
motivateindividualstoachieveagoal.

Ultimately,Ididhaveaconnectionwiththebook.Ithinkthetitletemperedradical
doesapplytomeattimesinmyprofessionalsetting.Thestoriesmademefeellessalonein
myownprofessionalstrugglesandprovidedmewithmanystrategiesfordealingwiththose
struggles.Ifinishedthebookwantingmoreexamplesofindividualsinsocialjustice
professionsrepresentedandlessofamevs.theorganizationslantandmoreofame
educating
theorganizationfeel.Ialsolovedthequotesatthebeginningofeachchapter.
Especially,
Whetheradversitybeastumblingblock,discipline,orblessingdependsaltogetheron
theusemadeofitAnonymous

HowAmIDifferent?
DebraMeyersonidentifiesthreewaystemperedradicalsaredifferentfromthe
acceptednormsoftheirgroup.Onemaybedifferentiftheyperceivetheirsocialidentityto
haveasystematicbiasagainstthem.Onemaybedifferentiftheyperceivetheirsocial
identityasthesourceofculturalpreferences.Oronemaybedifferentiftheirvalues,beliefs
andagendasdifferfromthemajority.Iassociatethemostwiththethirdwayofbeingdifferent
inmyorganization.
MyvaluesatworkcanbebestsummarizedbytheJapaneseconceptofkaizenor
constantchangeforthebetter.Iamalwaystryingtodomyjobbetter.Iplacealotofvaluein
myimprovementinmyjobperformancebutIplaceanevengreateramountofvalueinmy
pursuitofimprovement.ToooftenIseeothercolleaguescontentwiththeircurrent
effectiveness,notwillingtotrynewtechniquesorevennotwillingtodiscusswaysof
improvingtheirjobperformance.BecauseofthisIoftenfindmyselftryingnewtechniqueson

myown,developingnewstrategiesonmyownandmissingopportunitiestocollaborateand
refinethesechangeswithfeedbackfromcolleagues.Thisismygreatestchallengeatwork.
Myagendaatworkistomaximizethelearningofmystudents.Ifeelatoddswith
othersatmyworkwhenIhearcolleaguessaythingslike,only83daysofschoolleftorthey
turneditinlatesoIjustgavethemazero.Thesestatementsprobablydonotrepresentthe
completeagendaofmycolleaguesbutnonethelessmakemequestiontheirmethodsto
maximizetheirstudentslearning.Withcommentslikethese,maximizinglearningtakesa
backseattootheragendaitemssuchasreducingstressandreducinggradingtime.
Differingbyvalues,beliefsandagendaappliesbesttomyworksituation.IfIwereto
addanotherfeaturetothisframeworkIwouldincludedifferingbymotivation.AlthoughIthink
motivationiscloselyalignedwithvalues,beliefsandagendamotivationalsocapturesanother
importantelementinmakingeffectivechange.Motivationtobesuccessfulwithinan
organizationcanbequitediversewithallmembers.Membersmaybemotivatedbyexternal
factorssuchasmoney,responsibility,respect,orpower.Converselymembersmaybe
internallymotivatedbypride,success,orasenseofcompletion.Havingindividualswith
similarmotivationsoftenstrengthensorganizationaloutcomesandleadstoincreased
collegiality.

BecomingATemperedRadical
OnthecontinuumofhowtemperedradicalsmakeadifferenceIamdefinitelyonthe
farleft,resistingquietlyandstayingtruetoonesself.EarlyoninmylifeIchoosethelead
byexamplelifestyle.Astheoldestinafamilyofthreesiblingsiswasoftenmyactionsthat
setthetoneforthingsasseriousasfuturedisciplinarystandardsorassimpleaswholedthe
bikeraceintothewoods.InhighschoolIwasoneofthecaptainsonthevarsitysoccerteam

forthreeyearsyetnotoncedidIgiveapassionatespeechortrytopumpupafellowplayer
withanintensechant.Iranhard,stayedpositiveandplayedeverygametothelastsecond.I
ledbyexampleandoftenwithoutwordsorpointingoutmyaccomplishmentstoothers.This
isstillmymodeofoperationtodayinmycurrentorganization.WhenIseetheneedto
changesomethinginmycontrolIdoit.Iworkhardtofindthoseimperfectionsanddonot
hesitatetotrysomethingnewwhenIobserveanareathatrequiresimprovement.Im
constantlyoptimizingbuteversoquietlyandwithoutalotofacknowledgement.
OccasionallyIattempttoleveragesmallwinswhenIseetheopportunitybutIwould
liketoaimforthisasamorepermanentmodeofenactingchange.Oftentheseopportunities
occurwhenacolleaguepresentsaproblemthatIhavealsodealtwithoriscuriousabout
somethingtheyheardafriendtryortheyheardinapresentation.Whenthesemoments
ariseIliketoreferencemyexperienceandgivedirectevidencetotheprosandconsofthe
issueinquestion.OnesuccessIhadwiththistechniquewasgettingthemajorityofmy
sciencedepartmentusingthesamecoursemanagementsoftware.Ideallyhavingallteachers
atourschoolusingthesamecoursemanagementsoftwarewouldbebestbutIstartedwith
mydepartmentwhenonememberexpressedadesiretohaveacommononlineplatformthat
teacherscouldusetoorganizethesciencefair.Fromtheirteachersrecognizedthepotential
ofthecommoncoursemanagementsoftwareanditslowlystartedpoppingupinother
departments.Iestimatethe30%oftheteachersatmyschoolnowusethissoftwareto
organizetheircourses.
MovingforwardIwouldlikeMeyersonsJakefromAtlasandactivelyspeakupwhenI
witnessaninjusticeoranopportunityforasmallwin.JakemadeapointtoincludeCarols
contributiontothediscussionatAtlasandpromoteequitywithallmembers.IfIwanttomake

moreproactivechangestomyworkplaceIneedtofindwaystoincludeallmembersand
leveragesmallwinsmorefrequently.

FacingChallenges
OfMeyersonsfourchallengesthetemperedradicalsfaceIcanseemyselfdealing
withthedifficultiesofambivalenceandfrustrationandburnoutthemost.Icurrently
experienceampleambivalencetowardmywork.Iloveandhateitatthesametime.Ilove
thecreativityIhave,thestudentsIworkwithandthesupportfrommyleaders.Ihatethe
exhaustinglyslowprocessofchangeandthelackofurgencyIwitnesswithcolleaguesand
theinfrastructureofmyorganization.Thesecontrastingpullsgivemealotofanxietyand
guilt.IdesperatelywanttobethebestteacherIcanbe.AtthesametimeIhavenorealway
ofknowingifIam.Iwaxandwanenearlyeveryweekonwhethermyeffortsaremakingany
impactonmystudents,mycolleagueandmyschool.Ibelievethisisaparticularchallengein
industriesthatinvolvepeoplebecausetheiraresomanyfactorsthatcanaffectoutcomes.Its
notlikemeasuringwhetheryouhavefiftymillilitersofwaterinabeakerwhichcanbe
preciselydonewiththecorrecttool.Itshardtocontrolforothervariableswhenyoure
dealingwithpeople.UltimatelyIthinkambivalencewillalwaysbeachallengethatneedsto
bemanagedwithincareersthatmeasuresuccessbythesuccessandgrowthofpeople.
Frustrationandburnoutcanoccurevenamongindividualsnotclassifiedastempered
radicals.Avoidingthesechallengesrequiresmanycopingstrategiesandskills.Oneofthe
beststrategiesIusetoavoidburnoutareleveragingalargepersonallearningnetworkoflike
mindededucatorsthroughresourceslikeTwitterandblogs.Iconstantlyusethesetoolsto
discovernewandexcitingideasfordeliveringsciencecontentandskillstomystudents.The
peoplethatsharetheirideasandresourcesonTwitterandblogsmotivatemetodothesame.

Togetherwecollaborate,shareandimproveourideasovertimeandhopefullythisleadsto
greaterstudentoutcomes.Again,itishardtoknowforsurebutevenifmystudentsdont
performbetteronsomestandardizedtestafterIintroducethemtoanewweb2.0tooltomake
infographicsIcanalwaysfallbackonthefactthatIlearnedsomethingnewandhavegrown
personallyandprofessionallyfortryingtousethatknowledgeinmyclassroom.