Moving Beyond the Agenda
It all begins with an idea.
There’s something sacred about how a team gathers.
Sure, we call them “staff meetings,” but beneath the Google Calendar invites and slide decks lies an opportunity to shape culture, foster connection, and build momentum. If we’re brave enough to do more than just “get through the agenda,” we can actually create space where people feel seen, heard, and energized to lead and teach from a place of clarity and conviction.
That’s where the Leap & Learn: Fail Forward Card Deck comes in.
This isn’t fluff. It’s a culture lever. And in staff meetings, it works.
The Problem with Most Meetings
Most staff meetings fall into one of two camps: logistical marathons or forced bonding. In both cases, the result is the same—fatigue, passive engagement, or the subtle checking-out that comes from knowing nothing said here will impact tomorrow’s practice.
Research from Gallup shows that “only 30% of employees strongly agree their opinions count at work.” That means 70% of folks walk into meetings knowing they might not say a word that matters—or be asked to. That’s a culture problem, not a time-management one.
Enter the Card Deck: Strategic Culture-Building
The Fail Forward deck wasn’t created to pass the time. It was designed to build trust, normalize reflection, and stretch thinking in ways that make staff meetings feel human and purposeful.
Imagine starting your next meeting not with “housekeeping,” but with a Launch Card:
What’s a recent win you didn’t give yourself enough credit for?”
That one question immediately shifts the energy. People lean in. They pause. They reflect. And then they speak from a place that invites others to do the same. That’s how cultures shift.
How to Use It Strategically
Below are a few research-aligned strategies for embedding the deck into your meetings with purpose:
1. Start with Belonging (Maslow Meets Maslach)
Use a Launch Card or Stumble Story at the top of a meeting to open a dialogue grounded in lived experience. Research on psychological safety (Amy Edmondson, Harvard) reminds us that teams who feel safe to share and stumble are more effective, creative, and resilient.
🟦 Try:
“Which lesson or moment this week surprised you most?”
🟥 Or:
“Talk about a time when you tried something new that didn’t go as planned—what did you learn?”
These aren’t just “fun questions.” They’re on-ramps to vulnerability, which builds trust.
2. Embed Reflection into Routine (Kolb’s Learning Cycle)
Use Leap Prompts to engage staff in deeper reflection on practice. This aligns with Kolb’s experiential learning model, which says real growth happens through structured reflection and iteration—not just content delivery.
🟩 Try:
“What’s something you want to try in the next two weeks that feels like a stretch? What support do you need to make it happen?”
3. Turn Insight Into Action (Adult Learning Theory)
Close your meeting with a Momentum Move that calls for shared commitment and action. Malcolm Knowles’ principles of andragogy emphasize the need for adult learners to apply learning immediately and connect it to real-life problems.
🟧 Try:
“What are three ways we can create safer spaces for student risk-taking this month?”
This is how the cards bridge conversation and action.
Pro Tips for Facilitators
Don’t make it feel like a pop quiz. Model vulnerability. Answer a card first.
Let people pass. You’re building trust, not forcing exposure.
Follow the energy. If a prompt resonates, don’t rush it.
Use visible anchors. Try a shared Jamboard or chart paper to post insights and revisit later.
Why It Works
According to The Center for Creative Leadership, “teams that regularly reflect on their work and process build stronger performance over time.” The Fail Forward deck turns reflection from a side note into a ritual.
You don’t need 90 minutes or a perfect agenda. You just need 5 minutes and the courage to ask a question that matters.