Stay or B but Go Home

After so many weeks together…I send out the following email.

Hey ______.

We are about making choices. And, once again, it’s time for you to make another choice:

STAY or GO

Give me a moment to explain. At the end of the semester, you and I will sit together. I will ask you to show me your work. And, I will weigh your work in light of what others in the tribe have made and what those in the tribes before you have made. At that moment, your semester’s worth of choices will be pulled forward for judgment. So, looking forward to that moment, will we marvel at your work, be satisfied or be disappointed?

Of course, we want to marvel at your work. However, getting there by the end of the semester requires making choices today. That’s why we need to know today where you stand. So, here’s the choice:

  • Choose to stay with us. And, if you do, that’s wonderful! That’s what we want to hear. Now, let’s get back to work.
  • Choose to go. If you choose to go, then I will give you a B in the class (guaranteed). However, if you choose to go, then you will have to leave the tribe. You will no longer attend classes or meetings. You will no longer have obligations to your project or us.

Here’s the thing, we need to know who to invest our love, encouragement and attention into. These things are not in infinite supply and we need to allocate them wisely. However, before making your choice, let me say the following: Do I think you can you do this work? Yes, of course, I do. But, will you do this work? I do not know. That’s for you to decide. Make your choice and turn in the attached sheet before our next class. Thanks. – dr H

Here’s the form I ask them to fill out and return to class with them:

Check off your choice:

_____ STAY

I choose to stay. And, I choose to accept the consequences of this choice. If I fail to deliver, it is my fault. No one or anything else is to blame. Not my group. Not my parents. Not my past or lack of expertise or pedigree. I own it. And, if I kick ass, I own that too. But, I also know that my ass-kicking would not have been possible without my tribe and the cohorts of students who came before me.

_____ GO

I accept a “B” as my final grade in this class. And, I understand that I cannot return to the class. I choose to leave the tribe.

Sign Your Name Below:

X____________________________________________________

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