HAVE A FEDEX DAY In Chapter 4, we learned how the software company Atlassian injects a burst of autonomy into its workplace by setting aside a day each quarter when employees can work on any project they choose, however they want, with whomever they’d like. Why not try this with your students—or even your own sons and daughters? Set aside an entire school day (or a family vacation day) and ask kids to come up with a problem to solve or a project to tackle. In advance, help them collect the tools, information, and supplies they might need. Then let them have at it. The next morning, ask them to deliver—by reporting back to the class or the family on their discoveries and experiences. It’s like Project Runway—only the kids
come up with the project themselves, and the reward at the end of the day is the chance to share what they’ve created and all they’ve learned along the way.