Plan for the Unplanned

By Rich Czyz

Four O'Clock Faculty Posted February 26, 2026

🧠 Executive Insight for School Leaders

School leadership is often described as a balance between vision and interruption.

A carefully constructed agenda can be dismantled in minutes by an unexpected student issue, a facilities problem, or a sudden schedule shift. Yet while leaders acknowledge that disruptions are inevitable, most calendars remain packed at 100% capacity.

Rich Czyz’s reflection offers a powerful reframing:

If emergencies are predictable, then they should be planned for.

Rather than treating interruptions as anomalies, effective leaders design systems that absorb them without derailing priorities.

The key is not doing more — but creating space.

🔍 The Problem with Packed Calendars

When every minute is booked, leaders are forced into reactive trade-offs.

Each unexpected event pushes something meaningful aside:

• Instructional leadership • Data review
• Teacher coaching
• Strategic planning

Over time, the urgent crowds out the important.

Czyz argues that productivity is not maximized through density — but through intentional flexibility.

White space becomes not wasted time, but a leadership safeguard.

🧰 Five Strategies for Protecting Leadership Time

1️⃣ The One-for-One Rule

For every scheduled commitment, block an equal amount of open time.

A 30-minute parent meeting should be followed by 30 minutes of white space.

While a perfect 50/50 balance may not always be possible, striving toward this ratio creates resilience within the schedule.

Unexpected issues no longer collapse the day.

2️⃣ Buffer Space

Avoid back-to-back meetings.

Instead, attach a 15–20 minute buffer after each event.

If a meeting runs long, the day remains intact. If it ends early, leaders gain valuable time for quick wins.

Buffer space transforms transitions from stress points into opportunities.

3️⃣ Daily Disaster Downtime

Interruptions are inevitable — so schedule them.

Czyz recommends building one hour each day specifically for unforeseen issues.

Creative naming (e.g., “Meltdown Monday” or “Wildfire Wednesday”) reinforces the mindset shift:

Disruption is not failure — it is part of the work.

Planning for it preserves mental bandwidth and decision quality.

4️⃣ Status Meetings with Yourself

White space is not only for emergencies.

It protects deep work.

By scheduling regular personal check-ins — such as Monday morning, Wednesday afternoon, and Friday reflection — leaders ensure time for:

• Reviewing student data • Updating observation notes
• Strategic planning

Without these protected windows, leadership becomes consumed by operational demands.

5️⃣ Open Office Hours

Interruptions often stem from accessibility.

Instead of resisting spontaneous visits, designate specific open hours.

This approach:

• Encourages collaboration • Supports staff morale
• Reduces unscheduled disruptions

Structure replaces chaos.

🏫 Leadership Implications

🔹 1. White Space Drives Strategic Work

Time reserved for the unexpected enables focus on the essential.

🔹 2. Flexibility Improves Decision-Making

Leaders with breathing room respond thoughtfully rather than reactively.

🔹 3. Planning for Disruption Builds Sustainability

Mental fatigue decreases when leaders are not constantly scrambling.

🔹 4. Culture Follows Calendar

When leaders model intentional scheduling, teams adopt similar practices.

🎯 School Leadership 2.0 Takeaway

Leadership effectiveness is not determined by how full a calendar appears.

It is determined by what remains possible when the unexpected occurs.

White space is not idle time.

It is:

• Strategic capacity • Emotional resilience
• Instructional protection

In the worst case, it absorbs disruption.

In the best case, it creates found time for the work that truly advances schools.

For today’s leaders, the lesson is simple:

Leave space to lead.

Original Article

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Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT (5.2) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com