--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At a school in Massachusetts where I once…" description: "\"At a school in Massachusetts where I once worked, we managed early on through consensus. Which sounds wonderful, but it was just a very, very difficult..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/geoffrey-canada-11965_almost_at-a-school-in-massachusetts-where-i-onc_1436191.jpg" --- # At a school in Massachusetts where I once worked, we… ![“At a school in Massachusetts where I once worked, we managed early on through consensus. Which sounds wonderful, but it was just a very, very difficult way to sort of manage anything, because convincing everybody to do one particular thing, especially if it was hard, was almost impossible.” quote by Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/geoffrey-canada-11965_almost_at-a-school-in-massachusetts-where-i-onc_1436191.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/geoffrey-canada-11965_almost_at-a-school-in-massachusetts-where-i-onc_1436191.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/geoffrey-canada-11965_almost_at-a-school-in-massachusetts-where-i-onc_1436191.jpg) > “At a school in Massachusetts where I once worked, we managed early on through consensus. Which sounds wonderful, but it was just a very, very difficult way to sort of manage anything, because convincing everybody to do one particular thing, especially if it was hard, was almost impossible.” [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Consensus decision‑making can seem ideal but often becomes impractically slow and difficult when unanimity is required. **In simple terms:** Consensus sounds good but is hard to achieve. Key Takeaway Seek balanced approaches that combine consensus with clear leadership. Themes collaboration decision‑making leadership efficiency Mood thoughtful pragmatic inspirational Type motivational strategic When to use this quote - team projects - policy development - community organizing - education reform Key Concepts organizational behavior political science conflict management Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance inclusivity with decisive action? - What mechanisms help resolve deadlocks? A Different Perspective Consensus can stall progress if dissent persists. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Almost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/almost/) [Anything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anything/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Consensus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consensus/) [Convincing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convincing/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-way-369334/) [Early](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/early/) [Early Consensus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/early-consensus-5127805/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Everybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everybody/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Manage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manage/) [Manage Convincing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manage-convincing-5127806/) [Massachusetts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/massachusetts/) [Once](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/once/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Sort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sort/) [Sounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sounds/) [Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing/) [Through](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/through/) [Very](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Where](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/where/) [Which](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/which/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) [Worked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worked/) ## Related quotes > [The way through the world is more difficult to find than the way beyond it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/the-way-through-the-world-is-more-difficult-to-find-than-the-way/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) > [I never go straight to the point if I can go the most difficult way. Why be simple when you can be complicated?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-scott-thomas/i-never-go-straight-to-the-point-if-i-can-go-the-most-difficult-way/) [Kristin Scott Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-scott-thomas/) > [Accents are always difficult in their way, but as long as you're not throwing an audience off with it, then that's all it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mendelsohn/accents-are-always-difficult-in-their-way-but-as-long-as-you-re-not/) [Ben Mendelsohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-mendelsohn/) > [“Living in a country where the majority is blind, you'll find it difficult to find the way”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabiso-monkoe/living-in-a-country-where-the-majority-is-blind-you-ll-find-it/) [Thabiso Monkoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabiso-monkoe/) > [Although attempting to bring about world peace through the internal transformation of individuals is difficult, it is the only way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/although-attempting-to-bring-about-world-peace-through-the-internal/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Sometimes one of the justices, because they're, you know, they're brilliant lawyers themselves, can put the question in a particular way so that, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-verrilli-jr/sometimes-one-of-the-justices-because-they-re-you-know-they-re/) [Donald Verrilli Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-verrilli-jr/) > [Spending time away from family during filming, I think, for every working mum is always difficult. But it has to be done; there's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dervla-kirwan/spending-time-away-from-family-during-filming-i-think-for-every/) [Dervla Kirwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dervla-kirwan/) > [Procrastinating, fighting and avoiding will only make it more difficult. The way out is to get it done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-marston/procrastinating-fighting-and-avoiding-will-only-make-it-more/) [Ralph Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-marston/) > [In this age, which believes that there is a short cut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/in-this-age-which-believes-that-there-is-a-short-cut-to-everything/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [When it is difficult to find a way, keep on moving is the only option.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/when-it-is-difficult-to-find-a-way-keep-on-moving-is-the-only-option/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [It will take you less time and effort to do a thing the difficult way than it will to buy, try and discard all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/it-will-take-you-less-time-and-effort-to-do-a-thing-the-difficult-way/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“It is difficult to see yourself the way others see you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-wyatt/it-is-difficult-to-see-yourself-the-way-others-see-you/) [Alfonso Wyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-wyatt/) > [“Always choose the most difficult way, there you will not meet competitors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/always-choose-the-most-difficult-way-there-you-will-not-meet/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [Choosing a role is very difficult. There's no way to have a strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-olin/choosing-a-role-is-very-difficult-there-s-no-way-to-have-a-strategy/) [Lena Olin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-olin/) > [“If you live in a country where the majority is blind, you'll find it difficult to find the way”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabiso-monkoe/if-you-live-in-a-country-where-the-majority-is-blind-you-ll-find-it/) [Thabiso Monkoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabiso-monkoe/) ## More by Geoffrey Canada > [I want my kids to graduate from high school. But that's not enough. I also want them to go to college. Why? Because rich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/i-want-my-kids-to-graduate-from-high-school-but-that-s-not-enough-i/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [Many schools today are sacrificing social studies, the arts and physical education so children can cover basic subjects like math, English and science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/many-schools-today-are-sacrificing-social-studies-the-arts-and/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [If you raise a child, there's no time, you can't be a great parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/if-you-raise-a-child-there-s-no-time-you-can-t-be-a-great-parent/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [Teachers need to be paid like professionals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/teachers-need-to-be-paid-like-professionals/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [Let's stop teaching to the middle and start teaching to the student.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/let-s-stop-teaching-to-the-middle-and-start-teaching-to-the-student/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [Video games offer violent messages, and even the sports video games include taunting and teasing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/video-games-offer-violent-messages-and-even-the-sports-video-games/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [There's not a day that goes by that I don't draw on my undergraduate background in psychology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/there-s-not-a-day-that-goes-by-that-i-don-t-draw-on-my-undergraduate/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [Convincing people to give your way a try will work if you neutralize - and sometimes you have to cauterize - the ones who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/convincing-people-to-give-your-way-a-try-will-work-if-you-neutralize/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [When kids know that you refuse to let them fail ... they don't give up as easy. So sometimes they don't have it inside,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/when-kids-know-that-you-refuse-to-let-them-fail-they-don-t-give-up-as/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [Kids who are poor often have families that have not really been kept informed about... how important it is to read to your child,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/kids-who-are-poor-often-have-families-that-have-not-really-been-kept/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [Monsters work seven days a week and don't take vacations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/monsters-work-seven-days-a-week-and-don-t-take-vacations/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [I believe that for lots of churches and religious institutions, their main focus on the development of faith among parishioners needs to spread to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/i-believe-that-for-lots-of-churches-and-religious-institutions-their/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [How is it we could have a system where schools could remain lousy for 50 years and yet you do exactly the same thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/how-is-it-we-could-have-a-system-where-schools-could-remain-lousy-for/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [When I began working in not-for-profits, it was taking a vow of poverty, which eliminated huge numbers of folks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/when-i-began-working-in-not-for-profits-it-was-taking-a-vow-of/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [You grow up in America and you're told from day one, 'This is the land of opportunity.' That everybody has an equal chance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/you-grow-up-in-america-and-you-re-told-from-day-one-this-is-the-land/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) [Explore all 57 Geoffrey Canada quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) ## More Almost quotes > [My mother worked in the white world, but I lived almost exclusively in a black world. I don't think I had ever seen a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/my-mother-worked-in-the-white-world-but-i-lived-almost-exclusively-in/) [Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Music is almost like a therapy for me. It helps keep me centered and think straight. Before I discovered it, I was walking around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/music-is-almost-like-a-therapy-for-me-it-helps-keep-me-centered-and/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [My favourite designers always create a strong silhouette, like McQueen and Tom Ford and Alaia. I like structured things that you can throw on,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liberty-ross/my-favourite-designers-always-create-a-strong-silhouette-like-mcqueen/) [Liberty Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liberty-ross/) > [Harry Truman wrote scathing letters, but he almost never sent them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/harry-truman-wrote-scathing-letters-but-he-almost-never-sent-them/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [It's almost inevitable there's going to be an escalation on both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-luther/it-s-almost-inevitable-there-s-going-to-be-an-escalation-on-both-sides/) [Bill Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-luther/) > [I like men who are very cool but who are also so brilliant that they are almost insane. Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Bob Dylan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolene-blalock/i-like-men-who-are-very-cool-but-who-are-also-so-brilliant-that-they/) [Jolene Blalock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jolene-blalock/) > [If you watch wrestling, you now know the hip-hop culture is being represented with wrestling. For the longest time, the cultures have almost been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cena/if-you-watch-wrestling-you-now-know-the-hip-hop-culture-is-being/) [John Cena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cena/) > [Almost every Monday I have a charity thing. I like that. I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-berra/almost-every-monday-i-have-a-charity-thing-i-like-that-i-do/) [Yogi Berra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-berra/) > [Pete Seeger is a modest, unassuming, cheerful, and kind-natured man. He's a good folk singer, if you can stand folk singing. And he's such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/pete-seeger-is-a-modest-unassuming-cheerful-and-kind-natured-man-he-s/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Almost immediately, I remember right when Tikrit even fell, a few days after Baghdad fell, there was talks of insurgency, there was talks of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farnaz-fassihi/almost-immediately-i-remember-right-when-tikrit-even-fell-a-few-days/) [Farnaz Fassihi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farnaz-fassihi/) > [While it is often true that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, it seems like Yahoo's almost obsessive focus on Google is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-swisher/while-it-is-often-true-that-the-enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend-it/) [Kara Swisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-swisher/) > [I'd had episodes before, but I swept them under the carpet. This time, I couldn't do that because everyone knew. I got on with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-kidder/i-d-had-episodes-before-but-i-swept-them-under-the-carpet-this-time-i/) [Margot Kidder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-kidder/) > [I was hit by a car. I almost died. My show was taken away from me. I was frightened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-brennan/i-was-hit-by-a-car-i-almost-died-my-show-was-taken-away-from-me-i-was/) [Eileen Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-brennan/) > [With \*NSYNC, we shopped our deal for a year in America, sang a capella in everybody's office, then moved to Germany for almost two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jc-chasez/with-nsync-we-shopped-our-deal-for-a-year-in-america-sang-a-capella/) [JC Chasez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jc-chasez/) [Browse all 1,672 Almost quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/almost/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "At a school in Massachusetts where I once worked, we managed early on through consensus. Which sounds wonderful, but it was just a very, very difficult way to sort of manage anything, because convincing everybody to do one particular thing, especially if it was hard, was almost impossible.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Geoffrey Canada" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/at-a-school-in-massachusetts-where-i-once-worked-we-managed-early-on/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Almost" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/at-a-school-in-massachusetts-where-i-once-worked-we-managed-early-on/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/geoffrey-canada-11965_almost_at-a-school-in-massachusetts-where-i-onc_1436191.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/geoffrey-canada-11965_almost_at-a-school-in-massachusetts-where-i-onc_1436191.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/geoffrey-canada-11965_almost_at-a-school-in-massachusetts-where-i-onc_1436191.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“At a school in Massachusetts where I once worked, we managed early on through consensus. Which sounds…” — Geoffrey Canada", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Geoffrey Canada", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "At a school in Massachusetts where...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/at-a-school-in-massachusetts-where-i-once-worked-we-managed-early-on/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/at-a-school-in-massachusetts-where-i-once-worked-we-managed-early-on/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```