What do you get, when you don’t get what you want. Experience. This week I witnessed how unforgiving leadership can be. A colleague sharing a wholeschool agenda, with positive staff ‘buy-in,’ working to the benefit of almost all teaching staff almost lost everything on a technicality.
Delivering at a staff briefing update he outlined an agreed side step or diversion from the proposed programme. This diversion had been discussed at the Directors of Learning meeting and Student Voice before being signed off by SLT. The announcement was a formality right? Wrong.
In presenting the ‘agreed’ change, colleagues were quick to question the decision and my colleague opening answered their initial queries. Despite general staff support for the programme, questions led to further queries and the tone changed rather quickly and much to my surprise. Our Headteacher assertively stepped in, re-packaged the communication, deferred the questions and moved the stalling meeting forward.
The incident was reviewed and the following advice shared with all at the leadership meeting…..
- Succinctly outline the decision making process taken and the breadth of consultation. Shared ownership.
- Present the conclusion and the benefits to the students, staff an school.
- If appropriate thank colleagues, individuals, for their contribution to date.
… before taking or answering questions.
The leadership lessons noted
- The more open the forum, the tighter the delivery needs to be.
- The delivery of a leadership decision to staff, is best advised to outline the contribution of the staff.
- Outline the prior opportunities for contribution, especially if this is not one of the.