How to survive at the top volume 3

d 3: p an e m rshi ce u l Vo ade man Le rfor k o pe bo nd d an w a rs h A r ne de fo g lea irin p as

nd a rty hton a g s Fo r Ru Jim ete P

AMiE is a partnership between ACM and ATL

Contents

1 2 4 5 6 8 13 14 15 16 17 18 18 19 20 23

26 27 30 31

32 33 34 36 38 41 42 43

Acknowledgements/Foreword Introduction Leadership as an art Developing individuals Qualities of the best leaders Sharing good practice Barriers to sharing good practice Peer referencing Collaborative leadership Summary Challenge and support for improvement Managing individual performance Improving quality Providing clarity Setting and agreeing targets Communicating with individuals Understanding the challenge and support dimension Coaching and mentoring Coaching or ‘drawing out’ Mentoring or ‘putting in’ Key messages of coaching and mentoring Leading through others Distributed leadership Talent management The listening leader Becoming resilient Published by the AMiE Conclusion www.amie.uk.com bibliography Select Feedback should be Useful websites sent to: AMiE 35 The Point Market Harborough Leicestershire LE16 7QU Tel 01858 461 110 Fax 01858 461 366

Published by the AMiE www.amie.uk.com Feedback should be sent to: AMiE, 35 The Point Market Harborough Leicestershire LE16 7QU Tel 01858 461 110 Fax 01858 461 366 AMiE is the union and professional association for leaders and managers in schools and colleges.

Project editor: Yvonne Fleming Edited and designed by thingswedo Printer: Blackmore Ltd, Shaftesbury, Dorset © Association of Managers in Education 2010.

All rights reserved.

Colleagues are most welcome to use the materials in this book in training sessions, however we would ask that you register your use with AMiE on 01858 461 110.

Acknowledgements Our thanks are due to Yvonne Fleming, National Officer for School Leadership at AMiE, for her wise advice and support throughout this series.

We would also like to thank our colleagues from Promoting Excellence, Pauline Morris and Ray Begley, for their practical help, suggestions and invaluable counsel.

We also acknowledge all the schools, academies, colleges and individual participants on Promoting Excellence programmes whose open and honest views have formed such an integral part of this booklet.

Jim Fogarty and Peter Rushton Promoting Excellence Ltd

Foreword Welcome to this third publication in AMiE’s How to survive at the top series.

These bite-size volumes, specifically designed to support new and aspiring leaders and managers in the practicalities of developing their own leadership skills, also have much to offer the experienced leader as a guide to best practice and a framework to reflect on individual development, improvement and values.

I hope that, no matter what the stage of your career, you will find the following pages useful and relevant to the challenges you face on a daily basis and a source of practical tips to promote change and improvement in your organisation.

Peter Pendle General Secretary and Chief Executive, AMiE Deputy General Secretary, ATL

Introduction

Change is inevitable. Sometimes even the most carefully thought out leadership plans can be overtaken by what Harold Macmillan called ‘Events, dear boy’. This booklet, Leadership and performance, which forms Volume 3 of AMiE’s How to survive at the top series, aims to help you cope with change while raising performance.

The two earlier volumes in the series aimed at developing a deeper understanding of leadership. The importance of a healthy lifestyle, including a good work–life balance, was underlined as a support for effective leadership, and the major themes centred on emotional intelligence, positivity and becoming a reflective leader.

This volume makes essential links to these and other leadership issues, while focusing on raising individual performance. It stresses the importance of making one-to-one interactions the key to effective leadership, and emphasises the potential impact of coaching and mentoring skills.

Among the issues covered in this booklet are:

1 1developing individuals 1 1sharing good practice 1 1collaborative leadership 1 1talent management.

Leadership and performance can be read as a sequel to the previous two volumes in the series or as a stand-alone booklet. It assumes that the new or aspiring leader is beginning to develop leadership skills and experience.

Effective leaders are optimists, who look for possibilities in even the most tumultuous periods of change. Leaders need to respond, priorities must be adapted, and developing our own people becomes even more important. The central premise of this booklet is that growing your own talent is effective.

You will have discovered for yourself that while leadership is often satisfying, it is rarely simple. The effective leader never stops learning; by using talent management – a systematic process for the identification and development of potential leaders – you will gain as much as your colleagues.

1

Leadership as an art

2

As new leaders facing everyday challenges, it would be nice to think that if only we could learn the ‘right’ way of tackling an issue, then it would always provide the correct outcome: if X happens and we do Y, then we should always get Z = the right result.

If only it were that simple and logical! In leadership issues, unlike mathematics, a trusted formula won’t always produce the ‘right’ solution. Indeed, we would contend that leadership is often more of an art than a science. Or to put it another way, it is less like playing a piano concerto and more like playing jazz – for the best results, you must be able to improvise around the leadership theme. This is where situational leadership – adapting your response to any given context – becomes important.

The more you get involved in leadership, the more you realise that no two issues are ever completely the same; it’s the subtle nuances which make situations so complex, demanding, engaging and sometimes infuriating. top tip

Get into the habit of reviewing a situation for any critical differences between now and the last time you dealt with the same issue.

It shouldn’t come as a complete surprise when seemingly similar situations cannot be resolved in the same way.

A plethora of elements could have changed and may require completely different responses to how you dealt with them last time. For example:

1 1the resources may be different 1 1it may be more or less urgent this time 1 1the internal or external pressures may vary 1 1individuals may be at different stages of development or skills 1 1the team may be at a different stage of development.

And of course you may have changed as a leader: you may have acquired new skills and experience. top tip

Reflect on past experience, but don’t assume that old solutions will always be the answer to new problems.

3

Developing individuals

4

The most common variable which adds to the complexity of leadership is the challenge of dealing with people who have different skills, experience and motivations. Developing others is the ability to sense their professional needs and to build on their talents.

So, is the objective of the new leader to minimise this variable or to celebrate it? The obvious answer is: to minimise the variable, by ensuring that every individual is performing at their highest skill and motivational level. Yet that will not iron out many of the other differences; indeed, many leaders would not want to try. A team composed of a mix of experience, skills, age, ethnicity or gender is often more vibrant, exciting and successful than a team of ‘clones’.

Among the new leader’s first jobs is to provide absolute clarity of vision – and clarity about standards, expectations and support. Once direction and standards are clear, there can be massive practical benefits from working with a rich mixture of individuals. top tips

Celebrate diversity.

Be an effective coach.

Qualities of the best leaders Asking adults what they valued most about their best teacher at school gives some illuminating insights. The best teacher:

1 1‘set high standards and made me believe I could reach them’ 1 1‘supported me when I was going through a bad patch’ 1 1‘was consistent’ 1 1‘was understanding when I got things wrong’ 1 1‘knew and loved the subject and passed that enthusiasm on’ 1 1‘made it enjoyable’ 1 1‘gave me confidence’ 1 1‘changed my future’.

As teacher recruitment campaigns claim, the ‘best teachers’ impact on the lives of individuals.

5

Remarkably, when asked to reflect on their ‘best bosses’, participants on training programmes gave responses that mirror the ‘best teacher’ responses above. The best boss:

1 1‘made things clear’ 1 1‘set high standards’ 1 1‘helped and supported’ 1 1‘gave me opportunities to develop’ 1 1‘was interested in me as an individual’ 1 1‘made me believe I could do it’ 1 1‘gave me confidence’ 1 1‘had faith in me’.

The most common descriptors focus on how the ‘boss’ or the teacher was interested in developing the individual.

Two underlying themes from these best qualities relate to how to deal with individuals: prioritise their development; and build their confidence. To become the best boss, you need to do far more than merely create the best system for allocating paperclips – you need to assume a developmental role and, most importantly, to build confidence in individuals. Improving people’s performance is inextricably linked to developing their confidence.

Anyone who ever gave you confidence, you owe them a lot.

Truman Capote

Sharing good practice Sharing good practice can be a relatively quick and effective way of widening individual horizons and improving performance. One well-established method of raising individual and group performance is by exposing your staff to best practice in others. This can have the dual advantage of demonstrating specific skills and providing a benchmark for excellence.

So what’s not to like? Ask any representative group of colleagues about sharing good practice and they will unanimously agree that it is ‘a good thing’. Yet, if there is so much approval of sharing good practice in theory, why aren’t there more effective examples of it in practice?

6

Case study Jean

Case study Rani

In theory, Jean approves of sharing good practice, but she is reluctant to get involved, because she fears that comparisons will be unavoidable and will expose her work as not being good enough. So… Jean prefers to stay in the shade.

Rani thinks that one aspect of his work might be good practice.

In fact, he is quite proud of what he has developed, but the last thing he wants is for colleagues to think he is boastful. Claiming that he does things better than them might harm relationships.

So… Rani keeps quiet.

Case study John

Case study Linda

John has no idea what good practice is, because he has never seen an outstanding example.

He muddles on as well as he can.

So… for John, ignorance is bliss.

Linda has worked really hard for years to get together what she thinks are now really good resources for delivering her scheme of work. Why should she share them? Let others develop their own. So… what Linda has, she keeps to herself.

top tip

Before you drive for improvement, learn about the terrain: get to know your staff as individuals, including their hopes and fears.

7

Barriers to sharing good practice The case studies on page 7 are just four examples of situations which new leaders can experience. Often these situations are due to one or more barriers:

1 1Barrier 1: lack of confidence 1 1Barrier 2: lack of an appropriate process 1 1Barrier 3: a climate that is not conducive to openness.

New leaders need to develop strategies in order to improve individual performance by sharing good practice. top tips

Barriers can be overcome, if you can predict and deal with them far enough in advance.

Staff learn best from other professionals.

Overcoming Barrier 1: lack of confidence 360-degree appraisals show that lack of confidence is far more prevalent than is commonly imagined, and it occurs at every level. New leaders usually find that their confidence grows as they become more experienced. Hopefully, you will find that tasks which at first filled you with dread will eventually become easier, as your leadership skills develop. So if this is true of you, then it is also true of all your colleagues.

Your role as leader is therefore to provide the opportunity, the support and the environment for growth. Opportunity is important to building confidence, because in the end people have to learn by doing. Many attest to the fact that their ‘best boss’ gave them opportunities to improve their skills and to challenge their fears. However, providing opportunities should be about empowerment and delegation, not about abdication of responsibility. While some people claim to have learnt to swim by being thrown in at the deep end, just as many have been in danger of drowning!

Whether you think you can, or think you can’t – you are right.

Henry Ford

8

It is far better to provide support for improvement in the form of coaching, and an environment where as long as you learn from your mistakes, then failure isn’t the end of the world.

Figure 1. Growing confidence leads to success

Success in practice

top tip

Confidence

Successful performance

Provide opportunity, offer coaching and celebrate success whenever possible. Everyone appreciates a round of applause now and then.

If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint’, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.

Vincent Van Gogh

Lack of confidence exists at many levels, sometimes with good reason, but often without just cause. You need a strategy for getting to know and supporting each individual:

1 1Get to know each member of your team.

1 1Emphasise their strengths and use them.

1 1Don’t overlook their weaknesses: challenge and offer support.

1 1Listen carefully to individuals. top tips

You have two ears and one mouth. An effective leader should use them in that proportion.

Develop your coaching skills.

9

Overcoming Barrier 2: lack of an appropriate process Acknowledging that sharing good practice would benefit your team isn’t enough in itself. You need to develop (and build into the schedules) suitable processes and resources for disseminating good practice, because it won’t happen by goodwill alone.

You should:

1 1explain the purpose 1 1identify roles 1 1promote the benefits for everybody 1 1design a process with maximum impact which caters for different learning styles 1 1communicate it clearly and regularly 1 1put it on team agendas 1 1take part in it yourself 1 1plan and schedule it well in advance 1 1encourage it and provide incentives 1 1review it as a team.

Make a plan for sharing good practice:

Purpose

Roles

Evaluate

Method

Why?

Who will do what and when?

Learn from it and move on

What will have maximum impact?

Keep it going One of the biggest problems with a process for sharing good practice seems to be the difficulty of sustaining it. Good intentions and goodwill can sometimes carry it through its initial stages, but good leadership is required to keep it going. It is vital to ensure that it doesn’t become just another initiative – today’s priority but sidelined tomorrow.

Be resilient, keep it going. A good leader needs to regularly review and evaluate the process in order to sustain it, modify it and refresh it. Processes, like buildings, decay with neglect.

10

Figure 2. The review cycle

Evaluate

Refresh

Sustain

Give encouragement A leader should strive to find and be aware of opportunities for seeing colleagues doing things well, for example greeting students or answering a phone call from a member of the public. Make an effort to observe them doing things well, then:

1 1acknowledge it 1 1give praise and recognition 1 1encourage them to share and disseminate. top tip

Be proactive: ensure that ‘small strengths’ are recognised and celebrated.

Overcoming Barrier 3: lack of an appropriate climate and culture Climate is what it feels like at this moment to work in a particular team, school or college – it’s the ‘atmosphere’ of the workplace, which is influenced by individual and group patterns of behaviour. Culture is more long term and involves ingrained habits, values and conventions: ‘how we always do things round here’.

Climate is not permanent, so if the new leader inherits a group where co-operation and mutual support are not prevalent, then the climate can and must be changed. Culture is slower to change.

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Changing the culture can feel like changing the direction of an oil tanker; whereas changing the climate can be more immediate.

Climate and culture are important, because they shape behaviour in an organisation. Climate is inextricably linked with performance. A positive climate influences motivation – and from increased motivation stems enhanced performance. A climate in which co-operation and mutual support are high on the list of individual and group expectations is a climate which provides sound foundations for the sharing of good practice. Support and co-operation are necessary but not sufficient in themselves.

Figure 3. Improving the climate

Climate e

Motivation

Performance Pe e

The new leader must develop an open climate:

1 1that is based on trust and is not risk averse 1 1where failure is not final 1 1where there is no blame culture 1 1which is outward-looking 1 1where there is a willingness to learn from others.

Aim to display positive, inspirational and aspirational leadership, which trusts and empowers staff. think about

Does the climate in your team promote openness?

What do your staff feel about the team climate?

When did specific team members last visit another school or college in order to share good practice? When did you?

12

Peer referencing Peer referencing is a process whereby staff in schools or colleges, working together, exercise collective judgements about the quality and standards of provision. Where it works well, they share the responsibility for improving quality and standards. It is part of a continuous improvement process and there is ownership of a partnership approach.

Although more often used to describe collaborations between different schools and colleges, peer referencing can be used just as effectively within the same organisation across teams.

What makes peer referencing different from the sharing of good practice? More evaluation and benchmarking. think about

How much do you really know about the strengths of other teams in your own organisation?

Core activities of peer referencing include:

1 1the sharing and transfer of good practice 1 1validation of self-evaluation judgements 1 1joint training 1 1networking opportunities for staff 1 1work-shadowing 1 1coaching and mentoring 1 1management of specific projects and action planning 1 1lesson observations 1 1benchmarking of performance, using agreed measures 1 1subject/curriculum review.

Successful peer referencing requires:

1 1confidence and trust between the schools/colleges or teams 1 1clarity of purpose 1 1practicalities (scheduling and logistics of meetings) 1 1reciprocity and parity of status 1 1a perception of being positive and developmental 1 1minimal bureaucracy 1 1professional dialogues, feedback and coaching 1 1skilled and experienced staff to take part 1 1strong leadership, to ensure ownership and impact.

13

Collaborative leadership Working in collaboration requires a different mindset and particular leadership qualities, such as a willingness to learn from others, a commitment to sharing and an ability to build effective external relationships. think about

Is collaboration a high priority in your team?

Is the team inward-looking?

As a leader, you will not be able to rely solely on your authority as line manager to drive things along; you will have to develop your powers of influence. Influence is about your ability to move your agenda forward by persuading, convincing, making it interesting and impacting upon others. It involves communication, networking and professional relationship-building.

How you are perceived – whether you are seen as a credible role model or not – impacts heavily upon your power to influence. A leader is only a leader because of the influence he or she exerts. No influence means no leadership.

top tip

14

The key to collaborative leadership is influence, not authority.

Summary Sharing good practice is most effective when:

1 1individuals are explicitly encouraged 1 1processes are effectively structured 1 1a positive, open and supportive climate makes it feel appropriate and valuable.

One of the most effective ways of generating a climate of sharing is when the leader is a model of openness:

1 1encouraging a collaborative approach 1 1welcoming questions and queries 1 1having a real and virtual open-door policy 1 1sharing resources. think about

What would be your first practical step to promote better sharing of good practice in your team?

So when are you going to take that first step?

15

Challenge and support for improvement

16

Managing individual performance The word ‘performance’, with its connotations of theatre or opera, may seem to describe a transient process – how someone acts on a particular night, for example. But the performance for which you now have responsibility is long term; it is the way in which individuals do their jobs and contribute positively or negatively to the experience of students over time.

The clear expectation for those who are striving for excellence is that individual performance should continually improve. Once you have become involved in leadership, you become responsible not just for your own performance but also for the performance of others.

Confusingly, the term ‘performance management’ is also often used for the specific process of appraisal.

However, a common misconception is that performance management is only about managing underperformance.

On the contrary, managing and sustaining the performance of your high achievers is just as important as managing low achievers, and can be equally challenging. think about

Do you tend to invest your time in your low achievers or your high achievers? Why? Managing individual performance is about managing people, with their complicated web of skills, experience, understanding, motivation and relationships. Few managers boast of complete success and most view it as a real and constant challenge.

top tip

It’s about individuals and empathy – it’s about coaching.

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Improving quality There are numerous admirable systems for quality assurance and it is not the remit of this booklet to differentiate between them. Suffice to say that many provide adequate processes, as long as they are used within effective leadership. Quality assurance systems are like cars: any amount of RollsRoyce engineering technology is useless in reaching your destination, if the driver doesn’t know where they are going. It’s even worse if they can’t drive properly.

Action research by the University of Liverpool’s Research and Evaluation Unit (at a series of outstanding departments in a range of Beacon colleges in 2008) found that they shared no identical quality assurance system.

However, they did share some essential and common elements related to quality assurance, including:

1 1support for the individual 1 1ownership by the individual 1 1clear targets 1 1monitoring and review 1 1use of self-assessment. top tip

Focus on leading the individual towards quality improvement.

Leadership is the key to improving performance.

Providing clarity The first role of a leader is to provide clarity. It is all too easy to develop a confusing set of goals, to be influenced by the latest initiatives, or to respond to too many external pressures – to produce a ‘spaghetti bowl’ of often contradictory objectives for the individuals in your team. These may intertwine but never really join up, so clarity is lost. The role of all leaders is to:

1 1agree a clear vision for the team 1 1make clear the role of each individual 1 1agree clear targets with individuals 1 1review targets regularly 1 1offer support when necessary 1 1celebrate success whenever possible.

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Great leaders enthuse individuals, by giving them a clear sense of purpose and direction. top tip

Keep it simple.

Setting and agreeing targets It is always worthwhile spending time planning and then discussing objectives with individuals. The achievement of targets, whether via annual appraisals or just day-to-day team improvement areas, is most effective when there has been prior discussion and agreement at the target-setting stage. This leads to ‘ownership’ of the objectives and improves motivation.

Occasionally you will have to impose targets upon reluctant individuals, but imposed targets can never be as successful as those which the individual ‘owns’ – and you still need plenty of prior discussion to ensure clarity. top tip

Make targets clear and be generous with your praise when they are reached. Behaviour that is rewarded will be repeated.

To ensure absolute clarity in target-setting, endeavour to use C-SMART targets:

1 1Challenging – stretching, to improve and go beyond present level of performance 1 1Specific – precise and unambiguous, so individuals understand what is being aimed for Measurable – qualitative or quantitative; individuals should 11 be able to tell what they have achieved and when 1 1Achievable – individuals should be realistically able to achieve the targets within their skills, capability and control 1 1Relevant – individuals’ targets should be relevant to their role and should fit within any team objectives 1 1Time-related – targets should not only be about ‘what’ is to be achieved but also ‘when’.

19

Case study James

James, Assistant Head of Arts and Humanities, is reviewing GCSE mock results with his department heads. A number of high-performing students in other subjects – A*/A results – are achieving Cs or Ds in French. These tend to be boys.

Targets are agreed with Alice, the Head of MFL. These include a review of teaching methodology and schemes of work, and targeted approaches to boys to be put in place, with the expectation of improved grades (at least one grade) by the summer examinations.

Communicating with individuals We have underlined the importance of becoming a reflective leader, of regularly thinking about what you do and, most importantly, about how you do it.

Now take a few moments to think about your interactions with people, for example on a particularly busy day. List the people in your team to whom you spoke for any length of time. Think about each conversation and analyse it by style and type.

You could include such characteristics as:

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Type of interaction

Style of interaction

Work-based Not work-based Formal Informal Serious Light-hearted Short Long

Telling Guiding Showing Listening Motivating Sharing Empowering Supportive

Was this typical or untypical?

Suppose your list then looks like this: Type of interaction

Style of interaction

Was this typical or untypical?

Tom

Short, light-hearted, Sharing not work-focused

Typical

Ahmed

Brief, informal, work-focused

Showing

Typical

Jeanette

Long, serious

Telling

Untypical

Sam

Short, formal

Motivating

Typical

Pat

Long

Supportive

Untypical

We are not suggesting that you spend your valuable time in a state of constant self-analysis, but if you think about this occasionally, you may see a pattern emerging.

Ask yourself whether your interactions with particular individuals have become stereotyped, so that you are:

1 1always willing to see their point of view (or not) 1 1always work-based (or not) 1 1usually light-hearted (or serious) 1 1often formal (or informal), and so on. think about

Do I use a limited style?

Am I approachable?

Do I have favourites?

Am I considered a good listener?

Do I interrupt colleagues prematurely?

Am I missing opportunities to communicate with certain individuals?

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Let’s take the reflective leader a little further.

Fill in the table below.

In my team last week, how often did I:

Number of times

provide unconditional praise? give constructive, challenging feedback? really listen to a colleague? ask for feedback? delegate a task? provide an opportunity for growth? inspire or motivate a colleague? support an individual? make a colleague feel good?

think about

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Would YOU feel valued if you worked for a leader like you?

What steps can you take to fill in the gaps in your leadership behaviour?

Understanding the challenge and support dimension The new leader is faced with the twin responsibilities of providing both support and challenge for individuals. Too often this is perceived as an either/or dilemma: do I opt for supporting individuals or challenging them? The leader who tends to be over-affiliative is inclined to produce a cosy, supportive climate, while the leader who is too driven by the power motive can develop a highly challenging and even confrontational climate. The trick is to develop a climate based on a balance of support and challenge.

Evison and Horabin’s work on co-counselling (1985) illustrates how individuals feel at work when faced with a range of support and challenge, and how this affects the outcomes. They found that too much support can produce dependency, while too little can produce isolation. Challenge can lead to individual improvement, but too little challenge will produce inertia and too much can have a negative impact on individuals. Different levels of support and challenge are required for different situations, individuals and teams.

For the new leader, this study underlines the need to understand every leadership situation with all its subtleties and vagaries, but most of all it emphasises the critical task of understanding the individuals in your team. It’s about balance. top tip

think about

Support should be calibrated by the complexity of the challenge – and vice versa. The more complex the challenge, the more support there should be.

Consider Figure 4 on pages 24–25. How would you define the support/challenge dimension in your team?

Does this need to change?

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Figure 4. The support/challenge dimension

High challenge Low support

think about Now consider what it feels like for the individuals in your team.

What can you do to change this?

I will survive, won’t I? Can leave individuals without help or encouragement in the face of seemingly huge obstacles, and can result in feelings of anger, anxiety, frustration, stress.

Outcomes can include:

1 1high expectations but uneven achievement variable standards 11 1 1risk aversion and fear of failure 1 1blame culture and low morale 1 1panic.

I will survive, won’t I?

24

High challenge high support

We can do it!

Can be the most stimulating climate to work in.

Outcomes can include:

1 1high motivation and enthusiasm 1 1individuals who can deal with change 1 1confidence 1 1being willing to take the initiative 1 1stretch and development.

We can do it!

low challenge low support

Inertia rules O…!

low challenge high support high support

No change here , thanks!

Outcomes can include:

The climate of the ‘rest home’. It feels safe and comfortable, but prolonged immersion causes feelings of complete debilitation and institutionalisation and again leads to poor performance.

1 1very low expectations,

Outcomes can include:

low achievement and very low standards 1 1alienation, isolation and apathy 1 1avoidance of new initiatives 1 1low morale 1 1depression.

1 1low expectations, low

Inertia rules O…!

No change here, thanks!

Over a long period this can be very boring. Bored individuals become apathetic and eventually resistant to any sort of change, which leads to poor performance.

achievement and low standards 1 1complacency 1 1lack of knowledge of new initiatives 1 1stagnation.

25

Coaching and mentoring

26

Coaching and mentoring are well-established routes to raising individual performance. They are based on the premise that one-to-one interactions are the most powerful tool for influencing people. Both activities take time and commitment, but they can be built into existing processes and set meetings, as well as becoming part of informal interactions.

Strictly speaking, coaching and mentoring are two separate processes, but they share some common characteristics:

1 1one-to-one meetings, dialogue or feedback (formal or informal) 1 1a focus on personal development.

They also require the same skill set, and while you are more likely to become engaged in mentoring, it is vital that you first develop coaching skills.

Coaching or ‘drawing out’ Coaching is a specific process, by which the coach assists an individual in acquiring particular skills and competencies necessary for a role. Key skills required of the coach are:

1 1emotional intelligence 1 1listening skills 1 1the ability to ask the right questions 1 1gentle probing of the answers given 1 1being good at building rapport.

In both coaching and mentoring, results are obtained via the supportive one-to-one relationship, but coaching is more about being led towards self-discovery. To do this, coaches should adopt a non-directive approach, which recognises our capacity to learn, if we are stimulated in the right way.

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Figure 5. Instructing v coaching Directing

Instructing

Mentoring

Coaching

Enabling

Avoid resorting frequently to ‘directing’ because you think it will save time – it won’t in the long run.

Coaches draw out the potential of the individual to solve their own problems. But remember, it is not just about focusing on underperformance but on improvement. top tips

Instructing delivers conformity, whereas coaching delivers ownership.

The coach/mentor can also gain significantly themselves by the insights developed throughout the process.

A simple coaching process The simpler the coaching process, the easier it is to develop your skills. You need to get the individual to reflect rigorously and honestly on three stages:

1 1the current situation – where are they right now?

1 1the preferred situation – where do they want to be?

1 1a plan of action – how can they get there?

28

Figure 6. The three stages of the coaching process

Stage 1 Where am I now?

Stage 2 Where do I want to be?

Stage 3 How do I get there?

Stage 1 is often the most emotional. Don’t rush it and don’t jump to conclusions. Give the individual time to really understand the situation.

Quite often the individual may then have no concept of where they want to be, apart from ‘somewhere else’. Probing and insightful questions are necessary at Stage 2, for example:

1 1What do you enjoy/dislike about your present role?

1 1What are your particular strengths/weaknesses?

1 1What are you passionate about?

At Stage 3, the coach must help the individual to develop a clear plan of action, which will lead to outcomes that they see as worthwhile. top tip

Resist the temptation to take over at this point.

The individual must ‘own’ the plan and take responsibility for putting it into action.

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Mentoring or ‘putting in’ Mentoring involves an experienced individual supporting a less-experienced person to help them realise their aspirations and true potential.

Mentoring can involve:

1 1expertise, guidance and support 1 1an ongoing relationship 1 1professional and personal development 1 1challenge.

While there may also be a link between mentoring and work-shadowing, the latter is highly specialised and often short term.

30

Key messages of coaching and mentoring 1 1Coaching and mentoring are both critical elements of managing performance.

1 1They both focus on one-to-one support and development, and require leaders to allocate time and commitment to the individual.

1 1A prerequisite for effective coaching and mentoring is a shared understanding of the activity and formal structures for its function, including confidentiality which is crucial.

1 1Some form of choice must be involved: coaching and mentoring can only be effective between consenting parties.

1 1Benefits include an improved sense of direction, increased self-awareness, a greater ability to relate to and influence others, increased resilience and the ability to cope with change.

1 1The process develops the relationship of a ‘critical friend’ – someone who knows the individual well enough to see strengths and weaknesses and is brave enough to challenge honestly.

1 1It can have a very positive impact on under-represented groups who have limited numbers of role models. top tip

The key to effective coaching and mentoring is the skill of listening. In practice, many leaders find this hard to sustain, but it is essential.

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Leading through others

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Distributed leadership In any climate, the new leader is often faced with uncertainty and change. Many schools and colleges are moving away from the traditional concept of leadership towards a distributed form of leadership that can be more responsive to change and that is no longer practised by one allpowerful individual. In this model, leadership is distributed throughout the team. It would be inappropriate in these circumstances to drive for top-down compliance and routine. top tip

Ownership emerges from participation, rather than compliance.

Distributed leadership is about:

1 1empowering others to lead 1 1developing increasing pools of leadership skills 1 1sharing common values and expectations.

New leaders frequently feel uncomfortable about delegating, standing back and letting go of some of their leadership role, because they feel they have to prove themselves capable of doing everything. However, if you carefully provide opportunities for individuals who do not as yet occupy formal leadership positions to practise new skills and contribute to decisions, you are developing individuals and your team will benefit. Distributed leadership is about empowerment, not delegation. think about

Is leadership in your team distributed or is it a monopoly of one person: you?

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Talent management How do you get the best individuals in your team?

Recruit the best. If recruitment isn’t an option, how do you get the best individuals in your team?

Develop the individuals you have got.

Recruitment is critical for making step changes to the quality of your team and must be managed carefully to avoid appointing anyone who is unlikely to add value. But in certain circumstances, you may be unable to make the appointments you would prefer or you may even have to suffer the loss of some staff. When recruitment is no longer the answer, develop the individuals in your team. This involves developing them not just for the specifics of the job they are doing, but also for their wider and future leadership roles.

‘Talent management’ is a systematic process for identifying and developing potential leaders. At first this may appear a bit scary for new and even experienced leaders: the encouragement of pretenders to your throne! Yet there are parallel benefits for existing managers who are involved in talent management:

1 1Identifying potential leaders in your team can teach you a great deal about your own leadership skills.

1 1Developing potential leaders in your team can help extend your own skills.

1 1Increasing the leadership skill level can make it a better team.

Talent management does not automatically assume that everyone in your team wishes to plot a course to becoming headteacher or chief executive, but it does assume that present leaders play an active part in the leadership development of others. top tips

Ask yourself at the end of each year: ‘What have I done to develop each individual in my team?’

Even better, put it in your performance review.

Developing others is also a way of developing yourself.

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Retaining talented people is a challenge for schools and colleges and indeed every other organisation.

Commitment is not merely a question of offering more money. It is often driven by an emotional attachment.

Senior managers will stay within an organisation if they feel it has the right culture and provides them with selffulfilment, satisfaction and even fun, as well as rewards.

Henley Management College (2003)

Individuals tend to be loyal to a school or college where they perceive that they are appreciated and recognised for their contribution: respect becomes mutual. This is where listening becomes very important. top tips

Developing a positive culture within your team will help retain talent.

Don’t despair if you lose someone: we can all benefit by people moving on.

Keep listening.

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The listening leader In this booklet, we have tried to underline the often overlooked skill that must be integrated into all aspects of your strategic leadership: listening. Great leaders need to be great listeners, not just when coaching but when dealing with a range of leadership issues.

Listening should always fit into your portfolio of skills.

Figure 7. Leadership portfolio

Great role model Great vision

Great listener

Great communicator

The skill of listening relates to all aspects of your leadership role, none more so than when you are dealing with the wider community – from students to governors and parents. This is important for: understanding needs, perceptions and suggestions for improvement; improving communication; and extending mutually beneficial networks. think about

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But do you listen to your team? Think about the questions opposite – or you could even ask your team.

Listening to your team: a self-assessment Team

Individuals

What system do you have for listening to the views of the team?

What system do you have for listening to the views of individuals?

How are meetings conducted? How often do you have Do they welcome team views? one-to-one conversations?

think about

Is there a regular slot for contributions from the team?

Do individuals know the ‘big picture’?

Do you ever have meetings where the team sets the agenda?

Do they know how their role contributes to the ‘big picture’?

Is the team actively involved in self-assessment?

Are individual targets discussed and agreed?

How much are new ideas welcomed and encouraged?

Do you regularly celebrate individual successes?

What does the team think about how administration and routines impact upon performance and work–life balance?

Are all individuals clear about how much empowerment and autonomy they have?

Are you brave enough to ask the team how you are performing?

Are individuals proud to belong to the team?

After you have listened to these views, what do you do about them?

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Becoming resilient

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This booklet has focused on how to shape improvement by listening, coaching, mentoring, collaborating, challenging, supporting, sharing, and inspiring the individual and the team.

However, improvement may not always occur in quite the way you want it. The optimistic leader thinks that things can only get better, but the realistic one understands that things will not always turn out the way they planned. You have to be resilient.

The leadership instinct you are born with is the backbone.

You develop the funny bone and the wishbone to go with it.

Elaine Agather, CEO, JP Morgan Chase

Case study Annie

Annie, a talented and enthusiastic leader in an FE college, was asked to take over a very badly performing department in which there was a range of outstanding issues, including:

1 1low student satisfaction 1 1poor retention, achievement and attendance 1 1unacceptable practices 1 1a grievance culture and a hostile, negative climate 1 1a history of poor management.

Her remit was to turn round the department or it would be disbanded. After a period of evaluation, Annie started to put in place new practices and to challenge some very unprofessional behaviour. She used her considerable communication and people skills, but things got more difficult.

Grievance proceedings were taken out against her, individuals went off sick and little improvement was made. Eventually, despite all her efforts, the department was disbanded. continued on next page

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Case study Annie continued from previous page

Annie’s confidence was knocked. She became disillusioned, felt a failure and thought about ‘packing it in’. However, with personal and professional support, Annie took on new challenges and started afresh. She successfully applied for a new role, continued to develop her leadership skills and qualifications, and made a great success of this next role. Her confidence was restored and she has since been promoted to a senior level at another college.

Annie’s experience gives invaluable insights into how to deal with very difficult situations:

1 1Remember why you are doing the job: the students.

1 1Be consistent.

1 1Have a trusted colleague with whom you can talk confidentially and who understands the issues.

Act 1 1 with integrity at all times and don’t veer away from what you know is right, even if it gets really tough.

1 1Ensure that issues remain confidential – so people can trust you.

1 1Don’t take it personally – you are just doing your job.

1 1Don’t shy away from the difficult issues – challenge everything straightaway.

1 1Recognise your stress and have strategies to cope with it.

1 1Maintain a work–life balance.

1 1Keep your sense of humour. think about

top tips

In Annie’s position, what would you have done?

When faced with setbacks, how do you normally react?

Act with integrity at all times.

Maintain a sense of humour.

Become resilient.

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Conclusion Leadership is a never-ending journey of learning and self-discovery. You will always encounter change, often meet new difficulties, and not infrequently come face-to-face with opposition.

Situations will demand that you continue to develop new skills and improve old ones. You can never rest on your laurels or feel that you know it all.

For many, that makes the challenge a positive one.

Great leaders believe that they can make things better by improving their own performance and the performance of others. One method of achieving this is to become an outstanding role model.

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.

John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States

This Handbook for new and aspiring leaders began by highlighting the importance of knowing yourself and how your behaviour impacts upon others: emotional intelligence.

It ends by stressing the importance of knowing, supporting and developing others on the leadership journey.

A good leader inspires others with confidence in him or her; a great leader inspires them with confidence in themselves.

Anon

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Select bibliography Cartner N (2009). Reflections on Performance: best practice benchmarks for college leaders and managers. ACM College Manager Series.

Collins D (2007). A Survival Guide for College Managers and Leaders. Continuum International Publishing Group.

Evison R and Horabin R (1985). A Manual of Co-Counselling Theory and Practice. Co-Counselling Phoenix.

Fogarty J and Rushton P (2008). Conversations about Performance: creating the right climate and culture for great performance. ACM College Manager Series.

Henley Management College (2003). Managing Talent – exploring the new psychological contract.

Kotter JP (1996). Leading Change.

Harvard Business School Press.

University of Liverpool Research and Development Unit (2008). Outstanding Departments in Beacon Colleges.

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Useful websites Association of Managers in Education www.amie.uk.com Association of Teachers and Lecturers www.atl.org.uk Hay Group www.haygroup.com Institute of Education www.ioe.ac.uk Learning and Skills Improvement Service www.lsis.org.uk National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services www.nationalcollege.org.uk University of Liverpool, Research and Evaluation Unit www.liv.ac.uk/research

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How to survive at the top is a handbook divided into bite-sized volumes. Leadership and performance is the third booklet in the series. It is designed to support new and aspiring leaders in the practicalities of developing their own leadership skills. However, it also has much to offer the experienced leader as a guide to best practice and a framework to reflect on individual development and improvement.