First-time managers are often the ones asking the most useful question in the room, and it rarely gets the credit it deserves. A manager promoted into the role for the first time, weeks in, asks their team directly: what do you need from me? It looks like inexperience, but it is actually the single
First-Time Managers in Education: Turning Instinct into Skill Read More »
There is a concept borrowed from behavioural science that does not get nearly enough airtime in management development conversations, and it has a direct bearing on how effective middle leaders are when communicating upward. It is called System 1 and System 2 thinking, and understanding it could change the way you approach every conversation
Why the Way You Present Information to Senior Leaders Matters More Than You Think Read More »
At a recent conference, a topic came up that generated more conversation than almost anything else on the programme: managing up. Not performance management, not leading a team, not difficult conversations with direct reports, but the art of communicating effectively with those above you in the hierarchy. It struck a nerve, and for good reason.
Picture the scene. A room of around 14 education leaders, a solicitor at the front running a session on absence management. Good content, useful stuff, the kind of thing anyone with responsibility for a team should probably sit through at least once. As the session progresses, it becomes quietly, unmistakably obvious that every single
Why Education Leaders Stay Silent About Management Problems (And What It’s Costing You) Read More »
The proposed Employment Rights Bill has prompted plenty of discussion across every sector, not just education. For HR Directors, bursars and senior leaders, it is already shaping conversations about policy, process and risk. Education organisations are rightly paying attention to what the changes could mean for probation, zero-hours arrangements, dismissal processes and day-one rights.
What the Employment Rights Bill Means for How You Manage Your People Read More »
Performance management carries a reputation that it does not deserve. For many leaders, the phrase immediately conjures images of confrontation, difficult meetings, raised emotions, and formal procedures. It feels heavy, personal, and risky. And because it feels that way, conversations are often delayed in the hope that issues will resolve themselves. They rarely do.
How to Address Performance Without Escalation Read More »
Performance management remains one of the most persistent and emotionally charged challenges in leadership. But it is rarely the policy that causes the difficulty. It is the conversations, the hesitation, the grey areas, and the pressure of balancing empathy with accountability. In education, where teams are often close-knit and resources are stretched, underperformance can quietly
Performance Management Without The Drama Read More »
Recruitment and retention are rarely talked about in the same breath as leadership behaviour. We tend to focus on processes instead: job adverts, interview questions, pay scales, onboarding plans. All important, of course. But they are rarely the deciding factor in whether people stay.What keeps people in education organisations,, particularly in challenging times, is
Why Recruitment and Retention Start With How People Experience Leadership Read More »
At the end of January, we had the pleasure of attending the Boarding Schools’ Association Annual Boarding Conference. As always, there was huge value in spending time, outside of the work setting, with lots of education professionals from all over the UK. Sessions sparked reflection, and informal discussions often proved just as insightful as
What Confident Leadership Really Looks Like Read More »
Every leader has a situation they hope will quietly resolve if they give it a little more time. A behaviour that isn’t quite right, a pattern that keeps repeating, or a comment that crosses a line. You wait, partly because you’re busy, partly because you want to give the person the benefit of the
How To Have a Constructive Conversation With a Difficult Colleague or Team Member Read More »