COGS Annual Conference 2009

Liz Cross

Meeting the challenges of governing

21st century schools

Outline

• Our challenging context • Making sense of what we can do in

context • Leveraging Leadership • Tools, frameworks and research

findings

What do you think the big challenges are?

Challenging Context

• Political context– New White Paper – New Ofsted Framework – General Election

• Social context– Demographic Changes– Expectations

• Economic context– Talent – availability – Thriving in a global economy

Big Themes • User driven

– Parent and pupil voice in Education– Patients /Residents in Health and Housing

• Outcome focus – Regulatory shift – Impact assessments

• Legal rights– Litigious culture

• Governance and Leadership – Powers to HT from LA – Capacity to Improve

Big Consequences

• If the vision and performance measures change .......– Structure – Processes– Capacity and Capability – Leadership

• .......Has to change

STRUCTURE

PROCESS

CAPACITYLEADERSHIPBEHAVIOUR

PERFORMANCE

CLIMATE

VISION/VALUES/STRATEGY

All four areas need to be aligned to achieve results

60-70% of climate is driven by what leaders do and say

Operating in one zone won’t produce results

You can’t optimise performance without delivering climate

COGS Service Standards• Processes

– Ensure compliance - statutory requirements– Promote E & E administrative services – Fulfil key functions within LA frameworks

• Capacity and Capability – Assist in development of effectiveness & capacity– Manage and promote recruitment , retention and

recognition – Manage and promote training – Promote governor networks

•

“Never doubt the capacity of the

people you lead to accomplish whatever you dream for them”

Benjamin Zander

1. The Proactive Challenge

2. The Influence Challenge

3. The Reality Challenge

4. The Vision Challenge

5. The Strategy Challenge

6. The Wisdom Challenge

7. The Insight Challenge

8. The Confidence Challenge

9. The Internal Compass

Challenge

10. The Bigger & Bigger Challenge, Challenge

11. The Vertigo Challenge

12. Managing The Tension Between Holding On & Letting Go

13. The Life & Career Transition Challenge

14. The Loneliness Challenge

15. The Personality Challenge

16. The Pathology Challenge

17. Confusion Complexity Chaos Challenge

18. The Work-Life Balance Challenge

Waldock and Kelly-Rawat 2004

Governance - Leadership

Management

Governance

Modes of Governance

• Co-create - generative• Sense makers• What’s the question

• Co-ordinate - strategic• Strategists• What’s the plan

• Corrective - fiduciary• Sentinels• What’s wrong

Why do people become governors?

Experience/Qualifications

Knowledge

Skills Competency(behaviours)

Effective(threshold)

Outstanding(Distinguishing)

Research suggests that the most competent performers outperform the average by 3:1

Delivering Excellence

Skills

• Team working• Leadership• Delegating• Meetings• Making and monitoring policies• Setting and monitoring financial

parameters and budgets• Appointing, appraising, development

planning, motivating and disciplining staff

Competencies

Characteristic ways of behaving shown to be associated with achieving successful outcomes

Key Competency Clusters

• Thinking• Guiding Action• Achieving Things Through Others• Managing The Heart And The

Head

12 Key Competencies

Thinking

Bigger Picture ThinkingAnalysing & EvaluatingResource Management

Guiding Action

Gathering InformationGetting Things DoneAchieving High Standards

Achieving Things Through Others InfluencingInitiating ImprovementsShowing Leadership

Managing The Heart and The Head

Assertiveness & ChallengeManaging Your Own StyleIntegrity & Inclusion

Analysing & Evaluating

This is about • being a critical friend • making active and informed

judgements about the current performance of the school

• using a wide range of information from within and outside of it.

Getting Things Done

This is about • having the drive to ensure goals are

achieved on time, through others in the first instance, and collectively and individually where necessary.

Showing Leadership

This is about • all governors working to create an

inclusive body • Making everyone feel welcome,

appreciated, well-informed and listened to, • Helping others feel confident and able to

give of their best. • Developing the abilities of all, encouraging

reflection and the sharing of ideas.

Leading 21st Century Schools Critical capability • Stakeholder management • Influencing • Providing Recognition- in inter-

dependent systems • Building Trust • 360 degree feedback systems• Measuring impact

Mapping Stakeholders

REACTION TO OFFERBlockers Followers Champions

PO

TEN

TIA

L/A

CTU

AL

IMP

AC

T O

N

OR

GA

NIS

ATIO

N

High

Medium

Low

Positioning Stakeholders

Stakeholder Resistant Ambivalent

Enthusiast Activist

Police

User Group D

Contractors

C

C

C

C = currentstakeholdercommitment

D

D

D

D = desiredstakeholder commitment

Influence

The art of getting into the head of another and determining what you say and how you say it to have the desired outcome

Influencing Styles Task

People

Safety Risk

Logical Persuasion

Rewards &Pressures

ParticipationAnd Trust

CommonVision

“There is no level of

poor performancethat cannot be

achieved given sufficient

lack of encouragement....”

The Four Elements of Trust

RELIABILITY

OPENNESS

ACCEPTANCE

CONGRUENCE

People you relate to want to know if you do what you say you will do. It’s hard to have confidence in a person who makes promises they don’t keep!

People tend to want to co-operate best with people who will “level” with them, not hide anything and give them the whole story (even though it may not all be good news).

All people want to be accepted for who they are. Not judged criticised or made to feel inferior.

The final element of trust is congruence – the knowledge that what is you, is on track with what you believe, what you know to be true and what you do.

360 Degree Feedback

Self

Peers

Direct Reports

Manager

‘Others’

“One of the hardesttasks of leadership isunderstanding thatyou are not what youare, but what you'reperceived to be byothers……..”

Edward L. Flom

Measuring Impact- beyond the usual 1. actively create opportunities to hear the voice of

parents and pupils2. listen and respond to the views of internal and

external stakeholders3. ensure complaints are addressed effectively and

efficiently4. ensure the services on offer then reflects the

current needs5. increase social capital with parents, pupils, the

community 6. demonstrate shared understanding of excellence

7. engender a sense of growing partnership between schools, individual customers and the wider community

liz@theconnectives.com 07973 721815

www.theconnectives.com