Was straight, obvious and you knew where you were going?

A few months ago I  saw a fabulous post by Doug Woods. One to get the thinking matter – thinking.

Doug picked up a lot of the areas I’ve been thinking about, discussing with staff and discussing with head teachers. I’ve come from  a very different background from teachers, most educational advisors and school heads.

(This post was initially published on one of my other blogs).

Here’s my view – the role of headteachers and senior members of staff now has more in common with my role as a small business owner – than it has with the role THEY had 5  or 10 years ago.

That’s a strong statement – based on what?

Doug  focussed on ICT in education – perhaps his observations are actually echoed across more aspects of the life of a head teacher?

How has the head tacher become more like a small business owner?

Going back a few years – the central body (kind of) told the LAs what to tell the schools to do – and the LAs were funded, staffed and directed accordingly. The head teacher could focus on running the school.

Then the central body got some assistance to help set policy, focus on ideas, look at strategy and focus. In addition, Local Management of Schools gave decision making power to the head teachers and governing bodies. Slowly the influence of and the support from the LAs was reduced. The other bodies took a more prominent role and the poor head teacher was being guided and supported by the multitudes.

Now ..

Is the school head teacher now in my position? That is – you have your inputs, here’s what we’d like your outputs to be, there’s someone a long way up the food chain maybe suggesting, maybe telling, maybe not. Here’s the rules and regulations – but we might change these.(As small businesses we are just about to lose the Regional Development Agencies).

Is there too much focus on trying to persuade / cajole or convince politicians to review their decisions? You can’t saw sawdust.

In sales training we are taught about objections and issues. Objections are the reasons why a prospective customer is hesitating to go ahead with the offer in it’s current guise, now. Issues – on the other hand – are absolute show stoppers. issue – ‘I live in a 4th floor flat, and much as I’d love it – I really aren’t buying an outdoor pool’
The best issue I ever heard
’I’ve just taken early retirement, just bought a Croft on Skye, leaving next week and I’ve recommended that the Authority closes this department’

The governments decisions are ISSUES – we have to live with them and work around them. How, effectively?

There are shelves full of business books out there. What’s useful to you? What may be appropriate? How can you get the best out of them? Here’s some ideas.