Comments on: Leadership - Nature Vs Nurture or Nature Plus Nurture?

By: Neil Winton

Neil Winton — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 20:25:26 +0000

Thanks for this Don.

By: Don

Don — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 07:59:20 +0000

The application form is used to establish if people meet the essential criteria for the job. Thereafter, it all comes down to how you perform at interview.

I’ll post something about interview technique on a separate post.

By: Neil Winton

Neil Winton — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 22:46:28 +0000

What I would be interested to hear is how much emphasis is placed on the interview over the application form. I have heard (anecdotally) of several appointments being made on the basis of a particularly good interview despite other candidates having (on paper) a better case for the promotion. I do have a vested interest in this question as I’ve just applied for a PTs post so would be interested in any practical advice you could offer!

By: Barry

Barry — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 21:50:16 +0000

Experience brings many things, but ‘time-served’ cannot surely be an efficient or forward thinking way to run an organisation? I think Neil’s point is an important one. I think the major challenge for schools is ensuring the interview process gives people an opportunity to display their qualities, skills and thinking in a ‘real’ and meaningful way. I was interested to hear of an interview process for depute in an independent school that took a whole day, ranging from a ‘formal’ interview, to an aptitude test, teaching a lesson as well as having lunch. Is the investment in choosing the ‘right’ someone at senior management level worth that sort of scrutiny, time and effort? It’s food for thought anyway.

By: neil

neil — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 15:00:49 +0000

Not an entirely original thought, but I suspect that much depends on whether you have five years’ experience or one year’s experience five times.

By: Don

Don — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 22:17:50 +0000

David

As ever you bring another perspective - and useful one at that! This is a new one on me but it has a certain appeal.

However, if research is to be beleived, many people are being put off applying for Head Teacher posts just for that very reason, i.e. the stretch is too far.

By: David Gilmour

David Gilmour — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 21:34:32 +0000

There’s another underlying assumption here: that the more “ready” a person is, in terms of the various experience-related criteria, the better they will perform in the job. A number of organisations have found that, in their context, this isn’t the way it works: for them, you can have too much of this particular good thing. Unless there’s a clear gap between a candidate’s existing experience and the challenges of a new role, a real “stretch”, they won’t consider appointment.

The reason for their view is explained by the Yerkes-Dodson law. Some jobs require a degree of persistence and motivation that’s more likely to be found in someone aroused by the challenge of a role that takes them significantly beyond their previous experience.