Barry Smith - Learning about Learning

This past fortnght I’ve had real cause to consider my readiness for a senior management position.  I’ve had some encouraging feedback from people I’ve spoken to and this has been crucial in helping me really focus on what it means to step into the role.  I have also been considering how I measure up to my own espoused values.  I think I can say, as most people probably would, I fall short on acting out my espoused values at times, but that doesn’t mean I should disregard them, simply that need to continually reflect upon my decisions and priorities and on the way in which I communicate them with others. I’m sure this will help me develop my practice when I do get the opportunity of a senior management position. 

Writing this helps me be clear about what the important factors are.  I can summarise them in the following ways.

• Being driven by values.  Basing decisions upon these values.  My values are honesty, personal integrity, empathy, commitment, the continual development of self and others, patience and looking at the world from a fundamentally positive perspective.
• Understanding the duty or ‘calling’ of educating young people that I believe is fundamental to doing the job effectively.
• An awareness of the ‘current reality’ and a vision for the future, both personally and from an organisational viewpoint.
• Having a clear commitment and aspiration towards excellence in all areas, regardless of circumstance.
• Ensuring that we ‘get the job done’, whatever it may be.
• Being committed to using the ‘collective intelligence’ that every school has an abundance of, through the development and action of ‘learning teams’.

I have also recently had cause to consider the disappointment of getting to the final stages of the interview process for a senior management position, only to fall at the last hurdle.  From this I have learned firstly that I am definitely ready for the challenge and secondly that my interview technique needs some work.  I believe there is a CPD opportunity in there somewhere and that will be my personal development focus in the coming months. 

I have set myself some clear career goals and the past fortnight has been an extremely important time for measuring myself against them.  The learning I have done has been hugely significant and I’m happy to say that I can come away from the disappointment with renewed vigour and focus.

As my brother rightly said(sure he stole this from someone); there are no failures, only learning opportunities.  To some that may sound glib, but I believe absolutely that it is true.

Another interesting thing about going through this process is that I have been forced to reflect upon what would happen if I did end up moving into another position.  What would be left behind?  

The ALPs programme has recently got off the ground and many people have committed a great deal of time and effort to making it a reality.  Would that all be wasted if I were to move into another position?  I think not because the key to the success of the programme, in my opinion, is the investment of a great number of people.  It does not and should not come down to a single person being the key.  This is, I think, an important management model and strategy, ensuring that the ‘power’ for want of a better word, lies with a collective, all of whom have a significant investment and commitment to the success of the programme.  Shared vision would be the ’headline’ phrase.

My final consideration is what it means to seek opportunities for advancement.  I’ve been challenged on this recently by a friend at work. Does it mean I am less committed to doing an excellent job in my current role.  Again, I think not. My commitment has not and will not waiver, because I return to my purpose for doing the job and that reminds me I have to keep doing my best at all times.

What it means to me is that I am committed to having a positive impact on the lives of young people in as an infuential way as possible.  It is not an easy call to make, and is not a viewpoint that everyone shares, but we all have to decide on our path and be true to it.

Final point.  Is this an appropriate topic for a blog?  I’m not sure, I’d be interested to find out the thoughts of others, but I think that unless we engage in thinking about these issues there will always be un-uttered words or thoughts of disapproval by some towards the motives and decisions of others.  Discussion is surely healthy?