Management

Our advice is not nearly as good as we think it is. Take a moment and reflect on that statement. These words come from the fabulous book, The Advice Trap by Michael Bungay Stanier and in his opnion, that is the trouble with giving advice and offering solutions to other people’s problems.

But we all do it, we hear half a problem and in no time we are jumping in with advice. Good, well meaning advice no doubt, but advice unlikely to have the impact we think that it should. Instead, he suggests th…

When I was a very young teacher working in a tiny school, it became obvious that there was something dodgy about my principal and his use of school money. Put simply, he was in personal financial strife - robbing Peter to pay Paul and he was using the school’s checkbook to pay personal accounts in the town. As I was the 2nd signatory to the account, more than once I was asked to sign a blank cheque. I may have only been in my early 20s but I knew that that wasn't right and I sought some advice f…

Where culture and strategy go to die

Do you plan to create real change in your school? Maybe you have a cracking strategy based on research that you just know will turn your data around. Or maybe you are striving to build a culture that promotes collaboration, deprivitisation and growth mindset.

Good on you!

How’s that working for you?

Change not happening as fast as you want it to? Alignment with the vision actually looks like exhausted teachers nodding at staff meetings and then doing what…

What is your motive for leadership?

1. You want the responsibility for serving others. Do hard things to benefit others.
2. You want the rewards that leadership brings. It’s good for me and I deserve it.

Patrick Lencioni says, Servant Leadership – is the only reason you should lead.

Not subservient leadership.

Not wobbly boundaries where everyone’s needs are served except yours.

But servant leadership. Being of service and in service to benefit the aims of the organisation.

If you are not a…

Upon reflecting recently, I felt that my coaching had become a bit stale of late. My own coach had given me feedback, modelled some awesome strategies and reignited a spark.

I went back to some of my valued texts (both on leadership and coaching) and reminded myself of things I had forgotten.

And then, quite by accident on a podcast, I heard the quote:

"Coach the person, not the problem"

I had become lazy and slipped into problem-solving instead of coaching!!!

I often talk about not…

Are you a nice person?

Do you try to be helpful?

When people, like your kids, your team, your staff, come to you with a problem, do you love that feeling of being able to find a solution?

Me too!

Being helpful is a good thing.

Being tooooo helpful or attaching your self worth to the quality of your advice ........ well, that is the fast lane to burnout.

Most of us are so bloody busy that when someone shares their problem, we jump in after 30 seconds with advice and solutions. 

Often w…

Do you feel you are not brave enough, qualified enough, ready enough to lead confidently and authentically? 

Let me tell you a secret... You are ready to lead, NOW.

Myth 1

Leaders are men, in suits

Well, I think that Jacinda, Kamala and a bunch of other awesome women have blown that myth out of the water lately. When we only see men in power OR when the women we see are acting in a way that feels aggressive or masculine, then it is really easy to believe that you need to have balls to be a…

Every Sunday, I share a newsletter with my list, and amongst other things, I share some of the coaching conversations that I have had. It seems that many of the themes are universal, so I will share those conversations here on the blog.

Questioning Assumptions and Back to Basics

I was coaching a Head of Learning Area in a secondary school this week, and she described 3 staff with very different personalities and how they were challenging her. Lots of ah-ha moments were shared in this coaching …

Every Sunday I share a newsletter with my list and amongst other things I share some of the coaching conversations that I have had. It seems that many of the themes are universal so I am going to share those conversations here.

Questioning Assumptions and Back to Basics

I was coaching a Head of Learning Area in a secondary school this week and she described 3 staff with very different personalities and how they were challenging her. Lots of ah-ha moments were shared in this coaching session. T…