BLOGS

One of the most important things to understand about people, especially as a leader, is that everyone wants to be recognised. Whether it’s for effort, progress, support, or achievements, recognition is vital. It shows you value people, appreciate them, and truly see them. However, how people like to receive recognition varies widely. Some prefer a…

I have spent the weekend thinking and writing about leadership, particularly about how leaders in our schools can be more strategic, in how they lead their teams and bring about positive and impactful change. Being strategic, is not about being manipulative, or political. It’s about being smart, proactive, focused and having everyone aligned, working with…

At the start of a new year there is a lot of change that needs to be implemented. Staff will have left, new staff have arrived, roles may have changed. Subjects may have been discontinued and new subjects are on offer. New ways of learning may be being put into place and there might be…

Every person in your team wants to feel KNOWN, VALUED and BELONG. It’s your job as their leader to bring these feelings to life in every member of your team and your highway to success is in Term 1. I wrote about this in last week’s Monday Motivation (if you missed it you can find…

A team has a behavioural cycle from when it begins through to when it is well established. ​When a new cycle begins it is because there has been a change in the team. People have left and new people have joined. Perhaps there has been a leadership change. Perhaps there has been a restructure. Even if only one person is new to the…

Welcome to Monday Motivation. Last week, I wrote about making a plan for the term ahead and working that plan. It is part of working strategically, which as you have gathered by now is something I regularly write about as I encourage you to be more strategic in everything you do. This…

Being strategic is about having a plan and working the plan. You will have heard the expression, If you fail to plan then you plan to fail. With the term ahead of you and with lots to do, it is worth spending time this week to plan out each week so you smoothly work through everything by the end with less fear of last…

Welcome to Monday Motivation. It is the start of a new term. One thing I particularly like about the profession of teaching is we have opportunities to start a new. Each year, each term, and each time we deliver the same lesson to another class, maybe that week or the following semester. So many opportunities…

Welcome to Monday Motivation. We are at, or nearing, the end of the term. Every term in education is a big one. I often describe my working life in education as 4 ten-week-sprints and in between we rest. There is quite a bit of discussion at the moment around teacher wellbeing and I want to…

As part of the Elevating Leadership Program, in Module 2, Managing Conflict, there is a segment called Beware of the Monkey.  The ‘monkey’ is an analogy for a task and we talk about how the slippery ‘monkey’ can so quickly jump from someone else’s back to yours before you have even noticed. The term ‘monkey…

Being a leader is so rewarding, from the influence you can have on the way the team works together, what it achieves and the direction it takes, to developing the capacity and expertise in each member of your team. It is definitely a busy role. People are constantly asking things of you – complete this,…

I have always been determined. I remember as a teenager, I would take on some big jobs, like painting the old metal outdoor setting that had rusted and the paint had become all crusty. That job took weeks across a school holiday. Another; while a single mum raising two boys, was painting my entire house…