Six
Leadership of change and improvement:
achieving results
PERSONAL REFLECTION
Give yourself a mark out of ten for each statement (extracted from LfL)
1. I am constantly looking for new ways to improve the way we work
2. I ensure that time is protected for professional discussion and sharing best practice in
learning and teaching
3. I place a high priority on getting ‘out and about’ so that I know what is going on
4. I encourage staff/learners (select) to be innovative and creative
5. I try to manage the amount of change so as not to overload people or undermine
their confidence
6. I ensure that key changes are understood across teams and departments
8. I use data analysis to highlight trends in performance, pinpoint areas of
under-performance and develop plans of action
9. I ensure that strategies are in place to monitor and evaluate the impact of changes
10. I focus on high-leverage activities and intervene where I can make the most impact
Total marks 100
a) What have you learned about your own leadership from the above exercise?
b) What practical steps do you intend to take to improve an area for development?
NB You can repeat this exercise over a period of time and compare your findings.
You could ask another person(s) you trust to complete this exercise for you and compare
the results. You can quickly create your own statements based on what you consider to be
key elements of personal leadership – and use the findings in a variety of ways.
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Six: Leadership of change and improvement: achieving results
PERSONAL REFLECTION
“IMPORTANT FEATURES OF HIGH LEVERAGE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
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Regular opportunities to observe what is happening in ‘classrooms’ along with
immediate, face-to-face feedback to staff;
rigorous analysis of data to highlight trends in performance, pinpoint areas of
underperformance and develop plans of action linked to priority areas;
simple and effective target-setting and tracking systems to monitor the performance
of learners;
opportunities for staff to meet in teams and review and develop the quality of
provision on offer; and
effective and targeted CPD linked to the process of professional review and focused
on improvements in learning, teaching and achievement.” (Reference LfL page 81)
Your group has agreed that leadership of change and improvement is an area that you
could further improve. Take time to read the material above and then think about
examples from your own context in relation to the questions below.
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In what ways do the effective leaders in your establishment ensure that there is a
clear focus on the activities that impact directly on learners?
What do you consider are the ‘high-leverage activities’ that will make the most
difference and impact on learning and teaching?
What specifically should be done as the first step to engaging staff more effectively in
the change agenda?
Where can you and your staff/department intervene to make the most impact on
improvements in learning? Why have you selected this area?
Split off into pairs, take your discussion forward and record key strengths and action
points in relation to the question(s). Then come together as a group to share your
discussions and record what you are planning to do as a result of this self-evaluation
work.
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Six: Leadership of change and improvement: achieving results
Six
Leadership of change and improvement:
achieving results
Situational leadership (NB you can alter these situations to suit your own context)
A. You are considering a major change. Your staff have a strong record of achievement
and respect the need for change.
Alternative actions
1. Encourage staff to be involved in the change and adopt a low-key role.
2. Announce the changes and monitor their implementation closely.
3. Allow your staff to formulate the changes required.
4. Incorporate the recommendations from staff but you direct the change.
Record what you would do and why....................................................................................................
B. Members of a key working group are unable to resolve a problem. You normally leave
working groups alone. The performance of this particular group has been good in the past.
Alternative actions
1. Work with the group and help to resolve the problem alongside them.
2. Let the group sort it out themselves.
3. Act quickly and firmly to redirect the group.
4. Encourage the group to continue working through the problem and be supportive of
their efforts.
Record what you would do and why....................................................................................................
C. One of the teams that you line manage is taking forward a major curriculum change
but you are getting feedback that stakeholders/other staff are unhappy about the
changes. This team has a good track record of performance.
Alternative actions
1. Ask for update reports and supervise this team carefully.
2. Meet team members informally and ask them about how the change is working –
take no further action.
3. Make a number of unannounced visits to classes/groups affected by the changes –
report your findings to your line manager.
4. Let the team know about the feedback but indicate that you are confident the team
will make the changes work.
Record what you would do and why....................................................................................................
N.B. You can develop your own ‘situations’ that reflect important issues for your
establishment/service
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Six: Leadership of change and improvement: achieving results
Recording sheet
Tick
Leaders matter: exerting influence and making a difference
Vision, values and aims: sharing a common purpose
Leadership and direction: focusing on what’s important
Developing people and partnerships: building leadership capacity
Leadership of change and improvement: achieving results
Pathways for leaders
SECTION
Date
Theme
Key Points Arising
Action Points