As my daughter finishes her first year of school, I have been reflecting on what makes it such a great establishment. The pupils are well behaved, engaged in their learning and above all – happy! Are there any lessons that could be transferred into business? Here’s what I’ve noticed:
- They are guided by strong (Christian) values which are demonstrated by the teachers/leaders and replicated by the pupils. For example, I attended the end of year celebration assembly, which was held half a mile away in the village church. The children have to walk along a busy road, so the younger ones are looked after by the older pupils; they hold their hands, (they don’t act as though it’s uncool, they are surprisingly caring), walk closest to the road and protect them from any stinging nettles.
- What effect would this level of care for each other have in organisations?
- What values guide your business? What is important? How do those values influence the behaviour of the staff and the culture?
- They have a clear Mission, (a mission is something that is at the core of an organisation which stays constant, whereas the Vision can change). Their Mission is: ‘Where the child is at the heart’. When I got my daughter’s school report, they really got her. They clearly understood her little personality and how to work with her. This is their mission in action. They treat their pupils as individuals and tailor the learning environment based on the child’s needs – this is in a school where they teach two year groups in one class. Sometimes this is lost in the workplace. What works for one individual, doesn\’t necessarily work for another.
- What is your organisations purpose, (mission), for example, mine is simply to help people and organisations to be their best versions…bringing out brilliance.
- We can’t always use a one-size-fits-all as a leader. Situational Leadership is a useful piece of theory.
- Humans by their very nature need to belong. The school creates a real sense of belonging through open assemblies which families can attend. Also, through their house teams which bring pupils together of different ages. This is great for team building!
- What is it like when we don’t fit in or belong? What impact does this have on work performance?
- What could your organisation do, which would create a sense of belonging, but also break down those inter-departmental barriers?
- Having spoken to the teachers, they are all very clear about where the school is heading and refer to ‘the plan’, which is updated regularly and filtered through their performance management system. This may sound like basic stuff, but you would be surprised how often organisations fail to implement a lined up process.
- Have you communicated where your business / department is heading…or is it still in your head?
- How can you get the team to rally round and contribute towards achieving a ‘plan’, vision or big hairy audacious goal (BHAG)?
- They learn from one another. In line with their Christian Values, the Teachers and Head have been helping another school by sharing best practice. Again, this approach is mirrored by the pupils; the older children mentor other pupils. Not only does this help to develop the mentee, but stretches the mentor, by having to think about how to teach what they know.
- What are the opportunities for skill / knowledge sharing within your organisation?
- How could you get new or struggling employees to settle / excel by assigning a mentor or coach?
- They use positive language. I appreciate that school is a very different place. I was so impressed that the Headteacher took time to tell every Year 6 pupil at the end of term assembly, what is was the school valued about them. Her use of positive language and the impact it had on the children (and families) was evident. Gone are the days of, ‘must try harder’. Words are powerful. In a Harvard Business Research article about, ‘The Neurochemistry of Positive Conversations’, they identified that as managers, we have the power to influence feel good / bad hormones.
- What impact does it have on your work performance when you feel bad / good?
- Do your team / the people you work with, know what you appreciate about them?
- What impact does it have when someone recognises your efforts?
