1. Authority and responsibility
Authority and resources, accountability and support, flow up and down the line-management chain. It’s a hierarchy. The line-management chain usual means ‘departments’. But some work has to be done across departments – staff from different departments and at different levels coming together to do a project. Quality, maths and English, health and safety may fall into this bracket. This is matrix working. Because matrix working is outside the line-management structure, it can mean responsibility to deliver but no authority to make it happen. It can result in delays, missed deadlines, difficulty getting people to meetings etc.

2. Behaviours which are: Behaviours which focus on: Overly personalised Ways of working Individual -centred Students needs … and where compliance feels optional Policies and processes

3. Swing-o-meter The ways of working promote a culture where staff:
Do what they say they’ll do
Keep the students at the centre of their thinking
Take a view wider than their own concerns
De-personalise their reaction to decisions
Do not use emotion to get their own way
Team cultures can swing between the two extremes on the swing-o-meter depending on the individuals and the style of management.
Behaviours on the left-hand side are easy to spot – random compliance, lateness at meetings, negativity and ‘dumping upwards’ to senior managers.

4. Matrix and the swing-o-meter
The solution lies in using the chain of command to authorize the work. Line-managers build the tasks into staff targets, and make sure it’s prioritized and done on time. This may be the Section Leaders or the Vice-principal, but it isn’t you – because you don’t have the authority to do it. This formalises the work and uses the authority of the line-management system to facilitate success. Otherwise, working outside the line-management structure can mean you have to resort to charm, persuasion, cajoling etc. to make things happen. An example of the swing-o-meter well over to the left.

5. Summary – style of management
The ways of working can have a big impact on College culture.
A collaborative management style can foster creativity and profit from diversity.
Push the swing-o-meter to the right – values-based management / student-centred approach.

6. Canterbury College Next section - meetings

7. Ways of working in meetings

8. What does a good meeting look like?
A good meeting is:
Productive
Practical
Professional
… and even enjoyable

9. Agenda
A successful meeting relies on careful preparation and a thoughtful agenda.
Here are eight features of a helpful agenda:
1 Only rotate the chair if there is a good reason
2 Have a format for the minutes – note actions not discussion
Divide the agenda items into sections:
information, decisions, discussion – and put a time for time
each item
No discussion of information items

10. Agendas continued… Write the agenda items as outcomes not topics
AOB in advance to the chair
Careful timings – and stick to them
Finish on time, at 10 minutes to the hour
so all meetings are 50 mins / 80 mins / 110 mins long.
It allows 10 minutes to breathe before your next task

11. Hints and tips
Only put items on the agenda that concern everyone in the room
Don’t supervise individuals and their work in meetings
Don’t start with ‘update us on your week’
Find creative ways to transmit information – it saves time
Process a meeting like a lesson – with ways of involving everyone
Don’t table papers – send them out in advance
Give everyone a role – some way of taking part
Prepare the agenda with care – it shortens the meeting and increases involvement

12. Canterbury College Leadership development