Noses in, hands off!

 (1)    Your feedback from last month’s newsletter on governance

Thank you to the readers who contacted us in relation to principal-board matters following our last newsletter. Many of you are happy with the relationship that you have with your board and chair and that is great to hear. Those of you who are not, dwelt on matters like:

·         Boards who attempt to interfere in operational school matters. Hence my “Noses in, hands off!” title for this newsletter, a very pertinent piece of advice for boards in this situation

 ·         Lack of a well- defined board appointment process with an associated lack of diversity in board membership. I recently wrote a well-received article for my LinkedIn page which included the following extract –

“ I suggest that it can be a threatening period for the career prospects of a long serving principal in a situation where the appointment of a new chair, particularly one without a long history on the board, is followed by a significant turnover in board members. This situation can sometimes result in a new team eager to “make their mark” but without a historical appreciation of why many things are as they are in the school.”

You can read the complete LinkedIn article here.

(2)   Are you a member of LinkedIn?

I ask this question because of the huge boon LinkedIn has been for building my network since leaving my principalship role. As a school principal, I was a serious user of LinkedIn with around 300 contacts; in the year since I left a school my contact list has grown to over 1300 and the impetus its use has given my business growth is very significant.

LinkedIn has allowed me to access the activities of a diverse range of like-minded professionals from around the world and to form new, mutually beneficial relationships.

As a former principal, I have been astounded at the number of former students from my previous schools who have connected with me professionally and it’s such a joy to build a new adult, professional relationship with these women.

I recommend the use of LinkedIn to all principals for your own professional advancement and particularly if you are considering expanding your career horizons beyond your current position. If you belong to the latter group, my advice is to start building your network base now.

(3)    Who is using the Principal’s Concierge service?

We are delighted with the response to our fledgling support service for principals. The major areas of demand for our services have been:

·         Supporting principals and boards to improve governance and management issues. 

·         Mentoring of principals generally and particularly in areas such as strategic and operational planning and staff and parent issues.

·         Successful coaching of principals during the selection process to achieve career advancement.

·         Assisting in the selection process for school executive leadership positions.

Additionally, we are currently fielding enquiries in relation to staff performance appraisals, master planning and assistance with marketing strategy and policy reviews.

If you would like to use our services, we are available to assist by phone, in video or in person with a visit to your school.                                         

Regards,
Vicki Waters

                                                                                            To contact Vicki to discuss how the Principal’s Concierge service can support
you in your role to make your school the best possible, phone or text her on
                                                                                                       0407 291 678 or email her at vickiwaters@educateco.com 

                                                                                                                            And remember, like all good concierges,
                                                                                                                    the services of Vicki and her team are very discreet!