Chairs Briefing Spring 2018 - the Governor Support Service
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GOVERNOR
SUPPORT
SERVICE
Spring
2018
Chairs Briefing
Department for Education (DfE) News
Damian Hinds replaces Justine Greening as Education Secretary
During January`s cabinet reshuffle, it was announced that Damian Hinds (MP for East
Hampshire) would replace Justine Greening as Secretary of State for Education.
The Secretary of State has given his first two major interviews since he was appointed on
January 8 and the key areas he has so far noted are:
1. More grammar schools will be encouraged to expand
2. The faith admissions cap will be scrapped
3. Government is working ‘harder than ever’ on school cost pressures
4. More needs to be done on recruitment and retention
Information only
Free school meals and early years pupil premium
The DfE are laying regulations in parliament that will bring the proposed thresholds into force in
April 2018 for free school meals and the early years pupil premium. The regulations and
commencement orders will also introduce protection arrangements for existing recipients of free
school meals, so that no child will lose free school meals during the transitional period because
of these changes.
They also intend to lay regulations in parliament that will bring the proposed thresholds into force
in April 2018 for the free early education entitlement for two-year-olds.
The plan is to alter free school meal and early year pupil premium eligibility by introducing a
£7,400 annual net earned income threshold, which will “typically equate to an overall household
income of between £18,000 and £24,000 once benefits income is taken into account”. Families
will need to earn below this in order to be eligible. This threshold will be fully introduced once
universal credit’s roll out has been completed, currently estimated to occur in 2022. Until then,
all existing claimants will be protected, with the new threshold being used to determine the
eligibility of new claimants from April 2018. Following universal credit’s rollout, all existing free
school meal recipients will retain eligibility until the end of their phase of schooling.
The changes will not alter the enrolment mechanisms for free school meals, so parents will still
need to apply.
It is relevant for governing boards, as they have a duty to ensure that their school is using pupil
premium funding to raise the educational attainment of disadvantaged pupils. Details of eligible
pupils, and the role of those governing in monitoring the pupil premium is essential.
Essential area for board discussion and understanding
Multiplication tables check trials to begin in schools
A pilot number of schools across the country will start trialling the multiplication tables check
from next month; the Schools Standards Minister Nick Gibb has announced. We understand
that the DfE will inform the schools involved of all necessary arrangements directly.
The multiplication tables check is designed to help ensure children in primary school know their
times tables up to 12 off by heart.
2
In the primary assessment consultation run by the government last year, the majority of the
sector said that Year 4 would be the best point to run a check on progress being made.
The new on-screen check will last no longer than five minutes and is similar to the checks many
schools use already.
It will be sat by 8 and 9-year olds in Year 4, results from the check will not be published at
school-level, and will not be used by Ofsted and others to force changes in schools.
This trial comes ahead of the national voluntary roll out of the multiplication tables check for all
Year 4 pupils from June 2019, before it becomes mandatory in June 2020. A national sample of
schools has already been selected to participate in the trials and they will soon receive their
invitation to participate.
Information only unless your school is part of the pilot programme
Changes in way RSCs approach school visits
The National Schools Commissioner, Sir David Carter, said during a debate on Tuesday 6
February that he planned to end the practice of visits being carried out on behalf of regional
schools commissioners (RSCs) in close proximity to Ofsted inspections of the same school.
Acknowledging that this had previously been a problem, Sir David said that “my plan going
forward is that we will now bring that to an end … there is no point in having two bodies both
working at school level because the downward pressure that creates on the system is I think
part of the workload challenge”.
He said in future visits to individual schools will only be carried out in two circumstances: either
because RSCs want to learn about good practice, or because they question the validity of what
they have been told about the school.
Information only
Coasting schools
From 2016, the government have defined a new category of schools which will be ‘eligible for
intervention’: ‘coasting’ schools.
The intention of this category is to “identify those schools which are failing to push every pupil to
reach their potential. These schools will be identified based on their performance data. The
Department for Education (DfE) have chosen to identify schools in this way so that schools
have clarity over whether or not they fall within the category, which the DfE feel would not be
achievable with a subjective definition.
‘Coasting’ definition
For primary schools:
In 2016 and 2017, fewer than 85% of children achieve the expected standard at the end of
primary and average progress made by pupils is below -2.5 in English reading or -2.5 in
mathematics or -3.5 in English writing; and
In 2015, fewer than 85% of pupils achieved level 4 in reading, writing and mathematics and
below the median percentage of pupils made expected progress in all of reading, writing and
mathematics.
3
This means that a primary school where the median percentage of pupils made expected
progress in, for example, reading in 2015 could not be ‘coasting’ in 2017.
"A school will have to be below the coasting definition in three consecutive years to be defined
as coasting".
For secondary schools:
In 2016 and 2017, the school's progress 8 score is below -0.25; and
In 2015, fewer than 60% of pupils achieved 5 A*-C including English and mathematics and
below the median percentage of pupils made expected progress in English and mathematics.
A school will have to be below the coasting definition in three consecutive years to be defined
as coasting.
This definition applies to both maintained schools and academies. Certain types of school are
not subject to the ‘coasting’ definition: maintained nurseries, infant schools, special schools, and
pupil referral units (PRUs).
What happens when your school is defined as ‘coasting’?
The governing board must inform the parents and keep them up to date with what is being done
to address this.
There is no automatic route for schools whose performance falls within the ‘coasting’ definition.
Although local authorities (LAs) also have powers to intervene in ‘coasting’ schools, Regional
Schools Commissioners (RSCs) will be primarily responsible for intervention and will have
discretion to decide on the most appropriate course of action.
1. The RSC will make an assessment of whether intervention is required
If a school has fallen within the ‘coasting’ definition, the RSC will contact the school or the
relevant multi-academy trust for an informal discussion about any additional support needed.
Whether action is required and the form that action should take are up to the discretion of the
RSC.
RSCs will consider the full range of factors affecting school performance. The Schools Causing
Concern guidance groups these into two broad categories:
Performance data and other quantitative information
▪ Educational performance data for that school, further to the data that meant the school
was identified as coasting;
▪ Performance of the school in relation to schools in similar contexts and pupils with similar
starting points;
▪ The educational performance data of groups of pupils with characteristics e.g.
disadvantaged pupils, those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
▪ Other data about the school, such as pupil cohort size, attendance and mobility of pupils
(i.e. the number of pupils who joined and left the school) and what impact that may have
had on the school’s data.
4
Other information about the school, and its plans and capacity to improve
▪ The school’s plan to improve its educational performance and pupil progress, whether that
plan is sufficient and has the rigour and credibility to bring about the necessary
improvement of the school;
▪ Whether it is a middle school where pupils have only attended the school for a short time
before key stage 2 assessments, / or there are large numbers of SEN pupils, but other
evidence suggests the school is effective;
▪ Capacity to deliver against that plan, taking into account recent Ofsted judgements
(especially on leadership and management)
▪ Whether the principles of the independent reports on teacher workload have been
implemented;
▪ The effectiveness of the school’s pupil premium strategy
The process will be a dialogue between the RSC and school leaders. The school’s governing
board, as the accountable body for the school’s performance, should be integral to this
dialogue. The RSC may ask for relevant information to make an assessment and the governing
board should make every effort to accommodate requests.
If, after reviewing the evidence, the RSC concludes that no further action is required, the RSC
will continue to monitor the school.
If the RSC has concluded that further action is required in order for the school to improve, the
school will receive a notification letter setting out what the school can expect to happen next.
The letter may also request additional information or a meeting with school leaders and
representatives of the governing board. There are a number of potential forms of intervention.
2. Potential intervention
In most cases, the support provided to a ‘coasting’ school will be informal and collaborative
though in very rare cases more formal action may be considered necessary. For more
information on formal intervention see DfE Schools Causing Concern, February 2018
Examples of the types of informal support that ‘coasting’ schools may receive include the
brokering of partnerships with Teaching Schools Alliances, high performing schools, or National
Leaders of Education (NLEs). RSCs will work collaboratively with school leaders and the
governing board to identify the most appropriate source of support available in the
circumstances.
3. Ongoing monitoring
Whatever course of action the RSC chooses, they will continue to monitor the school’s
progress. This may include collecting further information and/or visits to the school by the RSC,
their staff, or a representative. While the school’s performance meets the ‘coasting’ definition,
the RSC may revise their decision about the support and challenge required by the school at
any time.
Governing boards to be aware of and understand their school data and its implications
Updated careers guidance for colleges and sixth form providers
The DfE has updated its careers guidance for further education and sixth form colleges.
This guidance incorporates the Gatsby Benchmarks into the careers strategy for post-16
providers. This means that colleges and sixth forms should provide:
5• a stable careers programme
• access to learning from careers and labour market information
• a programme which addresses the needs of each student
• a curriculum linked to careers
• encounters with employers and employees
• work experience placements
• encounters with further and higher education
• personal guidance
There is a summary of how providers can meet the requirements on pages seven to nine.
Download the guidance:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/679639/Careers-
Guidance.pdf
Information for 6th form providers
Apprenticeship funding: how it works
Changes to the apprenticeship funding system
The DfE are making changes to the way apprenticeship funding works, including:
• introducing the apprenticeship levy
• introducing the apprenticeship service - this is an online service that allows employers to
choose and pay for apprenticeship training more easily
• introducing a new ‘co-investment’ rate to support employers who don’t pay the levy(‘co-
investment’ is when employers and government share the cost of training and assessing
apprentices)
Find out more: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-levy-how-it-will-
work/apprenticeship-levy-how-it-will-work
Information
New guidance on automatic disqualification rules for charity trustees
The DfE has released new guidance for individuals regarding automatic disqualification rules for
charity trustees. The guidance covers:
• whether an individual is disqualified under current automatic disqualification rules
• if an individual will become disqualified when the rules change
• what individuals might need to do as a result of the new changes including how to apply
from 1 February 2018 to have their disqualification under the new rules waived before the
rules change
As academy trusts are charitable companies limited by guarantee, the disqualifications will
apply to academy trust board trustees. In addition to the above, trustees will also need to follow
the disqualification criteria set out in the trust’s articles of association.
Find out more: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/automatic-disqualification-rules-for-charity-trustees-
and-charity-senior-positions
Essential reading for academy board trustees
6School teachers’ pay and conditions: guidance
This is to assist boards in reviewing and revising their processes for decisions on teacher and
leadership pay, including a model pay policy. This non- statutory guidance, aimed at maintained
schools is an accompaniment to the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD).
Implementing your school's approach to pay: guidance for maintained schools and local
authorities: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reviewing-and-revising-school-
teachers-pay
STPCD: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-teachers-pay-and-conditions
Information and discussion item for maintained governing boards
Open Consultation
DfE - Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision: a green paper
The DfE is asking for views on a green paper setting out measures to improve mental health
support for children and young people.
The green paper focuses on earlier intervention and prevention, especially in and linked to
schools and colleges.
The proposals include:
• creating a new mental health workforce of community-based mental health support teams
• every school and college will be encouraged to appoint a designated lead for mental health
• a new 4-week waiting time for NHS children and young people’s mental health services to
be piloted in some areas
Consultation closes: 2 March 2018
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-
health-provision-a-green-paper
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
Consultation on the delivery and scope of the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA).
The Adventure Activities Licensing scheme applies to the paid provision of four categories of
adventure activities: caving, climbing, some water-sports and some trekking and covers young
people under the age of 18.
“The scope of the review aims to ensure that the provision of licensing of adventure activities is
delivered in a sensible, proportionate and cost-effective manner, and encourages the
participation by young people in adventure activities.”
This discussion document seeks views on the future of AALA. It also seeks views on the initial
assessment of the costs and benefits of the proposed changes as set out in the impact
assessment. The feedback gathered will inform the HSE Board’s decision on the future of
AALA.
Although governors will not be involved in the planning of activities, they must be satisfied that
all the necessary steps have been taken to ensure that the activity is safe. The licensing
scheme therefore helped to provide governors assurance that providers had met the prescribed
standards.
Consultation closes: 9th March 2018
7Find out more: http://www.hse.gov.uk/consult/condocs/cd286.htm
Making an emergency/disaster recovery plan
Extract from Schools Financial Value Standard(SFVS)
“Does the school have an appropriate business continuity or disaster recovery plan, including
an up-to-date asset register and adequate insurance?”
The aim of a plan is to help staff respond effectively to an emergency at school or on an
educational visit.
Your plan should be generic enough to cover a range of potential incidents that could occur,
including:
• serious injury to a pupil or member of staff (e.g. transport accident)
• significant damage to school property (e.g. fire)
• criminal activity (e.g. bomb threat)
• lockdown
• severe weather (e.g. flooding)
• public health incidents (e.g. flu pandemic)
• the effects of a disaster in the local community
Your plan should cover procedures for incidents occurring during and outside school hours,
including weekends and holidays. You should also include emergency procedures for extended
services, such as breakfast clubs, after-school clubs and holiday activities.
The planning process
Preparing for emergencies is an ongoing process involving:
risk assessment
planning
training
exercises
reviewing
Throughout each stage of this process it is important to consult members of staff and governors
to gain their involvement and support.
DfE/Nottinghamshire County Council: A zip file containing a template school emergency plan,
accompanying guidance and other supporting resources is available to download:
coping with a school emergency- resource documents
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/preparation-and-planning-for-emergencies-responsibilities-of-
responder-agencies-and-others
Is there a plan in place?
When was the plan last reviewed?
Was a report shared and discussed with the governing board?
Does the chair of governors have a current copy securely stored?
Does the local authority/academy trust have a copy of the plan?
8General Data Protection Requirements (GDPR)
In advance of the new General Data Protection Requirements (GDPR) that will come into force
on 25th May, the DfE has released model privacy notices so that schools can let their relevant
stakeholders know how they process data and how personal data about oneself can be
accessed.
Key changes for leaders:
• Non-compliance will see tough penalties; school will face fines of up to £20 million or 4% of
their turnover.
• It is the schools responsibility to ensure 3rd parties (i.e. catering services, software providers
etc.) that process data for you also comply with GDPR
• Demonstrate compliance: schools need to document every system used to process personal
data. They also need to map how this data is transferred to other systems or any third
parties.
• Appoint DPO: schools must appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) to ensure that their
school is fully compliant to the new regulations (more info below).
• Processor agreements: for any third-party processors you must have contracts in place
stipulating that personal data is handled in compliance with the GDPR.
• Reporting a data breach: if personal data has been put at risk, you may be required to inform
the ICO, and in some cases, the individual at risk. This should be done within 72 hours of
the breach being discovered.
• Staff training: despite the best efforts of the DPO in using compliant processes, these are
only as secure as the people using them. Making sure staff are trained and there is a culture
of data compliance is crucial.
Find out more:
DfE model: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/data-protection-and-privacy-privacy-
notices
Times Educational Supplement: https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/gdpr-
for-schools
Video - GDPR Guidance for Schools (DfE) - 6 minutes
In this video, Iain Bradley, Head of Data Modernisation at the DfE, explains how you can review
and improve your handling of personal data. YouTube Link https://youtu.be/y09IHXv6u6M
School Data Audit & Log template for GDPR (Oct 17) (LGfL)
https://www.lgfl.net/ct?name=Online%20Safety%20Resource&url=http://static.lgfl.net/LgflNet/do
wnloads/online-safety/LGfL-GDPR-Data-Audit-Log-
2018.xlsx&source=Online%20Safety%20Section
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has created a self-assessment tool to help you
plan for the GDPR coming into force. https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/resources-and-
support/data-protection-self-assessment/getting-ready-for-the-gdpr/
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) PowerPoint presentation about GDPR
https://ico.org.uk/media/about-the-ico/events-and-webinars/2013561/dp-for-the-education-
sector-webinar-20170228.pptx
Action: What is happening in your school to meet the legal requirements?
Appointment of Data Protection Officer?
9The right people around the table: a guide to recruiting and retaining school governors
and trustees
The guide covers:
• Evaluating: skills, composition and current practice
• Recruiting: attracting good candidates
• Appointing: interviewing and references
• Inducting: training and support
• Succession planning: moving on and ensuring leadership
https://www.nga.org.uk/thenga/media/NGA-Image-Library/Staff/NGA-The-Right-People-Around-
the-Table-2018_1.pdf
Other News
Schools Week
Schools Week analysis of new data from the education unions shows that although there were
15,065 fewer people working in secondary schools in 2017 than in 2014, teachers are still
teaching roughly the same numbers of pupils, despite a rise of almost 4,500 over the same
period.
Non-teaching staff appear to have borne the brunt of the cuts. According to the unions, teachers
made up 6,463, or 43 per cent, of the total staff losses from secondary schools between 2014
and 2017. However, last year, the teacher-to-pupil ratio in secondary schools remained at 1:17,
the same as it was in 2014.
The unions say their figures show that cuts to school budgets are hitting the front line, but the
Department for Education suggested the numbers are “fundamentally misleading”, and claimed
there were “15,000 more teachers in classrooms since 2010”.
At primary level, there are 3,975 more teachers now than three years ago. But there are
166,555 more pupils – working out as one new teacher for every 41 new pupils.
There were also 9,895 more teaching assistants at primary school, but 4,455 fewer in
secondary schools last year, compared with 2014.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/revealed-the-local-authorities-with-the-biggest-staffing-cuts/
Information. What is the staffing situation in your school?
The National Autistic Society
The National Autistic Society has launched its Held Back campaign. The campaign follows the
report on autism and education published in November 2017 by the National Autistic Society
and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism.
The report found that autistic children and young people were being ‘let down and held back
from achieving their potential by the education system’.
Governing boards must work with school leaders to ensure that pupils with autism, and all those
with special educational needs and disability (SEND) get the support they need.
Read the report:
http://www.autism.org.uk/~/media/nas/documents/get-involved/held-back/appga-autism-and-
education-report.ashx?la=en-gb
10Pay offer for council employees
In December 2017, the Employers’ Side of the National Joint Council set out their final offer for
council employees’ pay. In schools, this may include staff such as teaching assistants.
The offer, which would include an uplift of 2% on 1 April 2018 and a further 2% on 1 April 2019
for some employees, has not yet been agreed.
This is an item governing boards should consider in setting the budget.
Education Endowment Foundation
'A School's Guide to Implementation' - Why is implementation important?
Schools are learning organisations. They continuously strive to do better for the children and
young people in their charge. In doing so, they try new things, seek to learn from those
experiences, and work to adopt and embed the practices that work best.
Implementation is what schools do to improve: to change and be more effective.
And yet implementation is a domain of school practice that rarely receives sufficient attention. In
our collective haste to do better for pupils, new ideas are often introduced with too little
consideration for how the changes will be managed, and what steps are needed to maximise
the chances of success.
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Campaigns/Implementati
on/EEF-Implementation-Guidance-Report.pdf
Information for teaching and learning committees
Times Educational Supplement (TES): the role of governors in academies
The TES report “the rise of multi academy trusts has meant that tens of thousands of traditional
school governor posts have been lost, with their power and responsibility over schools stripped
away.” With power and responsibility for individual schools “shifting to the single boards of the
larger organisations school have joined”, TES asks, “Are we witnessing the slow death of the
school governor, and, if so, does it matter?”
Membership of academy trusts and the importance of local governance and legitimacy are
issues that governors should consider – that a small group of members with the power to
appoint and remove trustees may not the best model for accountability.
Read the TES article: https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/exclusive-school-
governor-numbers-slashed-due-growth-academy-trusts
Ofsted
Parent View Management Information
Worth a read, the opinions of parents expressed in Parent View for Hillingdon Schools
inspected between January 201 7- January2018.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/ofsted-parent-view-management-
information
Information
11Email Safeguarding Course for Governors
The role of the safeguarding governor can be a complex one, and it is not always easy to find
development opportunities to help governors learn more. Time can often be a constraint, so this
email course is for anyone involved in strategic safeguarding, especially the safeguarding
governor, but for other school leaders too, including all governors.
Each Thursday for ten weeks, an email is sent out with a new module. Each module includes a
90-second video, a short article to read and usually a download or checklist to help implement
the module in a practical way. After the course has been completed, a certificate will be sent out
to add to the school's training record.
You can access this free 'Understanding Safeguarding and Governance' email course here:
https://www.safeguardinginschools.co.uk/understandingsafeguardingandgovernance2/?mc_cid=
28ff3dde4c&mc_eid=40a51add2d
Information for all governors
Meeting matters: 3 reasons why leaders should talk less in meeting
We came across an article by Brendan Reid in which he discusses why leaders should talk less
during meetings. This is something people chairing governing board meetings should think
about too.
I’ve stopped talking so much in meetings. More precisely, I’ve stopped talking first in meetings.
A while back, I was in a meeting led by another manager and I noticed something that has stuck
with me ever since. This manager had a very strong presence and personality, and he was very
quick to inject his opinions into a multi-person conversation. So much so, the entire dynamic of
the meeting was altered by his presence. Other meeting participants seemed reluctant to
contribute. Any subsequent ideas shared seemed to be based on his initial concept. It all
seemed very constrained.
On the surface, a strong, vocal manager appears to demonstrate classic (stereotypical?)
leadership qualities. Clear, direct, confident, intelligent. But what I observed in this meeting
indicated the exact opposite to me.
Since this meeting, I’ve been extremely aware of leadership behaviours in meetings. I watch
other managers. I watch myself. I observe the behaviours and reactions of meeting participants
and contributors. And, I’ve ultimately concluded that most managers (myself included) are
talking way too much and way too early in meetings.
We’re going to look at 3 specific leadership advantages to speaking less and waiting longer
before talking in meetings.
Some of the qualities that make for good leaders – confidence, decisiveness, passion,
intelligence – can have undesired consequences if you’re not careful. The very attributes
responsible for the leadership opportunities you’ve been awarded can backfire if left unchecked.
Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you?
12You’re in a 6-person meeting with several different personality types represented. The type “A”
leader dominates the conversation and leaves the meeting feeling it went well. Everyone else
leaves quiet and confused.
You’re a meeting participant and a senior executive expresses a very strong opinion early in the
conversation. Others either sit quietly or jump on board with her/his idea trying to seem
agreeable and avoid embarrassment or conflict.
You’re a leader in a meeting and you kick it off by sharing your perspective on the issue and
then ask for other ideas. You ask people to challenge you. Nobody does. The team ends up
aligning to your original idea with very little debate or discussion.
Two dominant personalities are in a 6-person meeting. After some initial dialogue, the entire
discussion gravitates to their ideas only. In the end, the group only compares those two loudly
voiced ideas and any others are forgotten about or never heard in the first place.
We’ve all been in meetings like this. I would argue they are the norm. As leaders, we want to
offer direction and clarity. As contributors, we want to have our ideas heard and be viewed as
strong and assertive. But what impact is that having? Are we leading or are we just acting like
we think a leader should?
Here are 3 reasons I think leaders should speak less and wait longer to speak in meetings:
1. Inspire Creativity
When a leader speaks early and decisively in a meeting, he or she artificially constrains
creativity. Put yourself in the shoes of the other meeting participants for a moment. A strong
leader or manager makes a decisive argument at the beginning of the meeting and then asks
for other ideas. This sets artificial constraints for everyone else. Whether you realise it or not
you’ve set mental boundaries for the types of ideas now likely to be brought forward.
For example, the problem set out for a meeting is to close a gap in sales. The leader starts off
with a strong idea about a new type of marketing campaign. Then he asks for other ideas from
the group. The tendency now will be to build on the first idea or to suggest other ideas for
marketing campaigns. Without knowing it, the leader has artificially constrained all the thinking
and dialogue. What if a marketing campaign wasn’t the only way to close the sales gap? What if
there are entire other lines of thinking? You’ve lost those now.
When a leader speaks assertively and early in a conversation, the other participants are more
likely to align to that idea or build upon that idea. To insert a fundamentally different idea feels
combative. It feels risky. You’ve inadvertently created a situation where only the strongest
participants will have the courage to counter your thinking. You’ve limited creativity.
My advice to managers is to start meetings by setting the most basic context e.g. here is the
problem we’re trying to solve. Then, whether you have a great idea or not, start by soliciting
13ideas from the group before giving an opinion. You’ll free the team up to be creative and you’ll
probably end up discovering your ideas weren’t as good as you thought they were.
2. Activate the Introverts
Most meetings are dominated by extroverts. This is not optimal because they don’t hold a
monopoly on good ideas. When you start too strong in meetings, by inserting your opinions and
taking strong positions on issues, you make it harder for anyone other than type “A”
personalities to participate. This is a flawed strategy that reduces the number of potential ideas
in any meeting you’re in.
The best managers actively solicit ideas. They pull them out of the more introverted among us.
They are committed to creating an environment that feels comfortable to share ideas and
opinions. Too many managers allow the loudest voices to dominate meetings which leads to
suboptimal results and engagement.
My advice to managers is to start by soliciting ideas from the quieter members of your team. As
an introvert, I can say I’m much more comfortable answering questions or responding to a
request to share my idea than interjecting it spontaneously into a heated debate. The truth is,
the extroverts will get their ideas heard one way or the other. You don’t have to worry about
them. Start by proactively engaging the less vocal members of the team first and then let the
others participate.
3. Reap the Benefits of Information
In a poker game, there is a huge advantage to playing your hand last. It’s called positional
advantage. You have the benefit of seeing what everyone else does before you have to do
anything. That information gives you a better chance to win. The exactly same principle holds
true in meetings and in negotiations. There is a major advantage to waiting before acting.
When I’m in an important meeting, I’ll often ask for opinions of the group before sharing
anything. That way I can learn about their perspectives and positions and tailor my points based
on what I’ve heard. I have time to refine my argument, build counter arguments or decide to
support one of the ideas that has already been presented.
Some managers feel like they need to speak early and loud so nobody beats them to the punch.
They can’t stand the thought of another person stealing their idea. The meeting degrades into a
bunch of loud voices all competing for time. I think this strategy is flawed. I’d much rather listen
and then share my thoughts after I’ve benefitted from everyone else’s perspective. I can show
leadership by combining pieces of other ideas. I can show judgement by identifying gaps in
early ideas. I can hit a homerun by learning from the reactions to early ideas and then offering
my own optimised idea.
My advice to managers is to wait a little longer before injecting your opinions into meetings. Not
just to inspire creativity and activate less vocal participants, but also to benefit from the
informational advantage that comes from acting later.
14Many leaders operate with only one gear. They’re aggressive. They’re vocal. For years, I’ve
observed this type “A” tendency in myself and other managers around me. I think it’s a strategic
flaw and I’ve made a point of controlling it. There are times when acting aggressively is
warranted but I see many advantages to speaking less and speaking later.
https://www.brendanreid.com/blog-1/2017/11/26/xcwadtobvl2qesz0mb8hg4e3bg1lrf
15Notes
Edited from material from: BBC, Department for Education, Fischer Family Trust, Information Commissioners Office, London
Borough of Hillingdon, National Governance Association, Ofsted, Schoolsweek, The Times, Times Educational Supplement.
16You can also read
