Showing posts with label teamwork. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teamwork. Show all posts

Friday, 23 September 2016

The Art of Delegation

You can't do it all yourself! You can't. You can try. It won't work! 

I became a Head of Year at the start of a spring term. In the April of that year, I lead a brand new residential trip for four days with ninety odd children and twelve members of staff. Trip Leader? Yep, me. 

The day after that trip, I woke up at 14:30. Not got out of bed at, but woke up at! About 17 hours sleep...

I thought nothing of it. I'd been tired after every residential trip I'd been on and, this time, I had more responsibility. Of course, I needed more sleep.

No. 

It was earlier this year that I realised what had happened. For the fourth time, I lead that same trip. I returned home, cuddled toddler daughter, checked heavily pregnant wife was ok, slept and got up (07:00) - the same time as the rest of my family.

Difference?

In the first trip, I checked every seat belt and counted every child every time we got on a bus, I spoke at every meal time, always ate last, was at the forefront of every activity. I've since learned how and what to delegate to others. 

And, like me, I think this is unfortunately just something that comes with experience...

Tuesday, 30 August 2016

What's Open For Discussion?

As a leader with an agenda of items to delver to a team of colleagues, I've often found it useful to look ahead and decide in advance what is open for discussion within that agenda and what is not. It is vital that a team don't feel they have no voice, but at the same time it's the leader's job to lead. Don't just direct those who 'work for you' - they'll feel like they don't have a say. At the same time, don't open everything up to discussion: meetings will take too long, you'll lose your lead and, well, not everything is up for discussion! 

Thinking about this in advance may help. I found it does.