How well does your college or school culture positively promote the wellbeing of all staff, faculty and students? Is your leadership team aware of the impact their behaviours have on those around them? The academic year has begun, time to plan ahead and welcome new and returning staff and students. It’s also an opportune time to think about how you and your leadership team can help support the wellbeing of everyone in the community, starting with staff.Carving out time to focus on building the right culture, is an ever-present challenge for leaders constantly racing against the clock to deal with the daily demands of their job. However, those able to do this well, reap long-term benefits, with a far more productive, effective and happy workforce.References to wellbeing are usually evident in the vision and values, yet are they an integral part of everyday life? Can everyone articulate what is expected and clearly demonstrate they are being ‘lived’? Behaviours play such a crucial part in your culture, so those proven to have the greatest impact should be regularly talked about and shared.‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast’ Peter DruckerMany will recognise this famous quote from the renowned management consultant and writer, Peter Drucker. He’s not suggesting strategy and planning are not important – they are – but a poor strategy delivered within the right culture, will always do better, than a brilliant strategy in a poor one.The first place to check to ensure your culture has wellbeing built in is the behaviours of the leaders, and how they engage with staff. When they model the right behaviours, they create a trickle-down effect, teachers and staff will adopt those behaviours with their students, and in turn, students with their peers.Becoming people expertsTime and capacity are obstacles, not just for those leading the college or school, but for all line managers, particularly when first appointed. Many go from being a teacher one day, to year group or department head the next, continuing with much of their previous role, juggling teaching with leadership responsibilities. Often, they receive little leadership training or professional development that focuses on ‘soft’ or ‘people skills’. They are undoubtably experts in their subject or specialism and can coordinate and plan activities. Yet as leaders they now need the time and opportunity to develop as people experts. The same is true for those progressing in support staff and any other roles.So why is becoming a people expert so important?Consciously and unconsciously, we make continuous judgements about the everyday interactions we face, including our experiences in the workplace. There are situations that have a big impact on how people feel and perform, and leaders can think about these as moments of truth – it is those that tend to have more of a direct impact on the way staff members feel and their wellbeing.‘Moments of truth’ for leaders and their staff include: The recruitment and onboarding experience – do leaders effectively welcome new staff members and create a sense of belonging?How often and appropriately do leaders greet staff members at the start and end of the day, and how regularly do they check-in with them. Do leaders manage by walking around and provide appropriate face to face recognition, and do staff members understand why it is given? This is in addition to any more formal recognition given through staff meetings, cards or shout-outs. How well do leaders distribute and help staff members manage their workload and take an interest in their work/life balance? Are leaders effectively involving staff members in decisions or changes that affect them?Do leaders take the time to effectively listen and provide genuine opportunities to receive feedback? There are multiple examples of these kinds of interactions that happen throughout a normal working day – being a people expert is about ensuring responses and approaches are considered.Do leaders have the...
