"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back-- Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now."
Having carefully read the new McKinsey Report and the new PISA research, I realise more and more that we need to continue to commit to the vision, values, behaviours and beliefs that have shaped everything that happened in Leeds over the last ten years and in York for the five years before that. We know how to build brilliant learning places and we also know that great learning isn't about more autonomy, Academies and Free Schools but about people, passion, performance and releasing potential.
Whether we work in Alberta or Helsinki or Stockholm or Singapore or Leeds or York we need every school to be a great school; a passionate and compassionate learning place working at the heart of its community to release the magic. We need to maintain the relationships and partnerships and develop a collaborative and co-operative team who will continue to share and learn together. Let me know if you want to join!
Chris
Thursday, 6 January 2011
Leeds
I spent the morning at the Queen's Hotel in Leeds...
"Whether they burst with excitement or simmer quietly, when you are in the presence of enthusiastic people, you feel happier and more excited about your life, perhaps you even feel inspired."
It was strange going back to Leeds this morning, not as Chief Executive of Education Leeds but simply, to see my colleague Neil Straker, who heads up The Pacific Institute here in the UK. Neil and I were talking about opportunities for me to work with The Pacific Institute to continue releasing the magic with young people, parents and carers and learning institutions.
It was a great meeting Neil and, the more I meet brilliant colleagues, the more I realise that there are opportunities for talented people everywhere despite the doom and gloom, the VAT increase and the weather. We simply need to help people to change their attitude and work to create passionate and compassionate organisations.
"Whether they burst with excitement or simmer quietly, when you are in the presence of enthusiastic people, you feel happier and more excited about your life, perhaps you even feel inspired."
It was strange going back to Leeds this morning, not as Chief Executive of Education Leeds but simply, to see my colleague Neil Straker, who heads up The Pacific Institute here in the UK. Neil and I were talking about opportunities for me to work with The Pacific Institute to continue releasing the magic with young people, parents and carers and learning institutions.
It was a great meeting Neil and, the more I meet brilliant colleagues, the more I realise that there are opportunities for talented people everywhere despite the doom and gloom, the VAT increase and the weather. We simply need to help people to change their attitude and work to create passionate and compassionate organisations.
So watch this space!
Keep the faith!
Chris
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Sheffield
I am sitting in Caffe Nero in the centre of Sheffield...
"To create something exceptional your mindset must be relentlessly focused on the smallest detail."
It isn't a city that I know well and the architecture is certainly impressive, although most of the area around the station appears to belong to the university. I am here to meet colleagues to talk about opportunities to continue releasing the magic. There are opportunities everywhere despite the doom and gloom, the VAT increase and the weather. We simply need to change our outlook. We need to create passionate and compassionate organisations. We simply need to change the culture: the way we do things around here!
So watch this space!
Keep the faith!
Chris
"To create something exceptional your mindset must be relentlessly focused on the smallest detail."
It isn't a city that I know well and the architecture is certainly impressive, although most of the area around the station appears to belong to the university. I am here to meet colleagues to talk about opportunities to continue releasing the magic. There are opportunities everywhere despite the doom and gloom, the VAT increase and the weather. We simply need to change our outlook. We need to create passionate and compassionate organisations. We simply need to change the culture: the way we do things around here!
So watch this space!
Keep the faith!
Chris
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
Alberta's Education System
I hope you managed to read the article in the Education Guardian today by Rhonda Evans about the education system in Alberta in Canada...
Rhonda had spent two weeks in Alberta talking to school leaders and discovered that Albertan school leaders are proud of their state education system. "Instead of seeking to further weaken and dismantle local authorities, Alberta's education system is based on the belief that local school boards – the equivalent of LEAs – rather than private enterprise are best placed to respond to local needs. Though the curriculum and exam system are the same throughout the province, enabling province-wide comparisons of student and teacher achievement, Albertans believe that the needs of each school are best addressed within each district." She goes on to say that "Alberta's success story began about 30 years ago, when then-fashionable free market advocates within the provincial government encouraged private and charter schools to set up. As in the US, there is no federal control of education in Canada; each province is responsible for its own education system. For the one third of children who live in rural areas, there is only their local school, much like in the UK. But within the urban areas of Edmonton and Calgary, there was pressure from the private sector, and politicians were offering to fund both private and state schools out of the public pot. Edmonton Public School Board introduced specialist programmes or options catering for every conceivable interest: sports, faith, language, certain trades, the international baccalaureate, you name it, they offered it. Alberta doesn't stream or set children until they reach 16; Edmonton principals get together once a month to share ideas and plan strategy. They form links with other school leaders in their own part of the city, and principals from what they term "have" schools support principals from "have not" schools. At local level, the superintendent influences the culture and priorities of the district, and this crucial role is filled by only the best and brightest of former principals. Aspiring deputy and assistant heads are brought into the district office to work as assistant superintendents, so they can gain a district-wide perspective. Superintendents attend their own training college."
This model sounds a lot like what we had established in Leeds over the last ten years; a collaborative, co-operative approach driven by passion and compassion. You should read Rhonda's article and you can also watch her film about her experiences in Canada at www.teachers.tv.
Chris
A Perfect Day!
It has been a very strange day not going in to Leeds at the start of yet another year...
I woke early to find the whole world had gone white again with a couple of centimetres of fresh snow falling over night. Importantly, I didn't have to worry about which schools had been affected by the snow and, more importantly, I didn't find myself on the way to Leeds before I remembered that I don't work there any more.
Chris
I woke early to find the whole world had gone white again with a couple of centimetres of fresh snow falling over night. Importantly, I didn't have to worry about which schools had been affected by the snow and, more importantly, I didn't find myself on the way to Leeds before I remembered that I don't work there any more.
Chris
Monday, 3 January 2011
Meetings!
Recent research on the subject found that on average, each working person in the UK attends about two meetings every week, about eight meetings every month, and about 100 every year…
Some of my colleagues would argue that meetings are vital for the business in a huge number of ways; establishing relationships, creating partnerships, saving time, motivating staff and developing new ideas. But I would argue that we have gone too far with the number of face-to-face meetings we all attend. People keep asking me what I will miss about the day to day of work and I know that one thing I won't miss is the meetings. As we all know, meetings don't get things done and they are at the heart of the most ineffective organisations. Anyone who is interested in organisational effectiveness, and who isn't at the moment, should be on a tireless campaign to abolish meetings whenever and wherever possible. If the public sector abolished it's meetings culture, it would revolutionise the way it works and create more effective and more efficient services for it's customers.I have argued for years that meetings stop people from doing their jobs and if you cut out the meetings, you could probably also cut out huge swathes of your middle management. You can always find out which are the worst parts of any organisation; it will quite simply be the ones where the meetings culture is greatest. Just look around to see if I am right!
Chris
Some of my colleagues would argue that meetings are vital for the business in a huge number of ways; establishing relationships, creating partnerships, saving time, motivating staff and developing new ideas. But I would argue that we have gone too far with the number of face-to-face meetings we all attend. People keep asking me what I will miss about the day to day of work and I know that one thing I won't miss is the meetings. As we all know, meetings don't get things done and they are at the heart of the most ineffective organisations. Anyone who is interested in organisational effectiveness, and who isn't at the moment, should be on a tireless campaign to abolish meetings whenever and wherever possible. If the public sector abolished it's meetings culture, it would revolutionise the way it works and create more effective and more efficient services for it's customers.I have argued for years that meetings stop people from doing their jobs and if you cut out the meetings, you could probably also cut out huge swathes of your middle management. You can always find out which are the worst parts of any organisation; it will quite simply be the ones where the meetings culture is greatest. Just look around to see if I am right!
Chris
Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life
I expect that like me you will have been reading over Christmas and the New Year...
Among the numerous books I've read was Karen Armstrong's Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life. I know that creating a passionate and compassionate enterprise is at the heart of any organisations success so for me this was more essential reading.
The twelve steps are:
Among the numerous books I've read was Karen Armstrong's Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life. I know that creating a passionate and compassionate enterprise is at the heart of any organisations success so for me this was more essential reading.
The twelve steps are:
- Learn about compassion;
- Look at your own world;
- Compassion for yourself;
- Empathy;
- Mindfulness;
- Action;
- How little we know;
- How we should speak to one another;
- Concern for everybody;
- Knowledge;
- Recognition;
- Love your enemies.
Karen Armstrong is an academic and scholar who has written about faith and religion and here looks at why compassion is vitally important in our society and our organisations!
Chris
Passion and compassion!
We need to create organisations and enterprises that are at the same time both passionate and compassionate...
I know many colleagues still struggle to understand what I mean by passionate and compassionate but the dictionary definition of passion is a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything or the object of such a fondness or desire. The dictionary definition of compassion is a deep awareness, sympathy and understanding of the suffering of others and importantly wanting to do something about it. Wherever we learn, play or work we need to build both passion and compassion into the culture and the fabric of everything we do if we want to release the extraordinary potential that exists within our children, our colleagues, our families and friends.
Chris
Sunday, 2 January 2011
What makes you Happy?
What is it they say that makes you happy...
I was reading in The Sunday Times that Dr Mark Porter thinks that happy is more important than healthy; but only just. He suggests that the keys to happiness are: sex, coffee, exercise, sleep, diet, omega-3 fish oils, statins, aspirin, sunlight, social interactions and fun and laughter.
Nothing there I haven't been telling you all for years! Of course my list included red wine, dark chocolate, children and the arts.
Chris
I was reading in The Sunday Times that Dr Mark Porter thinks that happy is more important than healthy; but only just. He suggests that the keys to happiness are: sex, coffee, exercise, sleep, diet, omega-3 fish oils, statins, aspirin, sunlight, social interactions and fun and laughter.
Nothing there I haven't been telling you all for years! Of course my list included red wine, dark chocolate, children and the arts.
Chris
Gauguin, 'Maker of Myth'!
I went to the Gauguin 'Maker of Myth' exhibition at Tate Modern this afternoon...
Chris
Matthew Bourne's Cinderella
I went to see Matthew Bourne's Cinderella last night...
It was being performed at Sadler's Wells and the sets were simply amazing. It was set in London during the Second World War and was full of Matthew Bourne's trade mark elements. It was good but not great like Swan Lake which has that spectacular music! I suppose the thing it really lacked was the passion and presence of an Adam Cooper as the male lead. Still if like me you love the arts it was another night to remember.
Chris
It was being performed at Sadler's Wells and the sets were simply amazing. It was set in London during the Second World War and was full of Matthew Bourne's trade mark elements. It was good but not great like Swan Lake which has that spectacular music! I suppose the thing it really lacked was the passion and presence of an Adam Cooper as the male lead. Still if like me you love the arts it was another night to remember.
Chris
Saturday, 1 January 2011
Cezanne's 'The Card Players'
I visited the Courtauld Gallery this afternoon...
It is a wonderful little place full of magic and their current exhibition features Cezanne's 'The Card Players' is an outstanding display of the work of this amazing artist.
I also saw one of my favourite Van Gogh paintings...
Chris
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Another New Year...
I hope that everyone who reads my new blog has a happy, healthy, safe and successful 2011 and that it brings you and those you love and care about, peace, fulfillment and all the things you really, really want and hopefully and most importantly to love what you are doing and to simply be happy!
It is certainly going to be an interesting year!
Keep the faith...
Chris
I hope that everyone who reads my new blog has a happy, healthy, safe and successful 2011 and that it brings you and those you love and care about, peace, fulfillment and all the things you really, really want and hopefully and most importantly to love what you are doing and to simply be happy!It is certainly going to be an interesting year!
Keep the faith...
Chris
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