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| The A-Team were well known for their love of a good plan! |
So
let's turn to our cultural staples quickly. You may not know this, but I’m a
bit of a Harry Potter fan. In the books, one of the main characters Dumbledore
quite clearly has a plan. He knows where things are going, before they ever get
there. And what about TV? Well, just watch a single episode of the A Team and
it’ll inject the importance of a plan – how else would a plan come together!
And sports – no team takes to the pitch without a clear plan they’ll be seeking
to execute; not even the England football team! Why? Because you don't get
very far without a plan. That mantra is something our Colleges’ leadership
understand all too well. We develop strategic vision on the basis we want the
best possible outcomes, rather than just any old outcome. And we tie that
vision to clear objectives and aims so we’re creating a genuinely clear map for
our Colleges to reach their destination.
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| Without a plan, you're likely to be left working frantically and the result's unlikely to be anywhere near as good |
So
back to that poor manager looking a touch woeful. There's little doubt that
he's decent at working under pressure. But with any significant piece of work,
working well under pressure is rarely enough to deliver a great outcome: you'll
just never get the best result with that style. There are a tremendous amount
of people who are extremely talented at what they do, and yet they fail to
convert that talent into anything deliverable because there's been no plan. And
speaking as an educator who’s passionate about helping people reach their
potential, there’s nothing worse than watching talent being squandered. That’s
true of this manager. Because however good his work was, it would always have
been better, tighter and more focused if he’d dedicated a bit more time to it,
by ensuring a plan was developed to deliver it. That's a lesson I’m hopeful
he's now learned.
Through
this entire episode though, one thing did stand out and make me particularly
proud. I often talk to our Colleges’ about having a collegiate atmosphere. One
where people work with one another, helping their colleagues and driving
forward as one team. And you know what, as that manager feverishly typed, I
felt proud to see colleagues rallying around him, helping and assisting – even
if just by making him a coffee – and giving him their time.
The
collegiate atmosphere which that manager’s failure to plan had generated was
fantastic, and highlighted very clearly just how well people work together at
our Colleges’ when the pressure’s on. And you know what, it’s the same when the
pressure’s not on as well. And I know that all of the Colleges’ senior leaders
would say that actually, a lot of our plans are based around developing that
kind of atmosphere. So while that manager clearly didn’t have a plan – but, I’m
sure will next time – it’s great to see that some of our plans are working out.
And
you know – I love it when a plan comes together!
