Being nice trumps being clever
I don’t routinely open the Times Literary Supplement expecting to have my behaviour as a leader challenged. But recently a Philosophy professor was writing about…
Chris Thomson
Ofsted is terribly bad for the quality of Further Education
Ofsted is terribly bad for the quality of Further Education. Half of the problem is that it makes recommendations. The other half is that despite…
Less about Numbers, More a Way of Thinking
Chris Thomson describes how maths can illuminate thinking about management: A recent FE News article on the usefulness of maths reminded me of what I owe…
How passionate are you about your work in FE?
How passionate are you about your work? If you’re in any doubt, DON’T google it. A five-minute word-search will turn your uncertainty into neurosis. Courses,…
Seeing the wood AND the trees – What’s this got to say about leadership?
Maybe you’ve heard this story about motivation: the visitor to a cathedral building-site who interviews three bricklayers. “Laying bricks,” says the first; “Putting this wall…
Sharing Good Practice: Really??
Here’s a couple of questions for you: Would you rather your college was mediocre or excellent? Should staff training be about bringing people together or…
I think the Chief Exec could be the problem
I was reminded the other day of something of a tiny incident I once witnessed in the College courtyard. Distracted at my desk by the…
A couple of thoughts on the science and art of leadership
Wouldn’t it be great if we discovered there were laws of leadership just like the laws of physics? If there were, we wouldn’t lose time…
What prevents college principals from achieving educational provision of the highest quality?
How to put out fires with… strategy What prevents college principals from achieving educational provision of the highest quality? This doesn’t have to be a…
No college needs a scary boss: Purpose, not personality, is the key to success
When I was contemplating applying to become a college principal I was haunted by the kind of person I thought I needed to be: “Strong-willed,…