My latest thinking revolves around the impact that the Christchurch earthquakes have had on our local education system. What if we took looked at this as an opportunity to grow a new vision for education in Christchurch? What are the possibilities? How can we take the best of what we already have and create something that is world class, and considers the needs of all students?

Deloitte’s Talent Edge 2020 Survey reinforces the importance of developing leaders within our organisation, and recognises retention, succession planning, career pathways and learning opportunities as important talent strategies. It is increasingly difficult with a diverse workforce to meet the needs of all. Yet having a strong organisational learning culture and a commitment to action helps.  The Deloitte survey found that:

“Companies with retention plans in place are moving beyond anxiety and taking action.”

Retention implies that leaders have found out what is important to their workforce and have designed their learning programs and incentives with this in mind. They have listened to needs, asked questions, adjusted their programs and monitored progress. At the same time they have provided challenge to employees; and engaged their minds as well as their hearts.
Where to start? Move beyond anxiety and take action.

Each day for the next week talk to at least one staff member about how their work is going:

The main focus is on interacting with staff on a regular basis and then following up with action. This is a 365 day of the year process rather than an annual survey – start with one week and keep it going. Retention happens when staff are engaged through having their needs met. And for that to happen leaders need to spend more time listening, and inquiring into staff needs.

Let’s be clear, I’m not talking about staff always getting what they want, the staff telling the boss what to do, the boss pandering to every staff whim and not having an opinion. I’m talking about the leader of the organisation or team being ‘present’, walking the work environment and developing a deep understanding of those they serve. I’m talking about the leader following up. I’m talking about the leader as a credible influencer of talent.

Heifetz, Grashow and  Linsky (2009) describe adaptive leadership as the practice of mobilising people to tackle tough challenges and thrive. I think this is the way to go. Adaptive leadership is needed for the growth of individuals and organisations. Perhaps, to avoid low expectations, future leadership involves:

• looking for those things that should be preserved and having courage to abandon the expendable;
• accepting that conflict is a necessary part of the organisation and can be productive;
• creating a culture of courageous conversations;
• acknowledging the importance of collaboration, networks and global connections; and
• building the capabilities of others to lead in adaptive ways.

This quote from Egon Zehnder (2000) reminds us that future leaders will need to be flexible, future focused and capable of thinking in new ways. “Stability is a liability, not an asset in today’s world. Each new view of the horizon is a glance through a different turn of the kaleidoscope.”

I’m going to leave the survey open for a few more days so take a few minutes to contribute here. And join the conversation about what the biggest challenge for future leaders will be. Do you agree that it is low expectations and if so what do you interpret this to mean?

The Christchurch earthquakes have devastated a whole range of infrastructures regarded as vital components for a community to survive successfully. One of the key components of this infrastructure is our education system and, following the earthquakes, this has been seriously compromised. At the same time there are now new possibilities and opportunities.

In response to this a group of independent consultants, educators and business people have started networking to discuss a compelling vision for education in Christchurch. At the moment we have called ourselves the Shaking Up Christchurch Education Network.

The purpose of the network

As a group of independent educational leaders:

• To seek and present solutions for the delivery of education in a manner recognising the needs of future learners, initially in the eastern Christchurch suburbs, and eventually in all Christchurch area schools.
• To present realistic solutions that will improve educational outcomes for all children.

In achieving this purpose we consider the following factors to be key in influencing the establishment of schools and the ways they function: physical resources, teaching/teacher resources, technology advancement, school/campus design, leadership/governance, connecting with community, and fiscal capability.

There is a need to take action not just talk. Action is needed sooner rather than later.

Who are we?

The initial group that met:

Lois Christmas, Maureen Doherty, Cheryl Doig, David Duffy, Donna Frame, Gillian Heald, Ali Hughes, Carol Moffatt, Denis Pyatt, Chris Reece and Derek Wenmoth. Since then, some are focused more on supporting the current needs of education, while others are working to develop a longer term coherency to education in Christchurch. We see education as a key driver for the creation of a vibrant city which is economically strong, cares for its people and leads for the future.

We are not an exclusive group. We started because we saw a need and an opportunity to network beyond the group, to start the conversation and to develop an action plan. There are many others that are part of the network -you being one of them! This is about growing some ideas that are so compelling we create a new reality. Between us we have a deep knowledge of education, a passion for the city and a belief that leadership in education is crucial. We have started the conversation.

What is our plan?

Since this first meeting we have met with a number of key stakeholders, run an initial blue skies session and have developed a Concept Plan for discussion.

View the plan