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…
Chris Thomson
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,…
How Can Buddhism Improve Organisational Processes?
I well remember a seminar in which I, along with other college principals, was introduced to the European Foundation for Quality Management Excellence Model. The…
Spelling out why mistakes matter: Should they be punished or welcomed?
When I was ten years old my teacher Mrs Castle made me write the word ‘beautiful’ two hundred times because I had spelt it –…
If a college took its own marketing seriously what would it look like?
“We’ll develop your potential!”….really? I had a go at googling ‘college’ and ‘potential’ recently but had to give up. Couldn’t cope, totally overwhelmed. It’s actually…
To achieve top quality it’s never enough simply to do the right things, you need mindful concentration
To be perfectly honest the only reason I turned on the tv for the men’s FA Cup Final was because I fancied watching it. And…
How to complain properly and still raise morale
The English don’t know how to complain and it’s bad for business. Americans are much better at it. Something goes wrong, they say so and get…