It just might be a one shot deal (Frank Zappa)

Photo by Olu Eletu on Unsplash

First impressions are tricky.

It's a one shot deal. 

At Woodford House, thanks to the fact that I wore a suit and was lead through the staff room, my initial visit made it seem like I was a politician looking for babies to kiss.

At Westmount Kaipara, staff report that I came across as 'staunch' when I was introduced by the campus administrators.

I'm not a politician but I do like 'staunch': loyal, faithful, trusty, committed, devoted, dedicated, dependable, reliable, steady, constant, hard-working, vigorous, stable, firm, steadfast.

Yeah, baby!

So, my thoughts have turned to how I might come across at my new campus in September. I'm super aware that leaders design and create an environment.

What environment do I want to create? Easy one to answer!

Apparently my 'relentless positivity' tag has been popularly spread already. One Regional Principal even said it's become my middle name! Cool!

Here's five things I intend to do quickly to embed that idea:

• No office. That might be a shock to accepted norms in the UK setting. Good. I'm keen to continue my 'no office - hot desk - never in the same place twice' policy. Patent pending.

• Learn names. Rain or shine I'll continue greeting students and parents/grandparents with a smile and a cheery 'good morning' as they arrive at school in the vans. When they leave at the end of each day it's a great opportunity to check on their day. It's a great time for learning names and getting to know who everybody is.

• Listen to students. Basically, this is the start of establishing relationships. When I was interviewed the students targeted student voice as their area of greatest concern. So I'll be listening and thinking and working out my next steps.

• Regularly, drink tea at interval and eat lunch at lunchtime. Leaders who are removed from the laughter and the banter and the fun of a staff room are missing out big time!

• Embrace positive LEAN meetings and distributed leadership. A tight ten minute review and reflection time run by different staff each day ticks many boxes.

In the fullness of time, at the end of the day, when all is said and done - it's all about relationships and communication.

I'm her two penny prince and I give her hot love (T Rex)

Photo by Breather on Unsplash

"So, how are the hot desks and hot offices going," you ask? And, "How about that goal of getting out and about more, huh"?

Interesting you should ask. 

Even though I've been in to visit Year 3 a couple of times, I've yet to get into senior syndicate classrooms after three weeks. BUT! I have two formal observations of new staff to do in the coming week and this will spur me on to delay the administrivia that flows my way on a daily basis and shift myself to observe all teachers! Yes, indeedy.

As to the hot seat approach? Well, it appears, in Nu Zild offices at least, it's deemed not so hot!

Research indicates interesting types of archetypal behaviour:

Hot-desking tends to affect different employees in different ways. There is often a subtle division between those who can "settle" and reliably occupy the same desk every day, and those who cannot.

Settlers arrive first, choose their preferred desk, and by repeating their choice over time, establish this desk as "their" space. Settlers can secure the best desk space (often near the windows), can furnish their desks with all the materials and equipment needed for work, and can sit near their closest colleagues.

I've avoided becoming a settler by moving to a different office/desk each day (the one time I didn't, it was noticed and commented upon). Hence I've become a wandering hot-desker, even though I arrive at school first.

On one hand: without a base, a home, a place to lay my hat (and put up my Arsenal flag), at times, I've struggled a bit these first three weeks. Yes it is, it's true.

As a senior manager, for many years my English classes always fitted in around other staff timetables and I seldom had a room to call my own. Sad face!

It can be unsettling and destabilizing being always on the move. No roots get put down and no one knows where to find me on any given day.

On the other hand: the less is more, minimal approach makes me light on my feet; everything is reduced to essentials; goodbye clutter (apart from my stress ball) and the lack of ownership is a freedom feeling - no roots provides for a more altruistic existence.

And no one knows where to find me. Happy face.

Who knows what's good or bad (the wise Chinese farmer)

Hot desks. Hot offices.

With our brand spanking new administration area, we've entered a brave new world.

Gone are the individual study/work areas for staff, gone is the idea of 'owning' an office or a workspace.

Instead it's hello to open plan and a more social space - with enlarged kitchen, new communal dining area, and large collaborative table setting the new agenda.

For me, it will take some adjusting to, as I'm used to having an office to dress up and personalise. Sadly, it means no Arsenal flag in the new environment. I may not cope.

But - you sometimes get what you need, rather than what you want, and this fits in with my goal for the year of getting out and about more.

It will be very interesting to watch the changed dynamics in the staff room during this first term. Some will love it. Some will hate it. Some will adjust. Some won't.

I sense a flat meeting may be in order! After all, it worked for The Young Ones.