1. What do the best leaders get right?
Ben Page
Director, Ipsos MORI

2. What makes an excellent organisation?
Good at listening to punters and staff
What does that mean for you?
Good at communicating
Whose job is that?
Focuses on things that matter most to most people
Staff who keep their promises
What are your promises?
Self aware and able to reinvent itself

4. Tapping into talent?
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the statement “I personally want to become a headteacher in the future”?
To what extent do you believe that developing your leadership skills would make a difference to your school?
To a
great extent
A fair extent
To a limited extent
Not at all
Strongly agree
Tend to agree
Strongly disagree
Tend to disagree
Base: 924 teachers interviewed for NCSL in November 2005

5. Evidence of a decline in trust of others
% who think most people can be trusted
World Values Survey quoted in lectures by
Richard Layard 2002/3 - Happiness: has social science a clue?

6. Trust in Blair
% who think he is more honest than most other politicians
MORI Political Monitor

7. Trust in Blair
% who think he is more honest than most other politicians
Percentage saying same
of Michael Howard
MORI Political Monitor

8. Need to understand what matters to your different followers
For Blair it is being good in a crisis, and a capable leader

9. Why Blair won….
% Good in a crisis
% A capable leader

10. And we still trust Blair more than Cameron…
Q I am now going to read out a list of issues and I'd like you to tell me which party leader you trust most to deal with each of them — the Prime Minister, Tony Blair or the Conservative leader, David Cameron?
Cameron
Blair
Neither
Managing the economy
Representing Britain abroad
Hospitals
Schools
Anti-social behaviour
Protecting the natural env’t
Base: British public, 18+ (1,001) January 2006
Source: Ipsos MORI/Sun

11. So what matters for schools?

12. The general public’s respect for professions
Q Please could you tell me, for each of the professions I am going to read out, how much respect, if any, you have in them and the job they do?
% A great deal of respect
Doctors
Headteachers
Rising to 47% of parents
Police officers
Lawyers
Businessmen/ women
Council officials
Journalists
Politicians
Base: General public, Great Britain (2,050) March 2004

13. Teachers are a bit hard on themselves!
Q What level of respect do you feel each of the following groups gives to the teaching profession?
% Not much/ none at all
% Great deal/fair amount
Governors
Students generally
Parents generally
Other public sector professionals
The general public
The Government
Private sector professionals
The Media
Base: Teachers in England (70,011) 4 October – 29 November 2002

14. The public like you……….
Q Thinking about leadership within schools, to what extent do you feel that leadership is good or poor?
Goo d
Poor
Q To what extent, if at all, do you feel that leadership provided by heads and/or their deputies has improved or declined over the last three years?
Declined
Improved
Base: Members of the general public who have had contact with schools in GB (995) March 2004

15. Teachers’ views of school leadership
Q Thinking about leadership within schools, to what extent do you feel that leadership in schools in England generally is good or poor?
Goo d
Poor
Base: Teachers in England (802), MORI Teachers Omnibus 6 – 28 May 2004

16. Teachers’ views of school leadership
Q Thinking about leadership within schools, to what extent do you feel that leadership in schools in England generally is good or poor?
Goo d
Poor
Q And to what extent do you feel that leadership in your own school is good or poor?
Poor
Good
Base: Teachers in England (802), MORI Teachers Omnibus 6 – 28 May 2004

17. Inspirational leaders
Winston Churchill
Margaret Thatcher
Nelson Mandela
Martin Luther King
My teacher or headteacher
Mahatma Gandhi
Tony Blair
Mother Teresa
My parents
John F. Kennedy
Base: General public, Great Britain (2,001) February 2003

18. Excellent organisations are better at listening to staff, and making them feel part of things

19. Some clear evidence of what works in Local Government

20. People in Excellent Councils have higher job satisfaction...
% very satisfied with job
Excellent
Good
Fair
Weak
Poor
Base: 500 Council employees interviewed by telephone in late July-early August 2003

21. Satisfaction with Pay doesn’t vary much
Satisfaction with Pay doesn’t vary much it isn’t a critical factor in success, more a hygiene issue
% satisfied with pay
Excellent
Good
Fair
Weak
Poor
Base: 500 staff interviewed by phone - July/August 2003

22. Nice people, interesting work - everywhere
% very satisfied with job factors
Excellent
Good
Fair
Weak
Poor
Friendliness of colleagues
Interesting work
Working hours
Base: All respondents (500)

23. What seems to distinguish excellent performers
% very satisfied with job factors
Excellent
Good
Fair
Weak
Poor
Input into job plans
Opportunity to show initiative
Feedback on your performance
Base: All respondents (500)

24. What line management skills are most important?

25. Being nice does not seem to correlate with CPA performance
% always applies to my line manager
Is approachable
Gives me credit when I’ve done a good job
Excellent
Good
Fair
Weak
Poor
Excellent
Good
Fair
Weak
Poor
Base: 500 staff interviewed by phone - July/August 2003

26. But listening to staff seems particularly important.......
% always applies to my line manager
Listens to my ideas
Consults me on matters where I can contribute
Excellent
Good
Fair
Weak
Poor
Excellent
Good
Fair
Weak
Poor
Base: 500 staff interviewed by phone - July/August 2003

27. Change - Communication and Co-ordination
Net agree +/-
Reasons for change are well communicated
Change here is well managed
Excellent
Good
Fair
Weak
Poor
Excellent
Good
Fair
Weak
Poor
Base: 500 staff interviewed by phone - July/August 2003

28. Kenneth Williams on Jackanory 1968

29. How confusing can it become?
Show other slides

30. Familiar?
“Nobody could explain clearly what the organisation claimed to stand for. Even within primary documents there is limited information”

31. Improving ways of working with DfES
Q Thinking about how the DfES might improve the way it works with you in the next few years, how important or unimportant do you think each of the following will be?
% Not very/not at all important
% Very/fairly important
Better understanding of the challenges you face
Adopting a more listening style
More openness
More explanation about decisions & developments
Better use of information technology
Introducing new forms of consultation
Targeted communications via web/ , publications, events/conferences
Nearly all respondents (97%) say it will be important for the Department to have a better understanding of the challenges faced by teachers, including over four in five (82%) who say it will be very important. This chimes with findings from earlier research conducted by MORI for the GTCE which revealed a strong perception amongst members of the teaching profession that they are both under-rated and misunderstood. Over nine in 10 teachers felt respected by their colleagues, but more than four in five (86%) believed the media gives them no or little respect and 78% said the same of government. Moreover, three-quarters of respondents (74%) agreed strongly that most members of the public don’t understand the nature and complexity of the teacher’s job. Nearly half of respondents (45%) added that they saw increased status and recognition as a key way in which the role of the teachers could develop in the C21st.
Similar proportions of TO respondents say it will also be important for the DfES to adopt a more listening style (96%) and for it to operate with more openness (93%). Most (83%) also want the Department to make better use of information technology in the future.
Teachers’ responses to this question varied according to their phase, age and level of responsibility:
Primary phase likely than their secondary phase colleagues to cite as important: More openness
Younger teachers (up to age 34) are significantly more likely than older colleagues (age 35+) to cite as important: More openness
Headteachers are significantly more likely than almost all other teachers to cite as important More openness
More secondments & staff exchanges
Better access to individual staff within DfES
More briefing/liaison meetings with staff within DfES
Base: Teachers in England and Wales (984); MORI Teachers’ Omnibus, 8 Oct – 7 Nov 2003

32. What do these people have in common?

33. "Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers,
From Colin Powell’s Leadership Primer
"Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers,
who can cut through argument, debate and doubt,
to offer a solution everybody can understand."

34. “AS LEADERS, WOMEN RULE: New Studies find that female managers outshine their male counterparts in almost every measure” Special Report, Business Week

35. “Ninety percent of what we call ‘management’ consists of making it difficult for people to get things done.” – Peter Drucker

36. “We have a ‘strategic’ plan. It’s called doing things
“We have a ‘strategic’ plan. It’s called doing things.” - Winston Churchill

37. Top ten motivating factors for headteachers?
Q Which, if any, of the following factors, motivate you most as a headteacher?

38. Top ten motivating factors for headteachers?
Q Which, if any, of the following factors, motivate you most as a headteacher?
Role is dynamic/ not routine
Building shared values
Job satisfaction/sense of personal achievement
Sense of vocation
Changing social culture
Passionate belief in the role
Professional autonomy/implementing own vision
Maintaining high standards
Collegiality/teamwork
People management (i.e. managing staff)
Pay 8%
School
mgt/budgets
11%!
Base: All headteachers (911)

39. Top ten demotivating factors for headteachers
Q Which, if any, of the following factors, demotivate you most as a headteacher?

40. Top ten demotivating factors for headteachers
Q Which, if any, of the following factors, demotivate you most as a headteacher?
Administrative demands
Inspection/measures of accountability e.g. via OFSTED
Changes in policy
Stress
External interferences e.g. from LEA, DfES
Less contact with pupils
Financial responsibilities
Problems with recruitment/retention
Low status/negative media image of the profession
Isolation
Staff
Parents
Discipline 1%
Base: All headteachers (911)

41. Freedom to manage?
Q To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about your role as a headteacher? % STRONGLY agree
I have a clear vision for my school
I have the freedom to manage my school as I wish
Base: All headteachers (911)

42. Freedom to manage?
Q To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about your role as a headteacher? % STRONGLY agree
I have a clear vision for my school
I enjoy my current role
I lead by example
My staff work as a team
I am confident in my current role
I can admit to my weaknesses and work with others to improve these areas
My current role is very stressful
Being a headteacher has always been my ambition
I have the freedom to manage my school as I wish
Base: All headteachers (911)

43. Who inspires head teachers….?

44. Headteachers’ inspiration
Q Please indicate below the main sources to which you look for inspiration and ideas about your work and practice as a school leader.
Top 12 mentions
Base: All headteachers (911)

45. Headteachers’ inspiration
Q Please indicate below the main sources to which you look for inspiration and ideas about your work and practice as a school leader.
Top 12 mentions
Other headteachers/school leaders
Base: All headteachers (911)

46. Headteachers’ inspiration
Q Please indicate below the main sources to which you look for inspiration and ideas about your work and practice as a school leader.
Top 12 mentions
Other headteachers/school leaders
Local education authorities (LEAs)
Base: All headteachers (911)

47. Headteachers’ inspiration
Q Please indicate below the main sources to which you look for inspiration and ideas about your work and practice as a school leader.
Top 12 mentions
Other headteachers/school leaders
Conferences/seminars
Books, newspapers and other publications (education, business, government)
Professional associations
Senior management or senior leadership teams (SMTs)
Local education authorities (LEAs)
The DfES
NCSL
Internet, intranet & CD roms
Headteacher(s) you have worked for
Ideas from other countries
TeacherNet
Base: All headteachers (911)

48. Staff Advocacy

49. Cycle of Success

50. Cycle of Success

51. Cycle of Decline

52. MORI Excellence Model - Consumers - 1995
M&S Sainsbury Tesco
% % %
Advocacy
Commitment
Satisfaction
Transaction
Trust
Awareness
Advertising Spend
* £39m £38m
Base: Those in market for each business goods/service

53. Financial Times, 8 January 2001
Examples of companies we all know and sometimes love.
Marks and Spencer.
Financial Times, 8 January 2001

54. Marks & Spencer’s Trends -since 1995
Everyone has their own theories
Money Programme leaked research.
Service and value ratings declined despite rising profits
How can this be?
People were still continuing to buy in the store they were becoming increasingly disillusioned.
Like remaining loyal to an old friend who never returns your hospitality or makes an effort on your behalf.
Retailing incredibly tough business.
Tescos seems to have got it right.
How did they do it?
Nov 95
Mar 98
Sept 99
Base: M&S Customers

55. Impact of different types of communication
Favourability
Familiarity
Results for major computer manufacturer

56. The proudest people in the public sector….
Q Which of these phrases best describes the way you would speak about the services your organisation provides?
Detractors
Advocates
Teachers
GP Receptionists 0%
Education (national total)
Private sector norm*
Nurses
Allied Health Professionals
Health (national total)
National Total
Local Authority
GPs
Police
*Private sector norm based on all MORI private sector surveys as of April 2004
Base: All respondents

57. Even if they don’t all agree with the government….
Q Do you agree or disagree with the government’s overall objectives for the service you deliver to customers?
Disagree
Agree
Nurses
GP receptionists
Allied Health Professionals
Local Authority
Teachers
Health (national total)
National total
Education (national total)
Police
GPs
Base: All respondents

58. Advocacy - self fulfilling prophecy?
% who strongly agree that they would speak highly of the authority to others outside the organisation
Overall
Excellent
Good
Fair
Weak
Poor
Base: 500 staff interviewed by phone - July/August 2003

59. Building Real Advocacy

60. Keys to Advocacy - themes to focus on
Being able to contribute; listening and feedback
Faith in the leadership/direction - understanding the story
Organisational Pride
Communications
transparency
honesty
relevance

61. “Good Show. Canadian Ice Hockey Team”

62. World Champions

63. Women’s U22 Team
Canada captured gold at the European Air Canada Cup with a win over the host German team in Hanover, Germany.

64. Yugoslav Men’s Ice Hockey Team

65. Yugoslav Men’s Ice Hockey Team

66. We aren’t making progress on communications
Change Over Time
Level of Communication
100 50
70’s
80’s
90’s
Time
Base: MORI normative database

67. Stopping to think
“As a leader you have to be aware that you’re communicating all the time, whether you mean to or not. Everything you do and don’t do will be interpreted and you need to be aware of that”

68. Key Points

69. Summary Need to over-invest in internal communications
Think carefully about how you manage your people
Culture matters more than targets
Make sure people outside know what you are doing
Decide what you are going to be famous for – and stick with it

70. Thank you