Though it is all too often low on our list of priorities, quality CPD is an essential part of our development as School Business Leaders.

However, any CPD that we do have the opportunity to undertake is largely focused on acquiring knowledge in order to ensure that we are equipped to deal with every crisis imaginable; funding, HR, H&S, ICT, GDPR etc. 

We study hard for accreditation, we join associations and unions, we read voraciously and we attend as many conferences and networking events that our constantly crammed calendars allow us to. All so that we can mine as much information as we can in our quest for a state of ever-preparedness. 

This intense focus on knowledge acquisition can create issues for us as individuals that we hadn’t anticipated. We spend so much time learning about everybody and everything else that we never really take the time to learn about ourselves.

When I first started working in School Business Leadership over ten years ago, I found that I had no issue at all with acquiring both technical and theoretical knowledge. But I also found that it was a bit like getting my driving license. I was certified as a driver and I was equipped with what I needed to get on the road and get moving but the reality of the road was very different to what I had experienced in ‘test conditions’.

How we develop as leaders and how well we perform in our jobs is not just about what we know. It’s about how we interpret, adapt, apply and execute this knowledge in our context. It’s also about how, as individuals, we operate within that context.

What SBMs say

When I spoke at Edexec Live earlier this year about demonstrating impact and gaining recognition, the issues that SBMs spoke to me about were, unsurprisingly, not related to their technical knowledge. Their issues were specific to them and their context. Every single person that attended my sessions had different skillsets, different priorities and different challenges. But the one thing that they all had in common was a desire to find a way to express themselves more clearly within their organisation so that they could get through to the people that needed to hear them the most.

I reassured them that even if they had been feeling undervalued or ignored, this didn’t mean that they were terrible at their job. I reminded them that in order to resolve the issues that they were facing, that they had the ability to adapt, to mitigate and to overcome. I showed them that they had tools that they could use to affect change and how they could use these tools. More specifically, I demonstrated how they could begin to tie together what they knew with where their organisation was at and where they were at as individuals. By taking the wider view and placing themselves, instead of their organisation, at the centre of their CPD strategy, their areas of strength and skills to develop became much more focused.

The feedback I have received has been both amazing and humbling. It has also confirmed my belief that the need for professional coaching for SBMs is greater than it has ever been. 

With increased expectations, intense scrutiny and higher stakes than ever before, the school leadership landscape often feels like a very lonely place. Though professional associations, local groups, conferences and social media are great ways to share best practice and advice, they don’t necessarily afford the time, confidentiality or space needed to address some of the more complex and troubling issues that we face in our branch of school leadership. 

The benefits of coaching

As is often the case, when we’re in a difficult place or even just feeling stuck, we struggle to attain the wider viewpoint that we need to find a route out. This is exactly the type of situation where a professional coach could help. This could be with anything from how to deal with a sensitive situation to looking to develop strategies to rebuild our confidence and squash that overwhelm. It could even be about putting together a plan of action to take the next step in our career.

Coaching, as a discipline, is goal oriented and is intended to create that impetus for change and increase in clarity and motivation to move forward that we can’t always muster on our own. Through coaching we can objectively explore our strengths, priorities and challenges as well as examine our vulnerabilities and anxieties. Through discussions with a coach, we can identify key actions to create alignment between our knowledge, our organisations and ourselves. And perhaps more importantly, we will discover that the school leadership landscape doesn’t have to be as lonely as we sometimes feel it is.

When I speak to SBMs about coaching as CPD, I always remind them of the power of questions. Mainly because as SBMs we spend a lot of time asking them! But also, because questions are essential when it comes to challenging assumptions. We need to not only ask questions of other people but also of ourselves. This can be especially hard for those of us who have been in the same role and/or worked for the same organisation for a long period of time. 

If you are feeling stuck, confused, lost, anxious or overwhelmed, professional coaching really could be the solution you are looking for.

There are three ways I advise SBMs to source a coach:

1. Speak to your local SBM group

Contact the leader of your local SBM group and ask them if they can put you in contact with a fellow SBM in the region who would be willing to work with you as a coach. This may well be an informal arrangement but tapping into that local expertise and working with people who are further along in the journey could really help you. The DfE has published a list of the school business professional networks here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/join-or-create-a-network-for-school-business-professionals/school-business-professional-networks-directory

2. Ask your peers for recommendations

If you don’t have a local SBM group or they are unable to help you right now, ask your peer network or SBMs working in schools nearby whether they have someone they can recommend. They may well be undertaking coaching themselves or have contacts that they can share with you.

3. Source a coach independently

If you’d prefer to look beyond your network and are seeking a more confidential and formal arrangement, there are a number of independent and experienced school business professionals, like myself, who provide focused and bespoke coaching services to school business leaders. Remember, professional independent coaching isn’t just for Headteachers and SLT!

Whilst there a lot of things we have to do on our own as school business leaders, struggling in silence isn’t one of them. You are not alone in this – you are seen, you are heard and you are deserving.

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Written for: Education Executive Magazine (@edexec)