When educational leaders hear the words ‘Action Planning’, they can feel a sense of frustration. This sentiment is, of course, understandable. If a leader writes an action plan in isolation of their team, without reference to baseline information or never refers to the plan throughout the year, then, yes, it can indeed feel like a waste of time. The first step in the development of a relevant action plan is to value the exercise, and not just to see it as an administrative chore – to see it, instead, as an opportunity to analyse and reflect on the previous year and set out the conditions and actions for the year ahead to deliver higher and stronger outcomes. As well as helping to set direction, the plan can be a great aid in motivating teams. By seeking collective involvement in the development of the plan everyone takes responsibility for its implementation. Leadership then becomes a collective endeavour with everyone clear about their roles and responsibilities for the year ahead.
This course will clarify how to complete the component parts of an effective action plan, including explaining the difference between targets and success, and monitoring and evaluation, all too often misunderstood. However, what makes this course unique is the focus on the action plan as a leadership tool. We demonstrate how the plan itself and the process of constructing it, as well as the on-going monitoring of the plan, can be used to give motivation, focus and direction to the team and at the same time clarify roles, responsibilities and accountability.
"*" indicates required fields
