Almost half of school leaders say getting staff to consistently apply new ideas feels like herding cats.
If you’re one of those leaders, you’re not alone. The challenge is real—but are the most common solutions really the ones that work?
You might already be trying things like:
- Create Clear, Small Steps
- Engage Through Ownership
- Celebrate Wins and Reflect on Progress
They’re good strategies.
But they still lack results, don’t they?
Because you’ve been doing them already, right?
And yet, half of school leaders still say getting staff to apply new ideas consistently feels like herding cats.
So, what’s really going on?
I’d say, it’s a people problem more than a process problem.
Sure, if your process hasn’t been clear, or you’re not supporting your team through the early days, then yes, that’s the process at fault.
But if you’ve already been clear and provided the support—then it’s a people problem.
And I mean that in the nicest way.
People don’t come to work to do a bad job.
But we can still miss the mark, despite our best efforts.
What can you do?
- How many people aren’t getting the new idea right?
Are we talking about a few individuals or a wider group? - Is there a pattern?
Are new teachers, a particular year group, or those new to the school struggling more than others? - What exactly are they getting wrong?
Is there a common thread in the mistakes?
Identifying patterns like these allows you to take targeted action to resolve the issue.
BUT sometimes, it’s about the individual.
Perhaps they’re reluctant to do it the new way.
Then that’s about how on board they are with the school’s vision.
And that’s a conversation—hopefully not a difficult one, but it might be.
Spotlight Resource
When your team is fully on board and aligned, life as a leader gets a lot easier.
Want a bias free way of knowing if they truly are?
Then take my quiz. It will give you a breakdown of what level your team is operating at, with tips on where you need to focus: https://outstandingschool.scoreapp.com/