In my Outstanding School Test, I ask the question:
Do you talk to your team about their conduct as much as you do their performance?
70% say no.
So on the plus side, maybe there is no need to talk about their conduct.
On the other hand, maybe we’re not talking about conduct very much at all.
And yet, when you think about the biggest issues in your team, they are most likely conduct related:
- Someone who is constantly negative
- Someone who is resistant to change
- Someone that no-one wants to work with
It’s unlikely to be many people, but they have a big impact.
Yet, when it comes to conduct (behaviour) we talk about it all the time with our children.
I know talking to adults about their behaviour can feel awkward, it feels personal and it can feel like it’s their personality and we can’t change that.
But then, wouldn’t the same be true of our pupils? And we talk to them about their behaviour, and attitude all the time.
An easy way to bring this into the conversation is to use the Teacher Standards, Part 2. It’s all about conduct. This can help open the door to the conduct conversation, which can also be a positive conversation with those who are doing it well 🙂
Spotlight Resource
10 mistakes leaders make in difficult conversations
Over the years from training thousands of school leaders, I have noticed patterns, common pitfalls and stumbling blocks when it comes to difficult conversations in school, and so I have created this e-course to help you to stay clear of the traps and, in turn, have more successful difficult conversations.
And if you’d like some help talking about conduct and performance then come along to ‘Capability Conference: Tackle under-performance quickly, kindly and legally’, with me, Clare Fowler, Employment Solicitor at the charity YESS Law, and Maria Brosnan of Everyday Wellbeing.