Managing Staff for Improved Performance

✍ Scribed by Middlewood David; Abbott Ian

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Year: 2017
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 217
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Managing Staff for Improved Performance provides a comprehensive guide to people management in schools, giving school leaders and managers clear insights into how to develop employee performance and ensure high quality service in education. Middlewood and Abbott explore human resource management (HRM) theory and practice, drawing on examples from a wide-range of school contexts across many different countries. They examine what is meant by all levels of performance, from excellent to poor, and offer strategies for evaluating the performance of all staff – starting with the school leader. The authors also explore a range of issues including recruitment, performance-related pay, working with unions and other professional organisations, engaging stakeholders and the thorny issues around dismissal procedures.
Throughout this comprehensive guide for aspiring and practising school leaders, the emphasis is on taking a proactive and positive approach with a view to developing a culture within the organisation which only accepts very effective performance, and supports the style and approach of the school leader.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Half Title
Series
Title
Copyright
Contents
Figures
About the authors
Preface
Abbreviations
Part one Issues in managing staff performance
Chapter 1 The changing context for managing performance
Policy reform
Impact on work in education
Managing performance and underperformance
Developing performance standards
Conclusion
Summary
Recommended reading
Chapter 2 Understanding how schools operate
Introduction
Ensuring an ethical approach
The importance of diversity
Ensuring adherence to relevant legislation
Equal opportunities
Data protection
Micro-politics
Relevant leadership and management
Summary
Recommended reading
Chapter 3 Developing a positive culture for managing staff performance
Introduction
Concepts of culture
Staff morale, motivation and job satisfaction
Staff emotional health and well-being
Relationship between cultures and structures
Concerns for leaders and managers themselves
Recommended reading
Chapter 4 Identifying different levels of performance
Introduction
Levels of performance
Professionalism
Some possible associated character traits
Impact of different performers on other staff
Contextual factors
Summary
Recommended reading
Part two Examining and addressing the issues
Chapter 5 Examining the leader’s role
Introduction
Begin with yourself
Leadership styles
Effective recruitment and selection
Personnel
Criteria
Methods of selection
Assessment of performance
Summary
Recommended reading
Chapter 6 Understanding factors affecting staff performance
Introduction
The nature of the job itself
The capability of the jobholder
Attitudes towards the work
External factors which can impact on performance
Membership of school teams
Pay – the issue of financial rewards and incentives
Summary
Recommended reading
Chapter 7 Strategies to support and improve performance
Introduction
The importance of effective induction
Why is an effective induction important?
Features of an effective induction
Effective appraisal of performance in education
Consistency and regularity in approach
Mentoring and coaching
Customized professional learning and development
Summary
Recommended reading
Chapter 8 Dealing with under-performance
Introduction
A changing context for under-performing teachers
Possible reasons for under-performance
Key principles in dealing with under-performers
Act earlier rather than later
Be consistent in your dealings with the person concerned
Be as impersonal and objective as possible
Ensure everything is fair and transparent
Ensure that support strategies have been exhausted before moving to disciplinary procedures
Strategies for dealing with under-performers
Options available when no improvement has proved possible
The ultimate option of dismissal
Summary
Recommended reading
Part three Developing effective partnerships
Chapter 9 Managing staff departures effectively
Introduction
Management of processes leading to dismissal
Management of making a staff member redundant
Managing reduction of full-time to part-time employment
Managing staff retirement
Writing references for departing staff
Managing the leader’s departure and its implications
Summary
Recommended reading
Chapter 10 Working with trade unions and professional associations
Introduction
History and development of trade unions and professional organizations
Working at a local level
Continuity, consistency and commitment
Leaders’ professional support
Conclusion
Summary
Recommended reading
Chapter 11 Engaging with other stakeholders
Introduction
Working with stakeholders
Communication with stakeholders
Stakeholders and school improvement
Summary
Recommended reading
Chapter 12 Conclusions and reflections
Introduction
The significance of school staff performance
Some conclusions
Implications for the future
Summary
References
Subject index