I can be a bit of a ‘bull in a china shop’ when I want things to change. I am absolutely the type of person that says come on then, let’s get on with it. I find it frustrating when people want to dither too much, as I generally find that I learn more by having a go, than I do trying to weigh up all the options before I start. And if I start thinking about it too much, there is always the danger I’ll head into overthinking it! I think it also comes from working in institutions or organisations where you know that there are going to be a million hoops to jump through before you can get anything done, so I feel I at least need to push forward the part that I am in control of. I have however learnt over the years, that whilst this attitude genuinely comes from being hardworking, optimistic and solution focused, it isn’t always the best strategy! The more passionate I am about something, the more I have realised that I need to take a breath and not jump too far too fast. 

In more recent times I have taken on new challenges and been desperate to get going with changes, only to discover that there have been metaphorical speed bumps in my way slowing me down. Initially this only served to make me feel frustrated and like I was less in control, however I guess with age and experience I have learnt to do the best with what I have got. So rather than just being annoyed, instead I chose to use this enforced time to take that breath and take a step back and really look at what was in front of me. When managing a team, it encouraged me to get to know the individuals better, and genuinely consider what they felt the next steps on the journey to be. I have always loved learning from those around me, however it reminded me to really listen and consider what everyone was saying and truly hear the complete diversity of viewpoints. In my current venture, having to work my notice forced me to take a breath and this made me go out of my comfort zone and ask for help and advice, even in areas where I didn’t necessarily feel like I needed it, yet of course I did, and I learnt so much. It meant that once I did get started, I was more ready and less frantic!

If Covid is viewed merely as something that came, stopped things happening as we thought they would, but then we return to exactly where we were as soon as we can, then I think we are missing something. I think that we have to look for the positives from this pandemic, otherwise all the loss and tragedy really was worth nothing. As individuals, and as organisations, we surely have to be curious about what the pandemic has taught us and take the learning from that. We may have had fantastic plans prior to Covid, but surely this last year must have shown us how we can make them even better. We may have struggled, found things really challenging, and suffered, however haven’t we also adapted, been flexible and grown? If someone had told you a year ago what was to come, how many of us would have imagined we would come through the other side and accomplish things we never thought possible along the way. The legacy of the pandemic in schools has to be that now more than ever we are talking about vulnerable children, wellbeing, mental health and thinking about how we can teach and how our children learn even in the most bizarre of circumstances. Many of our schools have rediscovered their importance within communities and are now seen as a place of safety and compassion. What would be sad, is if we lost all that in our desperation to return to how things were before. 

For me, the greatest lesson that has come out of the pandemic is the importance of others. As someone who passionately bangs on about the importance of relationships, I am still thankful that over the last year I have truly realised how vital it is to have people around me who support me, care for me, and have my back when the going gets tough. Even setting out on what appeared to be a lone journey, has emphasised that I cannot do it on my own, and if I did it would be less successful, less rewarding and a million times harder. It has taught me that even the best laid plans need others to contribute, shape and challenge ideas and then the result is way better. 

The brilliant quote that inspired me this week is

“’Which is more important,’ asked Big Panda, ‘the journey or the destination?’

‘The company.’ Said Tiny Dragon.”

James Norbury

So, I suppose what I am saying is that rather than panic to dust off those old plans and get going with them again, take a breath and take the opportunity to hear those around you. Reshape those plans in light of what the last year has taught us and make them even better. Covid gave us a forced period of reflection, where some parts of all our lives were put on hold, let’s not just pretend that all didn’t happen, otherwise what was the point? We have certainly all been forced to deal with the fact that things don’t always happen as we intended, and all good plans need contingencies, back up plans and regular opportunities to review and reassess. 

Make sure that your plans involve the people that they are about. For any new strategy or plan, without those around you being invested from the outset, at best you risk that it wouldn’t be sustainable and at worst you will have people working against you from day one. A great strategy reflects the voices of all the key stakeholders, whether that be a vision across an entire Multi-Academy Trust, a new plan within your school, or even just something new you’re trying to do at home! Without the people, its just words. 

We are brilliant in education at hearing the latest buzz words, being pressured to adopt a new shiny intervention or placing unrealistic demands to change things in a term that would really take a good few years. These ideas may be incredible; however, we often don’t give them a chance to have any impact before the next great idea comes along. So, let the lessons from the pandemic be, to take a breath, listen to the voices of those involved, and create realistic and sustainable plans that will really make a difference and give them a chance to work. 

And give yourself a break - of course your school isn’t on track or where you expected it to be by March 2021 – no one is where they expected to be in March 2021 but maybe that doesn’t have to be all bad, and maybe by March 2022 you will be in a whole different and better place not just despite the pandemic, but maybe in some ways because if it. Be kind to yourself, you've got this.