Inventing the FutureSystems & Success

Ian Pryce

Principal & Chief Executive, Bedford College

Outline of Day• Purpose & Context

• Finance

• People

• Quality

• Information

• What is success?

Purpose and Context

• Aims & Values

• Change & Pace

Mission• The Hedgehog concept

• Passion

• People

• Economics

Values

• The How

• Must be shared and lived

• Be careful what you wish for!

Rollercoaster Leadership

Change Like Never Before• Technological change = making the improbable possible• Political change = market and labour mobility• Generational change = less conformist, more individualist• Business change = companies like “tents” not “pyramids”• Older workers + birth-rate decline = inverted workplace

The Frantic Sector• Qualifications

• Inspection change

• Quality frameworks change

• Funding systems change

• Funding priorities change

• Provider base change

Systems & Success

FINANCE

By the end of the session you will know….

• What drives your costs and income• The freedom you have to use resources

allocated• How to ask for more, or work with less!• How to impress your friends with your

financial literacy!• How Finance and the Chief Executive

measure your performance in financial terms

Income and Cost “drivers”• Financial statements reflect activity

• What makes you spend more?

• What brings in the money?

The One Critical Difference

“Money is both an input and output in the

private sector”

“Money is never an output in the public

sector”

Improving the Student Experience

• Quality of staff

• Quality of environment

• Quality of learning materials

• Course organisation

Reflected in achievement, progression, feedback

Resources allocated on:• Student numbers

• Course hours

• “Equipment heaviness”

• Current staff salaries and contracts

Judgement!• Student recruitment, retention,

achievement• Student feedback• Management of resources allocated• Good communication through year• Work within regulations• Sought work within resources allocated• Well planned spending

The 5 key questions• Do we make a surplus?

• Do we have working capital?

• Do we eat cash or make it?

• Are we investing?

• Is our surplus good enough?

Financial Strategy• A critical document

• How much freedom?

• How much flexibility?

Systems & Success

PEOPLE

Get People• Job description v Person spec

• Process review especially the purpose of a process

Keep People• Welcome and first impressions

• People have a name

• Induction

• Feedback from leavers

• Welfare and social activity

Managing People• Probation

• Disciplined people v Control

• Communication and visible management

• Attendance

Developing People• Self-developers

• Focus on skills they need for this job and next

• Development isn’t the same as training

Level 5 Leadership• Ambitious for the cause

• Professional will

• Personal humility

Dynamism

Morality

Corner Cutting

Problem Solving

Personal Responsibility

Public v Private (respective strengths)

Planning v Delivery

Stewardship v Financial results

Shared accountability v Personal performance

Consistency v Innovation

Diffuse power v Direct power

Education v Skills

Job Description v Person Specification

The Challenges where “private” skills help

• Action Bias• Real prioritisation• Resource Management• People Management• Negotiation• Selling• Problem resolution• Using Data

The Rewards• Doing Good• Intellectual Challenge• Big budgets (money and people)• Safe employment (still)• Flexible employment• The Leadership satisfaction• Strong focus on equality and diversity

Emotive Issues• Putting students first means putting staff

second!?

• Does the plan mean anything to an individual?

• How do we deal with dissent?

Systems & Success

QUALITY

Quality• To what end?

• Responsibility

• How much can you do?

Bedford College Quality team

• Student Data analysis- retention/achievement

• Observations and 3 to 2 programme

• Self-assessment

• Course review

• Curriculum review

• Programme area MOT

• Self-assessment report

• Surveys and feedback

• Process review/EFQM

Measures• Of performance

• Of process

• Comparators

Systems & Success

INFORMATION and

SUCCESS

How do you define success?

• Learner Success

• Financial Strength

• People

• Planning Process

• Environmental

• Quality assurance

Information

• Right Information

• Right Time

• Right Way

• Used….

• Used to succeed

Performance• Alignment with strategy

• Key performance indicators

• Quantitative & Qualitative

• Hit the target, miss the point

Bedford College: Ensuring consistency 1

Aims

ObjectivesValues

Policies and procedures

Bedford College: Ensuring consistency 2

Strategic Plans

Operational Plans

Personal Objectives

Communication• The “non-verbal” myth

• Showing you care

• One College, Many Teams

• Keep it simple

Improvement

Remote Leaders• Create vision

• Create Belief

• Communicate change

• Energise

Improvement

Local Leaders• Engage employees

• Create motivation

• Manage anxiety

• Lead people through change

The Importance of Feedback

• Performance reports• Student and customer feedback• LSC review, Ofsted etc• Course review• Team Meetings• Student representatives• Platform• Open Door Policy

Reputation Management

• Reputation is never reality

• Reputational risks are many

• Weak links, bad apples

Madonna Business

Not PriMadonna Business