Effective School Management

Figure 8.3
The OK matrix, from Harris (1995), reprinted by permission of Jonathan Cape Ltd
You’re OK
You’re not OK
I’m OK
We can work
I don’t trust
together
you
effectively
I’m not OK
I must prove
I may be able
that I’m worth
to prove
something or
myself at your
opt out
expense

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MANAGING YOURSELF
135
stereotyping the other person negatively – inclined to attribute the wrong
motives to his or her actions. I may well be right, particularly if we have both
become locked into a vicious circle where neither trusts the other and where
the actions of both will therefore be loaded.
The important thing to bear in mind is that most negative behaviour
occurs because people feel unsure or threatened – perhaps not by us but by
others or by circumstances.
Finally, it must be remembered that how a person perceives him or herself
and others in terms of the OK matrix depends to a large extent on that person.
If we treat others as though they are ‘not OK’ in our eyes they will seldom
prove the contrary.
As far as possible the aim should be to feel ‘OK’ in ourselves and try to
accept others in a positive way. This is the basis for a sound working
relationship or friendship. In attempting to resolve conflict, the parties must
make a real effort to move towards the ‘I’m OK/You’re OK’ corner, though it
will never be easy! (Harris, 1995).
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
An increasingly important aspect of managing our attitudes and behaviour
relates to equal opportunities; we may even fall foul of the law if we neglect
our responsibilities towards minorities and towards the opposite sex. It
certainly erodes our effectiveness as managers if we are insensitive to other
people’s feelings, and there is no doubt that women and ethnic minorities
sometimes feel that they are the victims of oppression by men and by white
Anglo-Saxons respectively. Sexism and racism are usually present in schools
whether we like to admit it or not. Statistics show, for example, that women
are under-represented in more senior management posts. Many business
organizations and public authorities are taking positive action to ensure that
such inequalities are addressed. Educational institutions have been in the van
of this movement, sometimes to the point that ‘political correctness’ and
zealotry have become counterproductive.
The least that effective managers should do is to train themselves to avoid
language traps (yes, we’ve had to learn too!). Gender-specific terms are not
always interpreted as generic, even when the context might suggest the
contrary. Unfortunately some well established management terms fall into
this category: ‘man the office’,  ‘manpower’,  ‘chairman’. Women can also
upset men by talking about ‘bringing feminine values to management’, as
though the values to which they refer were exclusively gender-specific. Many
managers are so unaware of giving offence to minority groups that they
would do well to legitimize a feedback system to let them know when they
have inadvertently transgressed; but beware of ‘witch-hunts’.

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136
EFFECTIVE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT
POSITIVE AND  NEGATIVE MANAGEMENT
Finally, we suggest that the behavioural checklist in Figure 8.4 may serve to
crystallize the key behavioural issues for the manager.
PERSONAL APPLICATION
Consider any two colleagues and mark each of them against the checklist in Figure
8.4 by ticking for each line which of the two alternative behaviours predominates.
Do the same for yourself and consider how you should change your behaviour.
DISCUSSION TOPIC
‘Recent changes have made many teachers feel threatened or “not OK”.
They are reacting predictably to this.’ Do we agree, and if so what can
school managers do to alleviate the situation?
FURTHER READING
Brown, M. and Ralph, S. (1994) Managing Stress in Schools, Northcote House, Plymouth.
Cooper, C.L. and Payne, R.L. (eds) (1994) Causes, Coping and Consequences of Stress at
Work, Wiley, London.
Esp, D. (1993) Competences for School Managers, Kogan Page, London.
Foster, M. (2000) Get Everything Done and Still Have Time to Play, Help Yourself, London.
Honey, P. and Mumford, A. (1989) Manual of Learning Styles, Honey, Maidenhead.
Mill, C. (2000)  Managing for the First Time, Chartered Institute of Personnel and
Development, London.
Pedler, M. and Boydell, T. (1999) Managing Yourself, Lemos and Crane, London.
The positive manager
The negative manager
Acts
Is a victim
Accepts responsibility
Blames others
Is objective
Is subjective
Listens and responds
Rejects suggestions
Proposes solutions
Criticizes
Delegates
Is incapable of delegation
Sees opportunities
Sees threats
Has breadth of vision
Is preoccupied with detail
Faces up to problems
Conceals problems
Confronts the source of problems
Talks about the source of problems
Learns
Is taught
Has foresight
Has hindsight