The start of another academic year is an opportune time for leaders in secondary schools to reflect on their performance and identify areas for growth.
Self-reflection plays a pivotal role in becoming a more effective school leader and a powerful tool that can aid this process is the 360-degree evaluation.
The 360-degree review
This involves requesting anonymous feedback from various stakeholders on your management - so for me, it included colleagues I line managed, my own line manager and people on the leadership team to get a fully rounded picture of how my new role was going.
It can be daunting in terms of how brutally honest the feedback might be, and you have to face the reality that not everything you read will be positive. I certainly had some surprises that made me think about how I was being perceived and how I was leading.
For example, I sent my survey to 10 different colleagues and one of the questions asked how well colleagues felt supported and understood in their role.
Self-reflection
One colleague responded by saying that they did not feel that I understood their role, and as it was anonymous, I did not know who it was who felt like that.
I didn’t spend time trying to detect whose response it was but I did use this information to try to ensure that the next time the survey was done, the person would not feel that way.
Their response made me reflect and evaluate my relationships with my colleagues, and it made me review what I could do to ensure that all people in my team felt supported.
It made me recognise that actually, yes, there were some colleagues I spoke to more frequently than others, there were some colleagues I worked more closely with because of the nature of my role, and there were times when I could have handled things differently.
It also made me think about what I could do to maintain effective communication on a weekly, daily and regular basis overall.
Talking more
The feedback also made it clear that I should email less and talk more in person with staff, as the tone of written communication can definitely be misinterpreted: sometimes it can seem curt and abrupt rather than simply efficient.
In addition, making sure that agendas for meetings are distributed in advance and giving staff the chance to add and initiate discussion points were practical insights that I have taken on board.
This willingness to change is key to making a 360 process worthwhile. Any leaders or schools that undertake them need to ensure they have the open mind required to take the feedback they receive.
The power of anonymity
Anonymity in this process is so important because it allows people to be honest. Obviously, staff should be guided to use it constructively rather than being overly critical. Ultimately, it benefits them to use it in a manner that allows the person asking for feedback to improve.
However, the anonymity does not mean you should think you are on your own - it is more than fair to reach out for clarification and support if any feedback is unclear or seems inconsistent.
Realistically, you could do this with your line manager or a colleague you know can be supportive but honest, so you can ask them for their interpretation to perhaps delve into the context and nuances of the feedback received.
Then, after you have read and taken stock of the comments, it’s important to prioritise and make an action plan around how you intend to use the feedback to analyse what you will work on in the academic year ahead.
Ideally, you can set any relevant goals at the beginning of the academic year and then repeat the 360 at the end of the year to measure accomplishments.
This will allow you to acknowledge your successes but also reflect on areas where you may have fallen short. You can therefore understand the reasons as part of a continuous improvement process.
Don’t be too hard on yourself
Of course, while all of this relies on being open to the constructive criticism that comes from the 360 process, it is crucial to practise self-compassion. Recognise that we all make mistakes and they offer valuable learning experiences.
Leadership is a continuous journey of learning and every step taken towards improvement benefits not only yourself but also those you lead.
Get this right and you can ensure that your leadership is continually being improved or refined to help all those around you, and, in turn, the wider school community.
Maddy Jones is assistant head of secondary at The International School @ ParkCity in Kuala Lumpur
