The 3 Ps theory to SBM survival

Dedicated to the memory of Julie Cordiner, Val Andrew offers some advice on how you can use the 3 Ps to get through these difficult times

Read the full article below or read on page 14 in our November magazine

I am sitting here writing this piece whilst watching the very latest unbelievable developments in the political farce that is being played out before our eyes. The frustrations of helplessness and complete disbelief have engulfed us all, not least because we are all worried about what this means for us personally, and yet we continue to be passionate about the education sector and what it all means for our young people. Regardless of our roles within the system these feelings bond us all together like nothing else has done previously – and that’s a positive. 

Anyway, trying to take the advice I’ve doled out in the past, I decided to focus on something I could influence and it started me thinking about a dear departed colleague – Julie Cordiner. Julie was passionate about education and about our profession. She wrote several books that many of us continue to rely on in support of the work we do as school business managers and leaders. Her last book focused on ‘productivity’,and this got me thinking about some key concepts we could all embrace in these troubled times.

Productivity, Prioritisation and Perspective

Hence this 3 Ps theory, which I’m going to dedicate to Julie’s memory as it’s largely a summary of what she was trying to tell us in her last book.

Productivity

The word has many definitions but in the education/SBM world it links inputs and outputs and, generally, means doing more and more. At worst, it can feed the hamster wheel concept and can be self-defeating, but it basically means making your time count – which reminds me of the time management strategies we advocate to our DSBM L4 learners to help them organise their time to accommodate their studies.

We talk about the Pareto Principle, or 80/20 rule, which states that 80% of our productivity comes from 20% of our effort. The misconception is that this is related not to the amount of effort we are putting in, but rather the consequences of time wasting that takes place. 

Acknowledging that around 80% of effort results in little or no productive output leads us to wonder, ‘Where does this time go?’ Identifying the time thieves, and looking to eliminate them – or at least control them – helps us all improve our productivity. Applying this concept in practice is not without its problems – focusing wholly on impact can lead to important things being overlooked, so finding the right balance is the key to being productive and prioritising what is important – which leads nicely to the second P…

Prioritising

In her book Julie talks about prioritising self-care as a foundation to achieving better productivity. I love her analogy of the emergency briefing on an aircraft – where we are told, ‘In an emergency, fit your own oxygen mask before helping others!’ When we see the word ‘prioritise’, we automatically think about shuffling the stuff on our desk, and focusing on the most important tasks we have to complete – but, actually, prioritising our own health and wellbeing is, and should be, at the top of the list. 

We’ve all done it – but overworking is counterproductive and leads to a rapid downward spiral that ends up with us being ill. The human body reacts to stress and copes well with it in the short term. 

We adopt a ‘flight or flight’, evolutionary-type, response where the priority is survival. The human body is such an amazing creation – BUT the ‘flight or fight’ mode is designed to only work for us over short periods of time. Living in a state of sustained stress can have serious consequences for our health. 

I’ve recommended Dr Rangan Chatterjee before, in previous articles, and his books The Stress Solution and The 4 Pillar Plan are both well worth a read. Chatterjee supports the notion that you can’t put off taking time out for yourself. I was talking to a colleague earlier today – she works 0.8FTE and was postponing her day off because of work pressures saying, “It’ll make life easier for me next week”. Actually, spending time trying to relax and rebooting her body’s hard drive might work better in the long run and make her more productive next week! SBMs notoriously look after everyone else and neglect themselves.

Perspective

The final of my 3Ps is perspective; concentrating on the things that are within your own power to influence is a good starting point. At present we are surrounded by chaos and challenge. The government is in chaos, the prospect of funding for education isn’t good, energy costs and living costs are spiralling out of control, recruitment is increasingly difficult, and staff are leaving for better paid jobs. The whole picture looks incredibly bleak and depressing but, as individuals, we are relatively powerless to change any of that in the short term – or at least until we have the option to vote for change. 

I’d recommend a reality check, or seeking perspective. I love Simon Sinek’s ‘Start with Why’ theory; it’s not really about what you do, it’s about why you do it – and relate this to yourself. As SBMs we join education (usually) because we want to play a part in developing the next generation and help to make a difference. That probably hasn’t changed for any of us. Hanging on to that ‘why’ is crucial in terms of retaining perspective at the moment.

Julie’s last book is well worth a revisit – her advice about making our time count and encouraging a different mindset has never had such resonance. 

BOOK: Productivity for School Business Professionals ISBN 9780995590236