I want to be a better line manager. Line management meetings are essential for supporting and developing leaders and I have been thinking about how I can get it right next year. However, the more I think about, the more problematic effective line management seems.
We generally agree that effective line management is central to any organisation’s operational and overall performance, but it’s not uncommon for the line management policies organisations create to remain as ideas on paper rather than being a lived reality (Sikora & Ferris, 2014). This can become a major issue when middle managers (in schools perhaps this is Heads of Department or Assistant Principals) don’t acknowledge and accept responsibility for the development of those they line manage (Fenton-O'Creevy, 2006).
Essentially there are issues with line management as a lived reality at both individual and organisational level for lots of reasons, including:
It means different things to different people
Line management can be lots of things, but it can’t be everything
People’s experiences of line management vary drastically, even with the same school (maybe even with the same line manager)
The impact of bad line management resonates through people’s careers and perceptions of an organisation
When there are issues with cover (and when aren’t there?), line management can be the first thing to be dropped
I asked people on X to share their experiences of line management and … wow. I will add these to emphasise the points I make below. The thing I’ve taken away from asking this though was the seemingly universal ability of effective line management to develop people and ineffective line management to create heroes and villains in the narratives we create around our professional life stories.
Despite all this, I think that line management can be the most powerful and overlooked tool we have in schools to turn our vision or ethos into a lived experience. I’m going to argue that implementing effective coaching strategies in line management will help in pretty much all contexts. It is also worth noting that line management is an issue in other fields, not just education.
I’m obviously not the first one to think about this. The Education Imposters summarised how they feel line management is an overlooked way to provide support for those working in schools:
‘In the EEF Professional Development Guidance Report of 2021 14 key mechanisms were outlined which are effective, based on the research, in driving effective PD. Many of these mechanisms can also be applied to leadership conversations, for example social support and goal setting. However, there is another key mechanism which I think also applies which is often overlooked in line management, and that is of providing affirmation and reinforcement’ (The Education Imposters, 2024).
Let’s start by looking at the issues with line management, before exploring how coaching techniques and practical adaptations to current practice could impact the experience and impact of line management in the English secondary context.
The Issues with Line Management
What is it anyway?
We use the term line management as though there was a universal understanding of what this means and how people experience this. I don’t think there is. Line management means so many different things to different leaders, schools and organisations.
An overarching term for a line manager is someone responsible for the performance and development of a team (CIPD, 2024). Line management meetings in schools centre around school, (where appropriate) departmental and individual development. This in theory is straightforward, but as schools (rightly) move away from performance related pay, this ‘development’ can become more complex. For me, the key thing here is to not work on the assumption that we mean the same thing and to provide as much clarity as possible surrounding what line management means to us, in our context, at this moment in time.
Personality and Perception
From my own experience, and those of the teachers I’ve spoken to recently, it feels as though the experience of line management is inextricably linked to the person you’re being managed by. Whilst this can lead to unique learning opportunities, it does not lead to consistency in the experiences of people across an organisation. This is problematic.
We can’t leave something as important as line management to chance, especially considering how little training there is for senior leaders about what effective line management looks like.
Whilst writing this I reflected on how my own personality and working relationships have impacted my line management. I recently line managed an incredible middle leader who I also consider a friend. My internal belief that she was brilliant at her job and probably didn’t really need me, plus the fact that we got on so well, meant that line management meetings were more of a chat than a formulaic meeting. Don’t get me wrong, we worked on school improvement priorities and the department is going from strength to strength, but as a member of staff, this colleague is owed a structured line management meeting. Also, this meeting was one of the highlights in what was a hectic and busy timetable. I looked forward to it. Whilst you could say it’s a compliment to my colleague that I looked forward to meeting with her, that’s not right. That meeting wasn’t about me or having an interesting discussion or a chat. It was their development and I’m really going to reflect on this going forward.
One colleague on X shared:
‘Best and worst simultaneously - worked with an incredibly dynamic, creative head who rarely finished anything she started but drew people around her like bees. She was the Head I both wanted to be and wanted to avoid becoming’
When so much around leadership is centred on just that – leadership – and by that I mean personality, presence, visibility and vision, line management is a place to remember the importance of the other side of the coin. How we manage, is as equally important part of running a school effectively. Effective management means structure, reliability, systems and processes. These are essential elements of psychological safety in the workplace.
Practical Issues and Differences in School
If you’re like me, you’ve got a version of your timetable ready for the start of next year. Mine is colour coded. It has my classes, my meetings and all the usual bits and pieces you’d expect. This won’t be my reality! What senior leader in the world has ever actually managed to stick to their timetable as it looks on their board in their office?! Cover, emergencies, bank holidays, training. So many things can get in the way! It’s a sad fact of life that when we need cover for class or an issue need dealing with urgently, line management finds its way to the back of the queue. Schools must do their upmost to ensure that line management is protected time, but this is not always the reality. Technology does help us here. If I’ve had to be at home because my little one is unwell, I can still (snot and fussiness allowing) meet with people for urgent issues in line management via teams for example, but it’s no substitute for sitting together in a protected meeting to go through the key development areas for a colleague.
The Lasting Impact of Bad Line Management
There are always two sides to every story, but one thing is clear: line management has the ability to create heroes and villains in the narrative of our professional lives. Some of the stories I’ve had shared via X or through personal interactions demonstrate the lasting impact being line managed by someone who openly doesn’t believe in you can have.
You could (and should) question the reliability of a story being told years after an event has taken place. We are, after all, the narrators in the stories of our own lives and so instinctively create heroes and villains within our story arch (Campbell, 1949). To this end, the ‘truth’ behind stories we hear surrounding line management isn’t actually the thing we should be focusing on, but more what these narratives tell us about the organisations we work for. Does how we treat people in line management mirror who we want to be?
So, what can we do about it?
As indicated earlier, I think there are two parts to this answer: valuing the management side of leadership and implementing effective coaching strategies into our line management meetings. My mind turned to structures or systems that we already have in place that support professional development and the most obvious example is coaching. Coaching as a principle is designed with development at its core and so serves the purpose of effective development of staff in schools.
Planning for Line Management
In some aspects of my job, I am unapologetically cheesy. Since seeing a video from a very academic source (ok, it was TikTok and I didn’t save the video, so unfortunately, I can’t reference the creator here), I like to contract key aspects of our line management meetings. I send an email to middle leaders and lead practitioners that I haven’t line managed before that includes the following…
Ahead of our first meeting I want you to think about the following questions to help me learn how to best support you:
What did you and your previous line manage discuss/work on that you found the most helpful?
Which areas of your role do you like to be supported in and what does that typically look like?
Where do your areas of strength/ambitions sit within your role?
How do you like to be recognised and valued for the work that you do?
How do you like to receive feedback?
I can then adapt how I line manage individuals depending on how they answer these questions. I’ve been doing this for a couple of years now and have found it very useful. The variety of the answers you get is also pretty astounding and I’m glad I’ve asked rather than assumed the answers based on my assumptions of how I’ve seen that person act in another context.
This first meeting can then be used to discuss these and establish our usual ways of working. I know it might sound a little silly, but being transparent on areas such as how I work and how I will support psychological safety in the workplace. I have a young child and another on the way, so I may leave reasonably quickly after school to make pick up but will be back on my emails again after bedtime, for example. I discourage people from working outside of their hours but choose to work in the evening where it’s necessary rather than keeping people I line management waiting for an answer. Additionally, I know I can be short over email. This isn’t intentional and is usually a biproduct of a busy spell in the term or replying whilst walking. This is the opposite of how I am in person, and I’ve been told it makes people nervous. I like to apologise for this in advance and explain that if there are any issues at all, we will discuss them in person (whilst also trying to be a better emailer, obviously!).
We also have a responsibility to be organised and self-discipled.
One colleague on X shared the issues a disorganised leader had on their workload:
‘Sending requests for urgent and time-consuming pieces of work during holidays.’
A clear line management structure can ensure that this doesn’t happen. I am responsible for what we call the raising standards calendar and assessment in my school. This means that discussions around workload linked to data collection and analysis/next steps are all planned in. The insightful questions linked to school improvement and pupil-centred data came from our trust central team and we simply adapt it to fit our data deadlines. This means that if SLT stick to the timetable, then we avoid issues like working over half terms or last-minute requests.
Know your stuff
You are more likely to be happy at work if your boss could do your job (Artz et al., 2016). In an ideal world, we would be line managed by people who have done the pastoral or subject role we currently situate, but the hierarchical structure of schools means this is impossible for everyone. At the very least, line managers have a responsibility to upskill themselves and learn about the areas of the school they line manage. This can be beneficial for us too. I went through the curriculum route and line managing a pastoral head of year has been some of the best CPD I’ve had in recent years.
‘My LM (deputy head) did my job for 10 years plus and leads by example. Awareness and empathy of the real day to day challenges balances with high expectations of what I can achieve because they’ve been there and done that. Still insists on teaching regularly’.
There are plenty of resources to help SLT know the subjects they line manage, even if you have never taught it. Books like Huh are incredibly useful and offer an insight into middle leadership of subjects on the national curriculum (Myatt & Tomsett, 2021). At the start of each academic year, we share a handbook for all SLT including relevant chapters from books on curriculum, Ofsted subject research reports and summaries of recent work by subject associations to ensure that middle leaders don’t have to spend time explaining the basics of their subject to their line manager.
Take responsibility for the development of those you line manage
This seems like an obvious point, but line managers need to take the responsibility of developing their colleagues incredibly seriously (Fenton-O'Creevy, 2006). Sam Crome’s book The Power of Teams is honestly the best teacher produced/focused book I have read in recent years. Key points about creating a shared sense of purpose and demonstrating genuine care can be learnt from his work, so I won’t repeat it here but would strongly recommend reading it (Crome, 2023).
When people genuinely believe that their line manager cares about them and wants to seem them flourish, they say things like this:
‘Had a boss who would ask "tell me why you are going in X direction." Not a challenge but a chance to talk through ideas, alternatives, implementation, resources. And it showed the boss was interested in my ideas and my thinking. Wonderful.’
‘The line manager who promoted honesty was best. He never apportioned blame for my mistakes, instead focused on fixing the issue. Meant I could learn how to undo issues from him and not hide them.’
‘The purpose is to collectively learn and improve as an organisation. Line management is an opportunity to develop individualised and is thus inextricably linked to their CPD.’
‘Best line managers who coach you to come to your own decisions, so you feel empowered, who trust you. V important to praise and acknowledge hard work too. I’ve been lucky not to ever have had a ‘bad’ line manager - but have had some excellent ones.’
I think this message is especially important if you line manage other line managers. A headteacher sets the tone for line management in their school through their actions. If line management is prioritised and coaching modelled, then this will be the culture in the school. On the other hand, if a headteacher frequently cancels line management with senior leaders, they can only work on the assumption that this is being mirrored throughout the school.
Summary
Time management is complex because not all schools undertake this process in the same way and whilst line management can be lots of things, it can't be everything
The day-to-day reality of school means that line management can get pushed to the side, but where possible, schools need to ensure that this is protected time for staff development
The most effective line managers are those that understand the context in which their colleagues are working, promote a positive relationship based on trust and genuine investment in improving their colleagues
When done poorly, line management has a lasting impact on how individuals view a school and forms part of our professional life narratives
Principles of coaching can be included in line management to make it more effective
A centralised school plan of what is being discussed when can avoid last minute requests or unreasonable deadlines
A line manager’s personality has one of the biggest impacts on how effective they are and one of the key reasons why line management can be inconsistent across the school
Reflective Questions:
How do you define line management within your school context, and how do you ensure this definition is clearly communicated and understood by all staff members?
What strategies can you implement to avoid discrepancies in line management experiences?
Reflect on a time when your line management has impacted a colleague’s professional development. What lessons did you learn from this experience, and how can you apply these lessons to improve your current practices?
How can you integrate effective coaching techniques into your line management meetings to better support and develop your team members? What specific coaching strategies have you found most effective?
Given the various demands and interruptions in a school setting, how do you prioritise and protect time for line management meetings? What systems can you put in place to ensure these meetings remain a priority and are not overshadowed by other urgent tasks?
References
Artz, B., Goodall, A., & Oswald, A. J. (2016). If Your Boss Could Do Your Job, You’re More Likely to Be Happy at Work. Harvard Business Review https://hbr.org/2016/12/if-your-boss-could-do-your-job-youre-more-likely-to-be-happy-at-work
Campbell, J. (1949). The Hero with a Thousand Faces New World Library
CIPD (2024) Line managers' role in supporting the people profession (available at:
Crome, S. (2023). The Power of Teams; How to Create and Lead Thriving School Teams. John Catt Publishing.
Fenton-O'Creevy. (2006). Employee involvement and the middle manager: saboteur or scapegoat? Human Resource Management Journal, 11(1), 24-40.
Myatt, M., & Tomsett, J. (2021). Huh: Curriculum conversations between subject and senior leaders. John Catt Publishing
Sikora, D., & Ferris, G. R. (2014). Strategic human resource practice implementation: The critical role of line management. Human Resource Management Review, 24(3), 271-281.
The Education Imposters. (2024, 25.07.24). Motivational Leadership. https://theeducationalimposters.wordpress.com/
Thanks for this, Claire - really interesting. And I'm pleased you reference Sam Crome, and the Myatt and Tomsett Huh books - excellent resources!
Hope you're having a very good summer break.