Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ My Creed As a Manager

My Creed As a Manager

Jan 13, 2006
By Stephen Downes

I am not a manager (though I was one in another life). And this isn't really my creed, it's an adaptation of the table found in Cranston. But it's a pretty good starting point, it seems to me.

Leadership and Culture

I will retain only successes from the now and past.
I will rely on community attitudes and values determine what is best for all.
I will encourage multiple shared leadership distributed through wider communities.
I will encourage vigorous debate of all policies, particularly by those implementing them.
I will value and reward difference and diversity in thinking, attitudes and ideas
I will foster quality, intellect, leadership, challenge, forward thinking and new mind-sets
I will encourage radical ideas that depart from past practices that improve outcomes.

Policy

I will focus on strategic policy development only, while local community developed policies take precedence.
I will encourage communities to schools challenge the centre's policies if they are inappropriate for their community
I will enable communities to determine all operational matters that affect them
I will encourage more rapid implementation of policy priorities
I will recognize community differences and accommodate them in policy development.

Relationships and accountability

The purpose of my work is to add to the value of work in the communities
Innovative ideas are welcomed and supported from everywhere, especially from individuals and their communities
Communities hold clear accountabilities for outcomes, because they have control over the resources that matter
Community determined social justice and equity priorities are embraced and funded
Communities hold accountability for funding of schools
Communities in collaboration with the centre determine appropriate accountabilities.

Resources

I will support a bottom-up global approach to budgeting adopted system-wide
Community needs are funded first; funding for the bureaucracy follows, if, and as, it is needed
Communities determine the on-going viability and operation of operations
Communities (individual and clusters) hold control (and accountability) for their human resources
The best salaries and perks are awarded to people in the commuties (as allocated by the communities)
Staffing is characterised by performance and quality.

Cranston is mostly talking about schools and administrations; I have replaced this with references to individuals and communities (which may be organizational units, informal communities, or whatever). The model holds, and, I think, holds up quite well.