Our new blog is written by Forum Strategy’s CEO, Alice Gregson. Alice will share, as part of a new termly series, some of her reflections on interesting practice from across our #TrustLeaders networks, reflect on topical and timely issues, and share some personal insights on leadership and the work of Forum Strategy.
It’s a (relatively) sunny April afternoon as I sit down to write this and I am still in disbelief that we are four months into 2024 already…How does the saying go? Time flies when you are having fun? Whilst the word ‘fun’ might be a stretch (but only just!) I have certainly been enjoying the start of this year and to be honest, this is almost entirely down to all of you – soft as it might sound. Let me explain.
One of our key aims at Forum Strategy this year has been about enabling more connection. Some might assume that across a network, surely connection comes as a given, but in reality this often isn’t the case – it takes careful thought and consideration to ensure that people in a network don’t just co-exist, but are given opportunities to really get to know each other. There’s a world of difference between a network run by experts who genuinely care, and those that are more focused on numbers and profile. Real, impactful and sustained connection with other people and professionals takes work and it reaches below the surface level niceties of our name, title or who we work for, into the depths of something more profound and impactful for us as people and as professionals. I don’t want to necessarily list the things about someone that make you feel you connect (as people are inevitably different in this regard) but we all know what I mean when I say reaching beyond the ‘surface level’. So, we’ve been busy at Forum revisiting and reinforcing excellence in networking – reflecting on all the different ways in which we can support you to connect more regularly and at a deeper level across the network. I very much hope you have been feeling some of the results of that work so far.
“There’s a world of difference between a network run by experts who genuinely care, and those that are more focused on numbers and profile. Real, impactful and sustained connection with other people and professionals takes work and it reaches below the surface level niceties of our name, title or who we work for”
But connection is also important for me as a CEO leading an organisation that serves hundreds (again, you know how this feels!). It may not be possible to connect directly with every single one of you (although I hope with time I may achieve that!) but I want to connect as often and as regularly with you across our three networks as is feasible. Some of this might be through a quick chat at conferences, others through email and others, through visits to trusts or short ‘coffee and Zoom’ sessions. The reason this is so important to me (and to us as an organisation) is because in connection there is real learning to be had, and to be shared widely. For me, being the CEO is about being the learner in chief – and that means getting out there, as I know so many of you do, to understand the lived reality of those we serve and to use that to help inform our leadership and strategy. Only once we connect and have time to share stories, thoughts, ideas, aspirations or challenges, do we really get those in-depth discussions where you start to understand what people want, need and how you can be of service and support to them (and potentially they to you too). It also enables me to understand where the greatness exists in our organisations and to help to unleash and showcase it, to the benefit of all across the network. That’s a key part of the CEO role, to my mind.
Over the last couple of months, I’ve been on five trust visits (two in the South of England, one in the Midlands and two in the North of England) and had several online coffee and Zoom meetings with you across the network, as well as opportunities at a range of events to spend time with you. And my experiences of these is the reason for me starting off so positively in this blog. Every person who has given me their time has been open, humble, gracious and (the bit I really feel honoured to receive), honest too. And, from every conversation, I have come away with some really useful reflections as a leader. For example, I have been really struck by how diverse trust leaders within our networks are in terms of background, personality and even communication style but, the one thing that really connects each and every one of you (the golden thread if you will) is an incredibly strong moral compass and an unshakeable grounding in doing what is right for your children and young people and communities. I have not had any conversations coming remotely close to growing for financial gain or building profile or influence in the sector or, any conversations where the focus has been only about the individual and not about the organisation and the wider community as a whole. Every conversation has always linked back to doing the right thing in the best ways that you (and your organisations) know how.
In one particular trust, I was honoured to spend some time with students who have special educational needs and disabilities – what an experience. I can’t imagine anyone walking away from that and not feeling moved by the incredible work people in these settings undertake every day. Within that, I also had the opportunity to hear about how the executive team are finding creative ways to generate additional income in order to keep investing as much as they can in their SEND students (look out for a comprehensive case study as our Resource of the Week, soon!). In another trust, I had the chance to hear about the incredible work taking place across the local area to raise aspirations and expand life chances for children from areas of extremely high deprivation, including the formation of some excellent cross-sector partnerships. I also listened to some of the particular challenges for some of the schools in that trust when it came to recruitment. The list really could go on because I’ve listened to and seen so much that has really stayed with me and meant I could come back to the team here at Forum and think about how we might reflect and include certain new resources, inputs and advice within our work. I think Michael often refers to this as generating ‘contextual wisdom’, and it’s absolutely paramount to being able to lead well.
“For me, being the CEO is about being the learner in chief – and that means getting out there, as I know so many of you do, to understand the lived reality of those we serve and to use that to help inform our leadership and strategy”
But, thinking about the commonalities I have really observed across almost all of the very diverse conversations I’ve had (and therefore the aspects I think really bind you together as a network), I think it’s these (and I genuinely feel this is particularly unique to the Forum networks – perhaps I am a tad biased though!):
- Relentlessness and courage – an energy to keep pushing forward no matter the size or complexity of the challenge ahead and a refusal to wait for government directives or support before taking action that you know your trust and communities really need
- Curiosity – a desire to keep learning and to keep finding out more about how to do things differently or to do things better or even just to know more about how others are tackling similar issues
- Openness – allowing new perspectives and/or suggestions that might challenge your current thinking and remaining open to seeing things differently
- A deep sense of humanity and humility – the way you have connected with me and/or when I have seen you connect with each other is first and foremost on a very human, humble level without ego or without what I like to call the wearing of ‘professional masks’
- A forward thinking mindset – a passion for thinking about ‘what comes next’ and in future, not just being satisfied with the here and now
I thought perhaps these might be useful aspects to share in the spirit of connection as I would hazard a guess that when you next bump into a fellow Forum Strategy member, if you tap into any one of these traits, you’ll likely find yourself a new professional friend for life!
And, it’s back to this theme of connection that I want to finish because it really is so important.
I know we have become (rightly) focused over recent years on the importance of belonging and I am of course fully supportive of that. But, I do wonder if perhaps within this, the focus on connection (and the impact feeling truly connected with others can have), has taken somewhat of a back seat as a result. Without connection, we inevitably exist in a silo and that can be an exceptionally lonely place to be. Just last week I had a conversation with a CEO who had recently moved regions and was really keen to develop some local connections because he understood that through that, he could better understand the locality he’s moved into as well as potentially develop some great relationships. I was so impressed by how professionally generous the four or five CEOs I reached out to were in wanting to support and connect. Sometimes all that’s needed is a small helping hand and some great things develop from there.
So, in concluding, the biggest takeaway (of many) from my conversations with you all is to keep building connections among you as a network and between you and us here at Forum. I am committed now more than ever to finding ways to ensure that every person who is a part of Forum continues to feel seen, heard and valued as an individual, as well as a fantastic collective (who, by the way, I feel very honoured to work with and for). And, my challenge back to you as a network is that next time you are in an online event or at a conference, find an opportunity to connect with new people (perhaps even just one!) and see how powerful that connection can be in transforming someone’s (perhaps your) day, week or month.
In fact, let me go one better and suggest a specific opportunity for you. Our national symposium on 12th June will be a great opportunity for doing exactly what I suggest above so why not set yourself a professional challenge to meet just one or two new people that you haven’t spoken to before? If you walk away with a couple of new and interesting connections as a result, what a great outcome for you, your organisation and ultimately those you serve. I look forward to hearing how you get on!
Related resources and links
Teachers Talk Radio Podcast Episode April 2024: Interview with Alice Gregson
Five reasons to join a professional network (and how to secure value when you join one)