tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861480576960760833.post1855725766700732889..comments2024-03-25T07:25:25.746+00:00Comments on Woolgathering in North East England: Michael Sadgrove's Blog: The Report on Cathedrals: Further ThoughtsAquiloniushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15098649175728796819noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861480576960760833.post-7179269279822692602018-02-07T17:34:27.516+00:002018-02-07T17:34:27.516+00:00Wheel on the cynic! In a military situation, I'...Wheel on the cynic! In a military situation, I'm guessing that there are times when unquestioning obedience is essential in order to save lives. Unfortunately, there are clergy who do expect the same! I was taught a "cycle of reflection" that is supposed to make you stop and think of the effects of what you are contemplating, rather than just jumping in. It should also make you think about the theology of it. I do wonder how often it is used in "real life" in the church. (Oxymoron alert!)Athenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08497065436976563532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861480576960760833.post-5256576120777445012018-02-04T06:40:13.315+00:002018-02-04T06:40:13.315+00:00Its fascinating to view leadership in the Church i...Its fascinating to view leadership in the Church in the context of Cathedrals. My own experience of Military Leadership is different from that in the Church, but to an extent, Commanding Officers were dependent upon their senior (and Junior) commmanders to exercise delegated authority, with the understanding that they were acting in accordance with his/her intentions and direction. <br /><br />There was a degree with collegiality in this as the CO would hold an 'Orders' Group where plans were discussed and opinions sought, most of which were used with the seven questions taught through military tactical and strategic planning. This is commonly known as the Chttp://www.mod.gov.sl/docs/Doctrine%20-%207%20Questions%20Handbook.pdfombat Estimate <br /><br />This is used in both peace and war to define a mission and purpose and course of action. It means that having decided on a course of action, you than use the question of "So What?" to look at the risks of that particular course of action and possible outcomes. <br /><br />This is taught to all ranks from the Section Commander and Section 2IC to do an on the spot Combat Estimate in any situation, they find themselves in, and works right through the chain of command to the highest level.<br /><br />So, my decision making still, years after retirement, remains influenced by this formula which makes me think through any planning and to consider the consequences of any decision that I make.<br /><br />I am not sure such a formula could be applied to Church Leadership, but the idea of asking yourself 'so what' before discussing any decision might well allow the consequences of any proposed action to be looked at in the round, rather than a single minded narrow perspective.<br /><br />In Cathedrals, as in the Army, Deans are accountable for all that happens on their watch, so this accountability, shared with senior staff seems to me quite appropriate. The CO relies on his or her specialist advisers when making decisions, considering their input, wisdom and experience of operations and of people, what is possible, what is impossible, and what the risks are. I don't see a lot of difference between in this context between military and Church leadership.<br /><br />UKViewerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18114944341930758335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861480576960760833.post-358539615005037952018-02-03T15:44:41.516+00:002018-02-03T15:44:41.516+00:00Michael, your para beginning, "But this needs...Michael, your para beginning, "But this needs to be understood in a sophisticated way," would have had me rolling on the floor if it were at all funny. A case history is only one story, of course, but how do the new measures protect against Canons who have a very low level of interest in the place; against those who avoid chapter meetings like the plague; and by the way, who get a free lunch, and have the staff of the café running around like servants providing coffee when the café is at its most busy; or protect against the irascible Dean whose temper even his Canons fear? Or the wimp who leaves successive meetings with the chair of the catering committee still not knowing how many to provide tea for and when?<br />You're right about the Cathedral Council, I think. But, saving your presence, in my experience anyway, clergy don't really listen to lay people. So how well does it work in practice?Athenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08497065436976563532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861480576960760833.post-69823912676813382212018-02-01T23:27:34.593+00:002018-02-01T23:27:34.593+00:002/2
My second area of interest, which may act in p...2/2<br />My second area of interest, which may act in partial answer to how a good Dean builds a good team, is around attracting the right professionals. I suspect that Cathedrals may need to follow the trend in the public sector towards the continued professionalisation of support services and of non-Execs. Whilst I’m professionally obliged to conclude that is a good thing in itself, I think it is also likely to have some implications not covered in the proposals. <br /><br />One result of enhanced governance requirements is the need to understand these requirements, enhance systems and controls, and monitor compliance. This costs time and money as the report identifies, but both Executive management and non-Execs on Chapter will need to be well briefed on matters where they are discharging governance responsibilities. I suspect we’ll see Head of Governance roles emerging!<br /><br />A further implication may be around changes to existing ways of doing things and existing patterns of work. Para 137 of the report hints at the difficulties of finding relevant expertise, but not about how (if?) Cathedrals make it easy to attract expertise to Executive and non-Executive roles. How many chapters meet during the working day, for example? And, does that restrict the likelihood of attracting those in full time employment? Could Cathedrals work together to buy in some expertise? Might we see the emergence of an umbrella body which provides these services (e.g. technical expertise on anything from fundraising regs to pensions)?<br /><br />Lots of questions and few answers, so I’ll finish by agreeing with the point that no system is better than the people in it. However, the points above perhaps hint that (assuming the report is materially accepted) individual Cathedrals will quickly need to think about how they get the right expertise in place. How many are ready for that? Longer-term, there is perhaps a collective need to consider how the need to develop strong administrative leaders is approached; but, the Church is not alone in that...SJNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14307264020387700825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861480576960760833.post-78603919039663348422018-02-01T23:25:44.051+00:002018-02-01T23:25:44.051+00:001/2
Fascinating and insightful blog. I’ll restrict...1/2<br />Fascinating and insightful blog. I’ll restrict myself to commenting on a couple of areas which particularly interest me, and/or on which my day job adds some context and parallels.<br /><br />Firstly, thinking about (although not really answering!) the final question. A subject which fascinates me is what makes a good Dean / CEO / COO / CFO / other leader (especially in an entity which is somehow more than just a business), and do the usual career progression routes to these roles make sense? Three well trodden career routes make interesting analysis:<br /><br />Sport - often those who have excelled at the highest level go on to become managers, senior administrators, etc. What makes them suitable, if indeed they are? Some of the skillsets provide an obvious link - motivation, organisation, tactical awareness, performing under pressure, etc. But, why do we somehow assume someone physically predisposed to success in football might also be well disposed to management and leadership? The Moneyball book on Baseball perhaps shows how a different view from that accepted norms was/is needed.<br /><br />Academia - (starting with the caveat that this is general and not an observation on employers past, present and future). It over-simplifies somewhat, but early career academic success through to joining the professoriat is arguably built around relatively detailed and in-depth but narrow subject-specific skills, experience and knowledge. Progression into management roles, if desired, then tends to demand a much wider skillset. Why do we expect people to have that wider skillset, and what should we do to develop it earlier in careers? Plenty may have those skills, but it has always seemed to me that the sideways leap in expected skills is striking, and perhaps reduces the pool of potentially successful candidates. As an aside, my personal interest in Aspergers might also suggest a correlation between autistic traits and those with narrow and detailed skills and interests, but much less of a correlation with wider skills or with some softer skills. <br /><br />The Church - I’m not well enough informed on typical routes through to becoming a Dean to wish to generalise on that aspect. However, the same rhetorical questions would seem to apply - why would spending time in parish life, in chaplaincy, in academic theology roles (etc) be expected to make for a good administrator of a £million+ business as Dean or Chapter member?<br /><br />None of that answers what would make a good Dean. What it does suggest is that there may be structural reasons which limit the likelihood of a good Dean (whatever one may be) also being a good leader, manager and administrator. That, to me, suggests that perhaps a good Dean is one who recognises strengths and weaknesses and builds the right team in response - recognising what they are good at and where support is needed across the whole spectrum from admin to liturgy. By extension, a good appointment would pre-empt that, and a good governance regime for Cathedrals would recognise and mitigate the risks somehow. I think the current proposals do a good job of this on the whole, but agree with Michael’s observation that the loss of the (non-Exec) Council as a counter-balance to the (Exec) Chapter does leave a risk that external scrutiny and challenge may be too light and/or too late in extreme cases. Incidentally, what makes a good Bishop and why would a Bishop be more likely to spot and resolve a business administration issue than a Dean?SJNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14307264020387700825noreply@blogger.com