Every Man for Himself? Why School Business Leaders Are Stronger Together

Are school business leaders stronger when they work together?

The original version of this article opened with a familiar family cry: “Every Man for Himself!” Drinks were made, clothes were sorted, arguments took place over the television remote and everyone looked after themselves. Yet, when it mattered, the family still worked together – and, apparently, shared socks.

It is a surprisingly useful comparison for school business leadership.

Schools can sometimes become naturally focused on their own priorities, budgets and challenges. That is understandable. School Business Leaders already have a wide range of responsibilities, from finance and procurement to estates, staffing and operational leadership.

But schools are often facing many of the same problems. Working in isolation can mean repeatedly solving issues that another school has already dealt with successfully.

Today, there are far more opportunities for school business professionals to connect, exchange ideas and offer peer-to-peer support. The Department for Education actively encourages school business professionals to find, join or create professional networks where they can share information and support each other.

What does collaboration look like for school business professionals?

Collaboration does not have to mean creating a formal partnership between schools.

Sometimes it is simply asking another School Business Leader how they approached a particular challenge.

It could mean discussing a new process, sharing experience of implementing a system, comparing approaches to school operations or explaining what worked – and what did not – during a project.

A school business professional network can also provide valuable shared expertise when someone is dealing with an unfamiliar area of responsibility.

The Institute of School Business Leadership highlights professional communities as a way for school business professionals to connect, share ideas, develop relationships and learn from others working across the sector.

The important point is that collaboration should be reciprocal. Schools of every size, phase and structure have knowledge worth sharing. Expertise should not automatically be assumed to sit with the biggest school, the largest trust or the person with the longest job title.

Sometimes the most useful idea comes from someone who has simply found a better way to complete an everyday task.

Why does working with other schools matter for procurement?

Procurement is one area where collaboration can have particularly practical benefits.

Department for Education buying guidance specifically recommends considering opportunities to work with other schools. Schools may be able to share knowledge of markets, compare prices and experiences, share resources or explore collaborative purchasing where appropriate.

That does not mean simply copying another school’s decision.

Every school still needs to follow its own procurement policies, understand its requirements and make decisions that represent appropriate value.

However, speaking to other schools can provide useful context. If several School Business Leaders have recently purchased similar school supplies, introduced a new service or worked with a particular type of supplier, their experience can help colleagues ask better questions before making their own decision.

Shared knowledge can save time, reduce duplicated effort and make procurement decisions more informed.

What can stop collaboration working well?

One of the biggest barriers can simply be reluctance to share.

There will always be people who prefer established ways of working or feel uncomfortable sharing processes, templates or experiences beyond their own school.

There can also be a temptation to focus on examples where collaborative working has gone wrong rather than looking at the many occasions where colleagues have helped each other solve a problem.

But effective collaboration does not mean copying something without question.

A policy or process that works perfectly in one school may need adapting before it is suitable elsewhere. Leaders should always consider their own governance arrangements, context, pupils, staffing and local policies.

Confidential information should remain confidential, and commercial relationships should be transparent.

The aim is not to create identical schools. It is to share experience so that everyone can make better-informed decisions.

How can school business leaders build a stronger network?

Start locally.

Speak to School Business Leaders in nearby schools, trusts or professional groups. Ask what challenges they are facing and share areas where your own experience might help.

Professional networks can also provide opportunities to learn from people outside your immediate area. A different school phase, trust structure or geographical location may offer a completely different perspective on something you have always approached in the same way.

Sharing does not need to involve producing polished resources either. A conversation about a successful process, a useful template, a lesson learned from a difficult project or a recommendation about where to find guidance can all be valuable.

Most importantly, collaboration should go both ways.

Offer your own experience rather than joining a network only when you need an answer. The more school business professionals contribute, the stronger the collective knowledge of the profession becomes.

How can GLS support schools with collaborative working?

At GLS, we understand how much time school administration and procurement can take.

Our Smart Ordering toolkit is designed to make everyday purchasing processes easier for schools, MATs and nursery groups, while supporting collaboration between the people involved in ordering and approving resources.

For example, Share Basket allows a basket to be sent to a colleague or finance team for review, while Smart Flow can support approval processes and spending controls. Smart Connect can integrate ordering with a Financial Management System, while Quick Order and FMS files can help simplify repeat and bulk purchasing.

These tools will not replace the conversations, relationships and professional networks that make collaboration valuable. They can, however, reduce some of the unnecessary administration around everyday purchasing.

Schools. We get you.

Conclusion

“Every man for himself” might work when deciding who makes the next cup of tea, but it is rarely the best approach to school business leadership.

School Business Leaders have an enormous amount of knowledge between them. Sharing that knowledge, asking for help and offering experience to others can strengthen individual schools while helping the profession develop as a whole.

Get involved in a school business professional network. Speak to colleagues locally and nationally. Share what you have learned and be open to learning something new in return.

You might be surprised how much support is already out there.

And, of course, keep an eye on who is wearing your socks.