Opinion Sought!

[Guest]

Hi... i would just like to enquire about how other groups operate and what duties their chair carries out......my chair has started talking to the staff about issues or concerns they have, which as manager is really beginning to bug me!!!! she has told the staff that i'm very busy so rather than bothering me go straight to her.... it is totally undermining my authority.... i have decided i'm going to arrange a meeting to discuss this but i just wondered whether other managers had this problem with committee run settings.......my old chair had nothing to do with the staff so i dealt with everything then if i thought it was something that she needed to know about i would speak to her........ this new chair is doing things totally differently.... just wanted to check it wasn't me being stuck in the old way we have always done things and not being open to change........

[redjayne]

I haven't been in that situation as I manage a Day Nursery - no committee but as a school governor our role is a supportive one - we do not get involved in the day to day management of the school thats the heads job - our role is as a critical friend and more strategic - I would assume her role would be the same or similar ? Do you not have job spec for Chair - or do the PLA maybe have one ?

[redjayne]

Just found this on Google may be useful .

 

Chairperson

 Represents and acts as a spokesperson for the pre-school.

 Chairs meetings of the charity; including committee meetings, open meetings and general meetings, such as the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

 Sets the agenda for meetings together with the Secretary.

 Co-ordinate the work of the committee to ensure effective administration.

 Acts as the ‘Nominated Person’ for Ofsted purposes.

 Line manages the Manager of the setting.

 Supports other committee members and authorises the work of the treasurer.

Treasurer

 

No mention of intervening with staff - could compromise thier role anyway as I assume they would have to be involved if there was a disciplinary issue and they would have blurred the boundaries ?

[Guest]

Well ....maybe on the one hand she is genuinely trying to support you and give you a break from all the moans and groans...

 

but I would not like it at all...as a manager I need to manage my team with the support of my chair but I would not like the staff to go above me I think it would create a divide and yes you may be undermined and also lose a bit of respect?

 

I think my staff know they could go to the Chair if they have a problem with me...but their is potential for things to get out of hand ... the chair needs to step back a bit maybe?

[dublinbay]

Perhaps she is as Shirel suggests only trying to support you especially when she sees you are busy. Maybe she is not aware of the boundaries between a chairperson and a manager. If its causing you to feel undermined then I would speak to her sooner rather than later.

 

You could of course give her something to do if she wants to help. Our chairperson and committee leave the running of the group to the manager......very helpful in other ways but they certainly aren't qualified to run things.

 

Good luck with your meeting and hopefully it'll be sorted out to your satisfaction.

[narnia]

two possible sides to the coin.........................and I'm NOT suggesting this is the case with you, simcity! BUT, I have know some supervisors/managers who behave as if the group was theirs and thiers alone, and refusing to share information, believing that they know best, and after all, committees change so quickly, don't they??But, I also believe that we should all be working together for the best outcomes for the children, so that means sharing the information.Maybe she is trying to help you, so perhaps you could meet her halfway on this, by sharing info, especially about staf, who after all are employed by the committee? sorry if i sound harsh.........just looking at both sides xx

Edited April 29, 2010 by narnia

[Guest]

Thanks for all your replies, i want to make sure i have thought about this from both sides before i speak to her.

I think there needs to be some clarification as otherwise things can be thrown out of context, an example of this was i had a word with a member of staff who disciplined a child in a way that is not outlined in our behaviour policy....wont go into 2 many details!!!i didnt make it formal as maybe it should have been i just said that we are not allowed to do that in pre-school, discussed our behaviour policy and her reply was "well i do it with my own children" i explained that how you deal with your own children is upto you but in the setting things have to dealt with inline with the policies......then i suggested she went on some behaviour training!!!! she went to the chair who comforted her and told her that evrything would be ok and maybe i shouldnt have spoken to her about it, the chair came in and had a go at me ... (they are friends out of the setting, children go to the same school!!!) when i explained what she had done, she said she understood why i had spoken to her about it, in the mean time employee comes back in and tells me i cant speak to her about any issues as she has been told she can always go to the chair who will sort it for her as she is best friends with the chair.............. the chair never went back to the employee to clarify!!!!!

This is just an example but it is very difficult as the chair is friends with 3 of my staff as they all have children at the same school.....she has told all of them to come to her with everything as i'm very busy...........

 

This is just an example i have had loads of other things over the last 6 months......just feel i'm always defending my actions!!!!!

 

I think we need some clarification. I think i need to have a meeting with the chair on her own then me and the chair sit down with the staff and discuss this..........otherwise how am i suppose to do my job.....

 

Narnia i do understand what you are saying which is why i didnt go straight in and decided to think it through first ( trying on Do Bono's thinking hats!!!!).....i do understand that we need to share information and work as a team, just think we need do work out how we are going to do this...... i do appraisals with the chair and interviews for new staff, regualrly feed back about how their courses/training is going and any issues i feel need to be discussed .....

Hopefully i will get this resolved soon....i just trying to do it wearing all the diffferent hats!!!

[Guest]

I think I would be hopping mad - the situation could get even worse if there is a friendship relationship with the chair and your colleagues....really tricky and potentially awkward and not to mention unprofessional situation building up....keep talking to us and sharing it....I know and I am sure others will know how you can become ground down with situations like this...we have so much on our plates to deal with - the biggest challenge I find is peoples egos!

 

Good luck and I am sending a huge hug and virtual support....