Leading vs Managing!

[Guest]

As the manager owner of my setting, I'm struggling to get the balance right between leading the setting and managing - all i feel i do is manage the paperwork etc and sit in the office, I'm also doing my honours this year and i may have to take on a full time administrator (we got funding for an apprentice) how do you cope? really interested in other peoples thoughts and ideas - i used to bring work home but with 4 little ones it never really happens!

[SueJ]

I know when I did my honours it was v. much a case of batten down the hatches for the year and focus on what truly needs doing and put on the back burner things that aren't life threatening.

 

I still bring stuff home to do - working in a church hall means that I don't have an office as such - we also have no internet so there are some things that have to wait until I can get online at home but I did not have to contend with young children (although my two "young adults" and partner could be as needy sometimes - it's amazing how many people want to talk to you when you've got your head down and are busy - when you've not got much to do in the rare breather between assignments no one seems to want to talk to you :blink: )

 

Perhaps now is a good time to get to grips with the art of delegation - do you have a deputy or other key staff that could pick up some things?

 

Because I don't have an office and I am "on the floor" so to speak I can do a bit of managerial stuff and leadership stuff but as the administrative burden and bureaucracy stuff just keeps on increasing I find that I spend less time leading and more time managing

[flowlow]

I have to say I am the same SueJ. I do finally have two days a week that I am extra to ratio in theory to get coaching and staff observations done, and supervisory time. I also have an admin day once a week were I don't go in at all and work from home. Although this does mean three days away from being with the children and I am a key person too

I am always bringing stuff home and find the leadership and management balance and the work life balance so hard. I don't have an office at home so tend to shut myself in the bedroom with laptop on my lap (and like SueJ two young adults and partner who needs attention) and no office at work and EVERYBODY needing attention!!!!

The admin definitely means that I manage more than I lead