Leadership Launchpad: Mastering the First 90 Days

Leadership Launchpad

Mastering the First 90 Days

September 7 (Saturday), 2024 | 12:00 - 4:30 PM
American International School of Guangzhou
Hosted by Pita-Gay Nelson, John Kennett, Ralph Emmerink, and Tim Evans

This participant-driven gathering is an opportunity to connect in-person, share practices, and explore common professional inquiries.

Through the power of collaboration and discussion, we will broaden perspectives and share how we can better support middle-leaders during their first 90 days of the new academic year.

Let’s embrace the opportunity to learn from others and share our perspectives, thoughts, and ideas. We are really looking to provide an enriching experience for all attendees.

In four break-out rooms, we will cover the following topics:

Navigating organisational culture (Tim Evans)
Effective communication and team-building (John Kennett)
Strategic goal-setting and prioritisation (Pita-Gay Nelson)
Managing change and leading through transition (Ralph Emmerink)

Hosts

Pita-Gay Nelson

Student Support Services Coordinator,
American International School of Guangzhou

John Kennett

IBDP Coordinator,
American International
School of Guangzhou

Ralph Emmerink

MYP Coordinator,
American International
School of Guangzhou

Tim Evans

Learning Technologies & Data Coordinator,
American International
School of Guangzhou

Agenda

12:00 – 12:15 – Registration and Connecting

12:30 – 12:45 – Welcome Address

13:00 – 14:15 – Break-out session #1 (Choose 1 of the topics below to participate in)

Navigating organisational culture
Effective communication and team-building
Strategic goal-setting and prioritisation
Managing change and leading through transition

14:15 – 14:45 – Break

14:45 – 15:30 – Demo Slam / Market Place

15:30 – 16:15 – Panel Debrief

16:15 – 16:30 – Closing Address

Breakout Rooms

Strategic goal-setting and prioritisation

This break-out room could explore the process of establishing strategic goals and priorities in the early stages of educational middle leadership. Participants might explore techniques for aligning organisational objectives with team goals, pinpointing key performance indicators, and crafting action plans to attain desired results.

Discussion Questions

How do you ensure that team goals are aligned with the broader organisational objectives?
Share a method you use to identify and prioritise key performance indicators for your team.
Discuss a challenge you encountered in setting strategic goals during your initial leadership phase. How did you overcome it?
What approaches do you use to ensure that action plans are implemented effectively to achieve desired outcomes?
How do you evaluate the progress and success of strategic goals during the first 90 days as a middle leader?

Host: Pita-Gay Nelson

Effective communication and team-building

This theme focuses on the importance of effective communication and team-building strategies during the first 90 days as an educational middle leader. Discussions in this break-out room cover techniques for building trust among team members, establishing clear communication channels, and fostering a positive team culture.

Discussion Questions

- Share a successful communication strategy you implemented to foster collaboration and alignment within your team.
- How do you ensure that communication channels remain open and transparent within your team?
- What techniques have you found most effective in building trust and rapport among team members?
- Discuss a situation where effective team building positively impacted team performance. What were the key factors contributing to its success?
- How do you address conflicts or misunderstandings within your team while maintaining a positive team culture?

Host: John Kennett

Managing change and leading through transition

The theme of this break-out room may address the challenges of managing change and leading through transition periods within an educational organisation. Discussions may revolve around strategies for overcoming resistance to change, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation, and maintaining morale during times of uncertainty.

Discussion questions:

- Share a strategy you implemented to mitigate resistance to change within your team or organisation.
- How do you maintain morale and motivation among team members during times of organisational transition?
- Discuss a successful leadership approach you used to navigate a significant change within your organisation.
- What role does communication play in effectively leading through transitions and managing change?
- How do you encourage innovation and adaptability within your team to navigate change effectively?

Host: Ralph Emmerink

Navigating organisational culture

The topic of this break-out room explores the challenges and strategies for middle leaders to understand and navigate the organisational culture of an educational institution. This topic may revolve around understanding power dynamics, building relationships with colleagues, and adapting to the norms, values, and culture of the educational institution middle leaders are employed at.

Discussion questions:

- Share an experience where understanding organisational culture positively impacted your leadership approach.
- What strategies can middle leaders employ to build rapport and trust with colleagues from diverse backgrounds within the organisation?
- How can middle leaders identify and navigate power dynamics within their teams and the broader organisation?
- Discuss a challenge you faced in adapting to the norms and values of a new organisation. How did you overcome it?
- How can middle leaders promote a culture of collaboration and inclusivity within their teams?

Host: Tim Evans

Venue

American
International School
of Guangzhou

Science Park Campus Address: No.19 Kexiang Road, Huangpu District, Guangzhou, PR China, 510663
广州市黄埔区科翔路19号

+8620 3213 5555 | [email protected]

Free for PeerSphere Members / Venture Education
Subscribers

RMB300.00 for non-Members

Refund Policy

If notice of cancellation re the registered participant is received:

30+ days pre-event: 80% of fee is refundable
15-29 days pre-event: 40% of fee is refundable
Less than 15 days pre-event: no refund

Refund due to PD Event Cancellation

In the event of cancellation of a conference, workshop or online PD program, we will fully refund the registration or sponsorship fee(s) paid. However, we will be unable to refund any travel, visa or accommodation expenses incurred or course material fees where access has been granted.