Distributed Leadership Influences Template

Context (TRUST) / Culture (RESPECT) / Change (Recognition) / Relationships (Collaboration)
Theory / Create an environment or context for academics and others to fulfil their potential. Combines external (government) and internal (executive) influences for change. / Accommodation of the academic culture of autonomy achieved by encouraging participants to self-select for the project based on their interest and expertise rather than their formal leadership positions. / Integration of change and development achieved through a process that involved multi-level engagement of senior leaders, committee members and informal experts from both academic and professional departments. / Importance of relationships;importance of relationship management to build a collaborative culture.
People are involved / Expertise of individuals is used to inform decisions– invitation to participate in decision making based on expertise not formal positions. / Individuals participate in decision making – Criterion referenced agreement by participants to share information. / All levels and functions have input into policy development – criterion referenced agreement by participants to encourage a diversity of contributions from academics, professional and administrative staff. / Expertise of individuals contributes to collective decision making – criterion referenced recognition of the need for reflective processes to encourage organic growth of collaboration rather than a response to a pre-organised decision.
Processes are supportive / Leadership is implemented as a shared process not just a position - leadership is based on shared expertise, informal leadership is recognised / Decentralised groups engage in decision making – Acceptance that additional time taken for how decision making is counterbalanced against shorter time for implementation / All levels and functions have input into policy implementation – Institute wide support for processes that recognise the need for complex solutions that are not constrained by discipline silos / Communities of practice are modelled – encouraging CoP
Professional Development is provided / DL is a component of leadership training – distributed leadership is used to build leadership capacity – training includes a component on DL. / Mentoring for distributed leadership is provided – experts provide mentoring in DL for participants / Leaders at all levels proactively encourage distributed leadership – Leaders encourage collaboration for innovation. / Collaboration is facilitated - consultative processes explained and encouraged
Resources are available / Space, time and finance for collaboration are available – unrestricted access to data and information is provided. / Leadership contribution is recognised and rewarded – contribution to participative process is included as criteria for promotion and awards. / Flexibility is built into infrastructure and systems – continuous improvement process acknowledges circular feedback process / Opportunities for regular networking are provided – consultative processes encouraged across the institution.
SAMNET INFLUENCES
Context (TRUST) / Culture (RESPECT) / Change (Recognition) / Relationships (Collaboration)
Possible SaMnet Influences(Circle Y or N)
“SaMnet has...” /

Included Project Team members from different academic positions
Encouraged an Innovative Academic to take leadership in the team
Notified Dean at start of project
Sent project update to dean with leadership comment on team members
Accepted the project as a SaMnet project (= Recognition of leadership)
Communicated to the team a recognition of the team’s leadership
Held Leadership-Development workshops on leadership attended by the team
Given advice to the team to make space and time to meet and work together

Encouraged Team encouraged to consult experts to get opinions on theory, data or conclusions. Name of expert: ______
Assisted the project through particular expertise of Critical friend. Name of CF : ______
Allowed time for teams to plan and make decisions withoutSaMnetpressure to begin activities
Encouraged full participation from team members in decision making
Held SaMnet Leadership-Development workshops on leadership attended by team
Trained the team indistributed leadership through conversations with critical friend
Run a workshop attended by team where scholarly output in education was linked with promotion criteria
Encouraged the team to seek recognition for achievements

Facilitated connections with professional or administrative staff
Provided administrative assistance from SaMnet H!
Assisted the team in bring about change in practice or policy
Encouraged distributed leadership in the team
Encouraged others in the institution to support distributed leadership
Encouraged reflection on practices
Supportedthe teams desire for changes to project implementation decided upon reflection

Promoted team collaboration
Promoted individual team expertise to work together to make decisions
Held topic based skypes as communities of practice attended by team
Provided networking opportunities to facilitate a Community of Practice
Encouraged connections within the institution
Encouraged connections outside the institution
Held workshops on collaboration attended by team
Made a connection with another team in the SaMnet newsletter
Regularly communicated with team (HQ)
Regularly communicated with team (Critical Friend)

Comments on SaMnet Influences
INSTITUTIONAL INFLUENCES
Context (TRUST) / Culture (RESPECT) / Change (Recognition) / Relationships (Collaboration)
Possible Institutional Influences(Circle Y or N)
“The Institution has...” /

Invited experts to make decisions regardless of formal position
Encouraged team members to contribute their expertise to changes in the school
Participated in the leadership aspect of the SaMnet project (recognised the leadership of the team)
Replied to SaMnet’s advocacy of the team’s leadership? (Dean)
Provided professional development on distributed leadership?
Provided space for the project to run
Allowed project to collect and use data
Provided funding for the project

Enabled the team to access required information to make decisions
Enabled the team to share recommendations with institution
Given time for team decisions to be made by the team not the individual
Offered training in distributed leadership
Formal Criteria in place which recognises participation in SaMnet project
Formal Criteria in place relating to achievement in education research
Enabled Team members to apply for promotions including SaMnet participation as criteria
Promoted team members using SaMnet participation as criteria.

Existing connections with other departments/areas to assist with group projects (IT, other teaching academics, learning and teaching units)
Grants available to project teams to work with groups eg. eLearning, IT
Existing Cross-discipline learning and teaching links
Learning and Teaching type units with an active role.
Shown support publically for the project by the administration (head of school, DVC, Dean)
Recognised the team’s work in university publications or newsletters
Encouraged reflection (as opposed to output being the focus)
Flexibility in deadlines set.

Looked to develop team members as leaders
Encouraged feedback from team members on institutional decisions
Organised Communities of Practice for areas related to research in education
Organised collaborative events within faculties
Mentored team members
Systems for regular communication such as skype, other online interaction
Physical spaces for meetings and collaborative work in the university

Comments on Institutional Influences
INDIVIDUAL/TEAM INFLUENCES
Possible Individual/ Team
Influences
(Circle Y or N)
“The team* has...”
*or members of the team /

Sought to share ideas in their area of expertise for institutional decisions
Sought to share ideas with those in superior roles
Seen themselves as leaders in the institution
Recognised others who don’t have formal leadership positions as leaders if they show leadership
Participated in distributed leadership professional development (at institution or SaMnet
Made time to do the SaMnet project in the schedule/programs they are involved in.
Sought information that was gathered by others to use in the project or have sought assistance in gathering data

Sought access to institutional data to make decisions and recommendations on practices
Awaited input from multiple members of the team in the process of decision making
Sought input from various non-team members on project decisions
Participated in mentoring in distributed leadership with a critical friend
Participated in mentoring in distributed leadership at SaMnet workshops
Used leadership experience with SaMnet as evidence for promotion or awards
Used leadership experience other than SaMnet as evidence for promotion or awards

Connected with professional staff to assist with aspects of the project (IT, Admin staff)
Connected with academics in other disciplines/education
Encouraged others not in the project team as informal leaders
Encouraged others in the project team as informal leaders
Had intentional team meetings to reflect on project progress
Made changes to the project plan based on reflection

Made decisions as a team
Engaged with Communities of Practice established through SaMnet
Engaged with Communities of Practice established through the institution
Established their own gatherings to form a Community of Practice
Had regular meetings involving most of the team members
Often CCdall team members on team emails
Followed up on SaMnet recommendation for a connection to another project team
Shared information/challenges/results with others in the institution to get feedback

Comments on Individual/ Team Influences
General Comments / Do the team members see themselves as leaders? Why is this? / Have the team members felt empowered to do their work with recognition from the institution or SaMnet? / Has there been change or much reflection during the project?
Has there been change in the institution as a result of the project? / How often has the team collaborated on their work? What is the preferred means of communication?

Activities (STRATEGIC):

Activityassumes a shared purpose through cycles of change. It is essential that participants in distributed leadership are encouraged to become involved by planning activities following a process that facilitates participants’ engagement in action research through cycles of planning, acting, observing and reflecting.

What are the key steps or phases that have been undertaken for this action learning project

Key:

People are involved - Processes are supportive - Professional Development is provided - Resources are available