How good am I at what I do?

As we’re coming to the end of the year, I thought it wont do me any harm to ask myself this question.

I decided a couple of years ago that I need a means of measuring my ability that needed to be more relevant than the DSA’s method.  The DSA come into a driving instructors professional life every few years, take a snap shot assessment of that instructors ability to instruct by observing ONE lesson, then they leave them be for another few years.  I came to the conclusion, rightly or wrongly, that this wasn’t a true picture of how good I am.  They don’t look at my test results, they don’t look at the range of training methods I use, they don’t look at the wealth of support I provide on my website, they don’t even consider the fact that I have taught learners with dyspraxia, aspergers, or learners who are deaf and cannot speak.  I could well be wrong, but it just seems to me that this ‘snapshot’ approach to assessment is completely inadequate to the point of being meaningless.  But I’m sure the DSA would have strong views to counter that conclusion.

Over a year ago, I wondered what would be better measures.  I thought that seeing as I’m in private industry, unlike a school for example, perhaps turnover would be good to measure.  Then that spurred me into wondering what my customers would want to know about me to gauge how good I am.  I settled on 2 measures.  The first was how many of my standard learners (no disabilities or learning difficulties) pass their test with me first time; when they come to me as an absolute beginner.  The other measure was how long it takes me on average to get those learners to pass the test.  Whatever your opinion is of the worthiness of those measures, I considered that my customers would WANT to know those figures if they were comparing me to other instructors. 

There has been a steady improvement in those 2 measures since I’ve been monitoring them.  That might not surprise you.  Start bothering to measure anything, and you straight away become focussed on it.   Coincidentally or not, there has likewise been a steady increase in my turnover.  Also, the actual grade of pass for my learners has steadily increased.  My range and expenditure on marketing has steadily increased.  But the only 2 things that mattered to me, that I have been bothering to measure were those performance measures mentioned, all these others are a by-product.... at least I THINK they are.

Last week my Wife who is on the Senior Leadership Team of a Grammar School, had the pleasure of an OFSTED visit.  Amongst many interesting discussions we had, two things she said stick out in my mind.  On the evening of the first day of the assessment, when at that stage they have no idea how it is going to go, she was full of praise for the students.  She could not speak highly enough of them – I admired that greatly.  After OFSTED had awarded them an ‘Outstanding’, she went on to tell me how enthusiastic the staff are to improve yet further on certain aspects.  The process of being measured, appears to have assisted in looking at the students and realising how ‘good’ they are.  Not good as in qualifications necessarily, good as in, engaged, enthusiastic, welcoming, polite, bright.  More significantly, the process has left them wanting more, they want to improve yet further. 

I’m thinking what I need to do is ‘see things for what they are’.  Being assessed or measuring yourself, is no small thing.  I read blogs from teachers, I know teachers and ex-Heads who clearly articulate the effects OFSTED can have on people.  People get unwell when being assessed, people cry, people feel bitter resentment at being assessed, this is a big deal to many.  Arguably, the less of a ‘big deal’ it is to someone, perhaps the more is their need for development.  It seems that people that are good, the ones that want to make a difference, that ARE bothered about improving, are the very ones that get seriously affected by the process of assessment. 

This time last year, I set a goal of losing 3 stone in a period of time, I actually lost 2 stone.  I didn’t mark the occasion, I didn’t buy new clothes, I didn’t feel any sense of achievement as in my eyes, I hadn’t even met my goal.  I simply stopped measuring myself once the time period was up, and settled back into my previous life.  The result is that 12 months later, I’m heavier than at any other time.  It’s a shame that I let that go in my personal life.  In my professional life, I do still monitor those 2 measures, and I am reaping the rewards it seems, but I tell you what, I wont stop measuring them; I’m going to learn from my Wife’s observations, I’m going to ‘celebrate’ my successes, recognise what I have achieved, but importantly improve yet further, I am really keen to continue learning and improving in 2012.