Culture club

Culture eats strategy for breakfast!  Commonly attributed to the management guru, Peter Drucker, this provocative statement is often used to argue that there is an inherent conflict between strategy and culture.  A more positive and constructive interpretation is that for our strategic efforts to be effective they need to resonate with, and be rooted within, a supportive culture. All of our best laid plans, and often frenetic activity, will come to nought without a fundamental appreciation of the culture in which they are implemented. If nothing else this signals the importance of investing time and energy in fostering cultural development, not least when considering effective approaches to the professional learning of school staff and their leaders.  This, then, is the common concern of the contributions to this issue of Professional Development Today.