ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a study of critical reflections by middle and senior managers in education, and in public and private sector organisations. It discusses six main issues: training and development needs in management; age profiles; responsibility posts; consultative leadership; equal opportunities issues; and communications in organisations. One prominent general issue that emerged from the study concerns pressures on teacher-managers to accept disciplines of commercial/industrial management, in educational organisations. Fairness of opportunity must, in the future, depend on the willingness of an organisation to give speedy rewards to talent and teams to achieve best performances. The investors in people programme required commitment from senior management to develop all employees; systematic planning of staff training and development needs; action on development programmes; and evaluation of their effectiveness, in order to improve future effectiveness. In this emphasis on investing in people, the classic requirement that all managers should make things happen, does not change.
