Tooled‐up for Management: Lessons from the Mainstream

Responds to the issues raised by McIllhatton et al. in their analysis of how a study of practice in mainstream management might be used to inform educational management development. The perspectives are suggested by the author′s own small‐scale research into management development in non‐education sectors. The research had a similar objective, namely to use evidence of good practice in other sectors to enable informed judgements to be made about how best to structure the development of managers in education. Major themes arising from the research data are analysed in terms of what the school or college might provide to enable managers to manage more effectively. A clear relationship is established between the tools needed for effective management on a day‐to‐day basis and the processes which could be instigated to promote effective management development within the institution.