The principles of 3 fs for A School Manager. Webinar at Edves SGA 2020 delivered by Adedamola Israel Olofa, Lead, EDU-NORMS Consulting Nigeria.

1. THE PRINCIPLES OF 3FS FOR
SCHOOL MANAGERS
By Adedamola Israel Olofa
Lead, EDU-NORMS Consulting Nigeria
+2348056053020 | edunormsconsulting@gmail.com
(A Guide to a Workable Education Leader -
Academic Staff Relationship)

2. The Principles of 3Fs
The Principles of 3Fs for school executives is a strategy under
controlling – one of the basic managerial functions.
It also falls under ‘methods’, one of the 5Ms of a Manager. It’s a
guide to a functional and well-lubricated relationship between
superiors and subordinates.

3. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
Who remembers this
gentleman? ...and
what he is being
known for? 😊

4. Margaret Thatcher
Who remembers this
beautiful dame?
...and what she is
being known for? 😊

5. The Principles of 3Fs
When a school executive is warm, approachable and friendly (not
soft or weak), subordinates tend to take the warmth and friendliness
for granted.
If another however, is hard and firm (not harsh or wicked),
subordinates christen such, “Madam Thatcher”.
A balance-in-act is then needed as a school leader – balance-in-act; that is the rationale behind this concept,
“The Principle of 3Fs for Education Executives”.Every education executive needs to understand some of the
21st century ideals regarding superior-subordinates relationship.

6. Objectives of
THE PRINCIPLES OF 3FS
The Principles of 3Fs is crucial to any
school leader or management team for the
following reasons:
• Arousing a sense of commitment and
belonging amongst the workforce
• Attaining and maintaining a well-
lubricated relationship between N+1 and
subordinates
• Reducing levels of insubordination,
maximizing cooperation, and compliance
to norms
• Achieving organizational goals with less
stress
• Provoking the workforce towards taking
initiatives
• Acquiring the capacity to dispense a
balance-in-act managerial disposition
towards the workforce

7. Objectives of
THE PRINCIPLES OF 3FS
The Principles of 3Fs is crucial to any
school leader or management team for the
following reasons:
• Gearing up the workforce to bringing out
the best of their performance without the
use of coercion or threats. Staff could
gladly and voluntarily go extra mile
without necessarily asking for extra pay
• Making the workforce fall in love with
their jobs
• Creating a socially and emotionally
conducive work atmosphere
• Building a system that freely elicits lofty
ideas from the workforce
• Re-engineering the psyche of unwilling
workers to develop aptitude towards
efficiency and effectiveness in
performance.

8. What are the 3Fs?
The Principle is expanded as below:

9. What are the 3Fs?
The Principle is expanded as below:
BE Friendly, BE Fair,
BUT Firm (with
subordinates)

10. To be Friendly means…
• To be compassionate
• To be warm and kindly
• To be approachable
and sociable
• To be concerned
Please watch this video

11. To be Fair means…
• To be impartial among them
[i.e. treat all staff equally,
including the slothful, the
slow, and the saucy]
• To keep no sacred cow
• To make all favourites
• To give equal rights
Please watch this video

12. To be FIRM means…
• a. To draw the line of decorum for
subordinates
• b. To possess good crisis
management
• c. To ensure compliance to rules
and regulations
• d. Not to say what you do not mean.
• e. To recompense due punishment
to misconducts

13. • Not been able to strike a balance among these 3Fs could cause hiccups
not only to the school leadership but also affect the institution as a whole.
Managerial deficiency in the understanding of this Principle always lead
to a drop in the administrative capability and capacity delivery. The
workforce too could become lose, lackadaisical, with the centre not
holding most times.
Naturally, human beings tend to abuse the first two
anytime an N+1 demonstrates it towards them.
Subordinates would often tend to take “been friendly and
fair” for granted. So, the balance in the 3Fs is what works.

14. THE 5 CASE SCENARIOS IN
THE PRINCIPLES OF 3FS

15. • Not approachable, not sociable
• Hardly feel concerned for workers’ plight
• Dictatorial, hasty in decision making
• Does not consider the ideas and suggestions of subordinates
• Insulting and at times, abusive
• Always using threats to get things done
• Deploys transactional stance always
Case Scenario 1: A Leader is….
Not Friendly and Fair; But Firm

16. • Subordinates feel tormented/oppressed
• Subordinates become non-motivated
• Subordinates become fearful, not free in mind and are fidgety at work
• Avoidable blunders precipitated by the dread of N+1 do occur
• There is a sense of job insecurity amongst the workforce
• Workers have low self esteem
• Work morale is low
• High labour turnover
Case Scenario 1: A Leader is….
Effects of “Not Friendly and Fair; But Firm”

17. • Being in charge but not taking charge
• Approachable and sociable yet biased
• Exhibits a high level of favouritism and one-sidedness
• Displays preferential treatment and selective attention
• Seeks to please some at the expense of others
• Doles out on favourites and deprives others
•Avoids subordinates anger or distaste; doesn’t wish to offend the subordinate
• Deploys selective attention amongst subordinates
• Allows subordinated have their ways all the time
• Deficient in crisis management
Case Scenario 2: A Leader is….
Not Fair and Firm; But Friendly

18. • Staff become uncontrollable and unruly
• Favourites take friendliness and fairness for granted, have no regard for superior
• Tendency of insubordination is high
• The workforce breaks into factions because leader gives selective attention
• Allows favourites’ impunity to rules and regulations
•Workplace becomes crisis-proned
• So much overindulgences among the favoured subordinates
• Leader becomes a laughing stock to subordinates because he is not firm
• The work environment may become busy-achieving-nothing
• Productivity declines
Case Scenario 2: A Leader is….
Effects of “Not Fair and Firm; But Friendly”

19. • Being in charge but not taking charge; allows subordinates have things their way. No firm grip
over the workforce
• Leader does not discriminate and is impartial to all
• Leader is a friend to all staff; is approachable and sociable
• Seeks to please subordinates at all cost
• Avoids subordinates anger or distaste; afraid of not being liked by subordinates
• Good in crisis management
• Gives directives but doesn’t follow through
• Would hardly recompense due punishment to misconducts
Case Scenario 3: A Leader is….
Not Firm, But Friendly and Fair

20. • Subordinates tend to take the friendliness and fairness for granted.
• Staff become uncontrollable and unruly
• Being loved yet not respected; instructions not been carried out; directives not been followed
• The work environment is sometimes out of control, disorderly, disorganized
• There’s delay in job deadlines and deliveries
• Favourites take friendliness and fairness for granted, have no regard for superior
• Tendency of insubordination is high
• So much overindulgences among the favoured subordinates
• Emergence of an informal leader
• The work environment may become busy-achieving-nothing
•Productivity declines
Case Scenario 3: A Leader is….
Effects of “Not Firm, But Friendly and Fair”

21. • Approachable and sociable but partial
• Draws lines of decorum for subordinates
• Not a good crisis manager
• Occasionally deploys threats to get things done
• Exhibits a high level of favouritism
• Sometimes recompense due punishment to misconducts
• Feel concerned for workers’ plight
• Often adopts transactional approach
Case Scenario 4: A Leader is….
Not Fair But Friendly and Firm

22. • Leader is respected but not loved
• A disciplined and orderly, yet a grudging workforce
• Keeps crisis under control
• Factions amongst the team
• High level of job dissatisfaction
• Possibility of high labour turn over
• No sense of belongings amongst workers
Case Scenario 4: A Leader is….
Effects of “Not Fair But Friendly and Firm ”

23. • Leader is in charge and taking charge; have firm grip over the workforce
• Leader does not discriminate and is impartial to all
• Leader is approachable and sociable – a friend to all staff
• Leader is a good crisis manager
• Gives directives and follow through
• Recompense due punishment to misconducts
• Adopts situational management approach
Case Scenario 5: A Leader is….
Friendly, Fair But Firm

24. • Highly motivated workforce
• Workers have high self esteem, work morale is high
• High labour retention; this helps in learners’ consistency in academic performance
• Firmness doesn’t allow subordinated to take friendliness and fairness for granted
• Staff are disciplined and orderly
• Leaders is loved and respected; instructions are carried out to the letters
• The work environment is sometimes out of control, disorderly, disorganized
• Job deadlines and delivery dates always being met
Case Scenario 5: A Leader is….
Effects of “Friendly, Fair But Firm”
This is the ideal management principle that keeps a good hold on the workforce. They feel a sense of belonging, they feel committed to the work-cause yet they know their limits and
bounds. They respect and obey the leader because and keep no useful and progressive ideas from him/her. The leader is loved yet feared.

25. THE PRINCIPLES OF 3FS
…is one of the topics from my
newly published book,
“Essential Management Skills for
School Executives.”
It costs N4,000 ($11)
At this SGA 2020, it is available at 30%
Discount. N2,800 ($8).
…courtesy of EDVES
Available in e-book and paperback versions
Payment for the purchase of the book can be made to:
Adedamola Olofa Fidelity Bank 5331285938
Payment for the purchase of the book can be made to:
Adedamola Olofa Fidelity Bank 5331285938The discount is valid for only 24 hours.

26. Thank you!
Adedamola Israel Olofa
Phone:
+234 703 752 8764
Email:
edunormsconsulting@gmail.com

27. ANY
QUESTIONS?
Payment for the purchase of the book can be made to:
Adedamola Olofa Fidelity Bank 5331285938
• Adedamola Israel Olofa
• +234 703 752 8764
• edunormsconsulting@gmail.com
At this SGA 2020, it is available at 30% Discount.
N2,800 ($8). …courtesy of EDVES