The ‘Paula Vennells way’ is no way to run an institution

One of the most telling moments in the cross-examination of the former Post Office boss, Paula Vennells, was when she stated: “What I failed to do was I failed to recognise ... the imbalance of power between the institution and the individual. I let these people down – I’m very aware of that.”

Most people who have worked for large institutions, whether that’s in the public or private sector, will be familiar with a management style that is driven and obsessed with data and performance targets. It is a culture that works on the principle that if it can’t be measured or quantified, then it didn’t happen. The larger the institution the greater the disconnect between the management and the employees, leading often to dehumanising attitudes towards staff.

In my own profession as a teacher, I have witnessed the cruelty of Ofsted, which recently came to the public’s attention with the tragic suicide of head teacher Ruth Perry. Her life’s work and dedication, and that of her staff, was reduced to an “inadequate” score by a visiting team of inspectors who, working within a tight framework of objectivity and compliance, misrepresented her and the staff with the most dire consequences.