New head role: seeking advice

[Lizay27]

I've taken on a head role at my school overseas that I've been working at for a few years. Whenever I ask for something to be done, I feel like maybe 2/10 staff do it and am not sure why? I give plenty of time and send a reminder out few days before. I also have an assistant on call, which is great. Knowing that she has other tasks to do, I asked her a week in advance to something for me which isn't a big job. It was due two days ago, still no sign of it. I sent a reminder email after the due date, still no sign or response. Part of me thinks I'm quicker doing it myself and the other part of me is saying no, because I will end up doing everything myself. What do you do? I'm inexperienced with this and had no training etc so feel a little lost.

Do I send another email, I can't be doing this all the time surely, chasing for deadlines?

Do you mean it's the same 2/10 staff each time? Teaching or non teaching staff?
Any clue as to why?

Have you asked anyone why they don't do what you ask?

Is it important stuff which they will also see as important ie relevant to their role?

Is it something new which they aren’t used to doing / producing?

Did the old head have very different expectations?

Have you tried talking to people face to face? That would be my first port of call not just email after email. ‘X, I noticed you haven’t done y yet, is there something you need to get it done?’

You probably will have to invest time in chasing stuff up now, but once people learn that you will chase up, they’ll start doing stuff earlier (with the proviso as long as it isn’t unreasonable in expectation etc).