Foundations for a Productive Head/Board Partnership
Fostering common purpose, trust, honesty and good will
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This article will be a little different. This post is intended to function as an easy-to-skim, bullet-pointed summary (with one ChatGPT generated infographic that will be revised!) and concrete examples around helpful practices and behaviors to build a productive and healthy board/head partnership that should be the heart of governance.
My intention is not to re-invent or replace governance “best practice” with this work but to shift the framing to address and mitigate against common pitfalls. I see this work as additive to traditional governance training.
I’m focused on this belief: a central act of governance is the act of building and maintaining a board/head team and incentivizing proactive, positive behaviors.
And the heart of team building is working together towards a common purpose with honesty and good will.
I’m also steadfast in my opinion that while there are general principles that apply, how governance (or management for that matter!) manifest at a school has a lot to do with cultural norms and other contexts. There is no “right way” for everyone. Some points may resonate and be helpful and on others we may vehemently disagree! I hope at least to provoke some thought and discussion.
Foundations for a Productive Head/Board Partnership
Schools are struggling to establish, support and maintain good governance in the face of so much change and challenge in the landscape.
So what’s the problem?
Some of the frequent complaints from the head’s end:
Too much board time is spent scrutinizing the choices of the head and senior team rather than exploring strategy, identifying long term risk, fundraising, stewarding the campus, etc.
Board members sometimes make major decisions that impact the day to day operations of the school with little to no consultation with the head of school
A disengagement problem with board members phoning it in or missing multiple meetings and only waking up to criticize when a crisis hits
Back channels where community members are bypassing the head and going straight to board members, particularly parents to parent-trustees
Boards that pressure the head to close a deficit but don’t appreciate/put much energy into their role around philanthropy and fundraising (and in fact, it’s an obstacle to even discuss)
A lack of clarity around annual goals or what boards really want from the hos, including infrequent/unpredictable head’s evaluation practices leading to a stressful sense of insecurity and walking on eggshells - feeling as if you’re in perpetual “audition” mode
A lack of appreciation for how much staff time (and money) is taken up by their requests for more information, a board educational session, a new event, etc.
And from the board’s end:
Unpredictable, unclear, inadequate or confusing reporting out from the head and senior team - both with data and and narrative reporting on school programs and operations
Confusion about what is practically expected of board members - rubber stamp or should they be doing something more? And what does that look like?
A lack of responsiveness or a posture of defensiveness from the HOS or senior admins
The board getting surprised by bad news
An exclusive relationship between the head and the board chair and a lack of transparency with the rest of the board - ex: the board is informed the board chair does an annual hos eval but it isn’t shared with the rest of the board
Ambiguous school financial controls
This brief (and funny) article from Joan Garry Consulting (Garry was the former ED of GLAAD) also sums up some of these unproductive behaviors - 22 Signs Your Board Meetings S**k
Often between the board and the head, there are seeds of a handful of these issues but there are enough policies and practices in place that things keep moving along. Things seem “fine” on the surface. But when problems arise, things get complicated.
With so many stresses and head transitions becoming more frequent, many boards weren’t built to cope with these additional strains and haven’t developed the communication habits to work as a team - both within the board and with the board and the head’s relationship.
Additionally, governance training and practice is fraught with abstractions - the concept of “governance” itself, “oversight,” “generative” mode, etc. Even “strategy” or what is “strategic” can get confusing when people get into the weeds. (An example from today’s news - calling up National Guard troops into cities was referred to as both a “strategy” and a “tactic” within the space of 30 seconds.) Then there’s “operations.” Schools now often have a Director of Operations that is typically part of the business and finance office but in governance terms “operations” means all of the day to day operations of the school.
It all makes sense reading an article or during a workshop but when a board is faced with some bad news about enrollment or a parent petition protesting a change at the school, all that can go out the window. And it can be particularly challenging to be a parent trustee fielding complaints from fellow parents in the pickup line.
My major thesis is that school boards of trustees and heads don’t intentionally prioritize building a trusting partnership between the board and the head and rarely see themselves, as a whole, as a team pulling in the same direction.
A lot of attention is given to the board chair/head of school partnership, but the head is a board member and as a whole, you are a team!
Building a trusting team takes a large time investment and a consistent commitment to behave in ways that build trust among team members.
So let’s begin! And let’s start back to the beginning.
What is a nonprofit board for?
(In other words - a very brief, bullet-pointed history of nonprofit governance in the US)
The US has thousands of nonprofit organizations - far more than any other country in the world.
When you think about how the US came to be - this makes sense.
Pre-1900’s - Churches offered charitable services for the public good, run by a volunteer committee of church members.
In the 19th century:
These committees morphed into philanthropic boards, often prosperous citizens able to give back to the community and appreciating the status and influence it conferred.
In the 20th century:
The government increased its oversight of nonprofit organizations and boards create more formal structures that mirror corporate boards - committees, etc.
In 1954, the IRS established 501c3 status. BIG DEAL!
In effect, this is a government mechanism to allow an organization to be free from taxation and in return, the board provides oversight that the school is executing on its mission, is operating in good faith and in a financially sound and sustainable manner. The government wants to prevent nonprofits from operating in bad faith, taking money from people for their services or as donations and then using it irresponsibly or to line their own pockets.
In the 1970s, there was a move to add more community members to boards rather than just the wealthy and influential - thus the addition of “faculty representatives” and other unusual structures
In 1996, The New Work of the Nonprofit Board appeared in the Harvard Business Review, laying out what is now accepted as “best practice”” in governance - the basic “modes” of governance activity: fiduciary, strategic and generative
So you can see how we have ended up in a situation where there is a board is serving a mashup of purposes - philanthropy to the organization and fiduciary oversight, inclusive of community input.
The most important function of a nonprofit board is oversight - to ensure long term financial sustainability and competent management in order to deliver on the mission. And there is a legal aspect to the responsibility of this work! Both the state and the community “trusts” trustees with this duty.
So there are many things it is NOT the board’s job to do:
It’s not the board’s job to make sure all constituents are happy.
It is the board’s job to make sure the school is generally delivering on its mission and the promises it makes families
It’s not the board’s job to individually love the head every minute of the day
It is the board’s job to treat the head with respect, bring up concerns and set up the head for success since the head’s success equals the school’s success
It’s not even the board’s job to agree or disagree or negotiate management choices with the leadership of the school
It’s the board’s job to establish expectations for a reliable flow of data and reporting from the head that enables them to ensure the security of the school in the present as it stewards resources, considers risks and discusses long term strategy for the future. The board should understand the choices and decisions of the head and school management but every member does not always have to agree as long as the management is competent and reasonable.
Roles and Outlooks
(This is a draft infographic and chatgpt is being glacial with revisions, so I’m leaving this in so you get the idea but a better version is in process!)
The CHAIR leads the board. The HEAD leads the school.
The HEAD’s outlook: “How can I set up the board chair and the whole team to be good stewards of the institution and promote school success?” and “How do I continually build trust with fellow board members?”
The BOARD CHAIR’s outlook: “How can I build and maintain trust with the head to be part of an effective leadership team?” and “How can I foster a positive and productive dynamic and culture on the board?”
BOARD MEMBERS need to remember they are figures of the highest authority in the school community that trumps their other roles in the community even though often how that role actually works is often vague, abstract and misunderstood.
A BOARD MEMBER’s outlook: “How can I build and maintain trust with the head and other members of the board?” “How can I stay engaged with the head and the school?” and “How can I support the board “team” in my other roles in the community?”
Boards are not representative bodies. You are a parent of a student. You are a board member. You are not a parent representative to the board (unless you literally are, as those singular roles exist in some schools).
But isn’t the board “the boss” of the head?
The board has hiring, evaluation and firing power over the head, that is indisputable. But can the board “supervise” the head as a traditional supervisor? It absolutely cannot. So the board needs to work to find suitable ways to fulfill its oversight responsibilities as long term stewards and that includes an annual head’s evaluation. And remember - one of the greatest impediments to the long term success of a school is high head turnover - it’s in the school’s best interest to set the head of school up for success and being crystal clear about expectations.
Suggestion: Create a shared reality each year, as a team
Each year, the board should establish 2 or 3 institutional goals through an interactive, data informed process that results in buy-in from every member of the team.
If these goals are formed with input from all trustees in an intentional and thorough process where even “unpopular” ideas or opinions are safe to be surfaced, they can also serve as effective metrics for the performance of the head of school that year.
Danger!
If these goals are formed behind closed doors and the board as a whole is just informed of the goals, there will often in reality be a two-tiered system - the stated goals and many unstated expectations under the surface. This can lead to a big mess.
Invest a lot of time, such as a board retreat, to create the goals for both the HOS and the board and consider using a facilitator.
But what do I actually do as a board member? How do I behave in a way to build trust?
Here are ideas for productive behaviors for both board members and the HOS
Productive and helpful board member behaviors
Reading materials sent out before board meetings and notating things to both to cheer for and things to ask about
Attending committee meetings and reaching out to the committee chair to catch up if you can’t make it
Speaking up when you have questions - and when in doubt as to the right forum is to raise your concerns, reach out to the head or board chair
Stay connected to the head and the board chair just to catch up
Getting to know your fellow board team members as people
Attending events on campus
Following the school social media channels
Thinking about how requests for more information, etc might add to the work load of the head or senior admins and putting that on the table when you make a request
When questioned by other community members, communicating your faith in the head and the board even when hitting bumps and acknowledging difficulties
Following up with the head or board chair on rumors or concerns presented to you that worry you
When in doubt, think about what is the way to proceed that will build trust with the HOS and your board teammates
Voice appreciation for the work of the head and the senior team both privately and in meetings
Remembering that the school is a living, breathing organisation that needs to evolve and is not a museum of education
Board members should receive reliable data about the financial health of the school, including enrollment information, accurate reporting about the state of an established strategic direction, the school’s major programs/ mission delivery, assessment of potential institutional risks and honest disclosure of challenges.
Board members should not dictate how to address challenges to enrollment or management of school personnel or the school’s programs. However, if the school is facing enrollment challenges, as one example, they should expect the HOS and DEM to present a plan to address the issue and the finance committee should be in dialogue with the CFO about cash flow and budgeting.
And what should be expected of the Head of School?
Productive and helpful head of school behaviors
Proactively work with board leadership to establish what reporting is relevant and helpful
Establishing interpersonal relationships with every trustee. Understand what makes them tick. Ask for their opinions - you don’t have to implement every opinion!
Trying to create connections rather than overemphasize boundaries - you can navigate boundaries but it you’re rigid they will prevent connection
Working with the board chair or leadership to try to keep every trustee engaged
Create substantial, easy to read board reports that tell a story and anticipate/address board members’ concerns
Be candid about challenges and present solutions and explain when to expect further updates
Present a united front with other senior admins who present and work with board members
Create approaches where board members can have input on decisions that impact their work - for ex, the hiring of a CFO - ask the finance chair to interview candidates and provide feedback and loop her into your thinking as you make the final decision
Work to make resources available to help make board members’ work easier, such as identifying how to establish a confidential board portal or supply a trusted staff member to take minutes at board meetings
Highlight and celebrate the work of the board to the rest of the community
A head should expect that a trustee will come forward to talk 1-1 about any major concerns about school operations and that trustees are operating in good faith, with the intention of partnering and setting up the head of school for success.
A head should not expect that the board will embrace all decisions without question and needs to be prepared to explain complicated situations, as any high level CEO would be expected to do.
Where’s the line?
As you can see, the line between “governance” and “school operations” is more porous than perhaps people would like! So we need to depend on communication to help navigate these intersections. Because often, when trying to identify the line, the answer is “it depends” and opting for the trust building choice.
Some examples:
Can a board member call a senior admin directly or always go through the head?
Trust building
Board committee chairs should have good relationships with their staff liaison - so the finance committee chair and the CFO, the development committee chair and the CDO, etc. The HOS should have good and trusting relationships with all and have a general sense of what’s going on but in an ideal world, isn’t involved in every single conversation.
Trust undermining
A board member calling a senior admin out of the blue and firing off questions puts the senior admin in a terrible position and undercuts the authority of the head. A board member should reach out to the head and explain why they want to connect with a senior admin member and then everyone proceeds from there. The HOS may be able to answer the questions or it might be a great opportunity for a trustee and senior admin to connect.
Some board members are not thrilled with how the school attorney handled some legal aspects of a major construction project. The head likes the school attorney and thinks it’s a blip.
Trust building
The head, board chair and perhaps a risk management or audit/risk committee discuss the issue and decide on a plan to establish their expectations for any firm in the school attorney role and then have the hos and the board chair or committee chair jointly discuss concerns with the current attorney and approach a one or two other firms to see if there might be a better fit.
Trust undermining
The board fires the attorney and hires another one, informing the HOS.
The board isn’t sure the HOS has the right roles on the senior admin team and the reporting out to the board isn’t great. We’re concerned it will impact our ability to carry out our responsibility for oversight. Can we as a board decide what roles must be on the senior admin team?
Trust building
The board chair brings these concerns to the head and asks the head to think about solutions to the specific concerns and also has some ideas about what is anxiety and what is a real concern. The two work out a solution on the reporting issue and agree to make it clear it is up to the HOS who she wants on her senior admin team.
Trust undermining
The board chair informs the HOS that she is adding the topic of the makeup of the senior admin team to the next meeting’s executive session.
Every time I put together a workshop or write a piece on governance I am reminded that governance responsibilities are a) vast and b) endlessly nuanced. And trustees are volunteers with busy lives! My hat is off to you all.
That’s why it’s important to focus in every year on how the board will spend their time. You can’t do it all, every year. There are pillars of the board’s annual work but also - many choices before you.
The Governance Toolkit from Stony Creek Strategy will have helpful resources in everything from big, general sources for governance best practices to more granular articles on things like how to wrap your head around planning for the usual cadence of board duties to get done or how to improve board meetings or options for head evaluation practices. The layout will be simple - the content will be quality! It launches Tuesday, October 14th for premium subscribers and next Friday, I’ll give everyone a peek inside.
How Can You Work With Me and Stony Creek Strategy?
We promote better interpersonal connection, support intentional application of leadership skills and always keep “being a human” in mind.
Leadership coaching - a series of sessions to dig into a specific issue or a sustained engagement to build skills over time - a space for you to be honest, float thought experiments, voice doubts, reframe problems
Governance training and other workshops - Governance, team building, improving communication skills, leading change, learning management skills, supporting schools through head transition, managing difficult parents - if it involves people trying to better connect, reach out!
Strategic planning and other strategy services - In addition to our signature Align and Advance full strategic planning/communications audit offering, we also love to be fresh eyes. Whether you might need a more focused “Strategy Refresh” rather than a completely new strategic plan or work around a specific issue such as enhancing yield, improving internal communication or auditing a specific department, we would be happy to chat.