Top Five Talking Out of School Posts
From the 24-25 school year - all unpaywalled - plus some thoughts!
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Hi everyone!
More for your summer reading, especially for new subscribers. (Hi, new subscribers!) Below are links for the top five most viewed TOOS posts from the 24-25 year. This was a bit of an art rather than a science as a bunch of posts were clustered right under the 2K mark and, since subscriber numbers have grown, the average number of views for each post has increased over the course of the year. But in the end, I think this is a very good representation of what is generally top of mind out there.
Stay cool and I hope you school people are getting a bit of a break or having fun connecting with peers at a conference like ICGS, AISAP or one of those small, semi-exclusive admissions gatherings that happen in the woods or by the sea. :)
Head transition
The clear winner, head and shoulders and well above 2K at this point is the first post, about head of school transition. The second post I wrote about succession planning also did well, but it seems that the basic framing of this original post truly struck a chord. As I’m out and about, I am affirmed that to think about a head transition in a bigger way is likely a more human way to go and that the work of building a shared reality, together, in the first year as a core goal for the institution seems to resonate. I think a stumbling block is just that there is so much going on at schools right now, it’s hard to find the space and the clarity to do this work rather than stepping into “putting out fires” mode. I’ll continue to write about succession planning this summer.
Enrollment challenges
The rest of the list is in no particular order of popularity. For a large variety of reasons, many schools are coping with a new reality in their individual enrollment patterns whether it’s local demographics, layoffs in local sectors, ambiguity about international student visas, general economic uncertainty. So it’s not surprise the very practical advice for heads in dealing with a looming enrollment gap was frequently viewed.
The role of communications (and marketing)
This subscriber group always appreciates a good comms post and the refreshed version of an older post about communication’s role in the advancement model is still relevant, maybe even more so. I remain a passionate advocate for an elevated and serious communications function and am skeptical about the comms director living under an advancement director who is more of a fundraiser. From my perspective, the issue comes down to the great differences in subcultures between marketing and communications, development and admissions, a large part of what this article addresses. I think as school leaders we often dream of efficiencies and if you’re at a small school, putting fundraising, admissions and marcomm together in one office seems like a no-brainer - it is all about advancing the school, right? Unfortunately, it’s just not that easy and comms is often the loser in terms of influence - and that makes the school a loser in terms of all it could gain from a vibrant communications function.
High performing teams
I am rather surprised my anecdotal and long-ish piece contemplating my experience as a member of a high performing team (spoiler alert - it is one that I did not lead, and it wasn’t a senior leadership team, which in some ways makes it easier to analyze!) made this group! But I’m pleased because it was very fun to write and it made me appreciate even more that team from long ago. That team did excellent work and was generally delightful.
Teams are tough. They reform every time there’s a new member. People wax and wane so that at any one time, someone on the team is likely waning and while another is waxing. Interpersonal tensions grate; territorial battles flare. Yet a strong team is so important and teamwork has been core to all my best and most favorite leadership experiences. So we strive on!
Governance
Last but not least - some nitty gritty about how leaders and boards can work well together. Governance is the one area that if I present on it, I know I will quickly have people reaching out to me to discuss a training. Sometimes it’s happened at the break of a workshop! Both boards and heads are hungry for practical advice and the more I have delved into the world of governance, the more I can see how overwhelming it can all seem. It’s a lot and it’s a lot for a group of volunteers. More governance posts to come this summer, too.
Enjoy these unpaywalled posts and I’ll see you Friday with a new post about… something! Likely managing peers but we’ll see if it comes together…
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Women Leaders Cohort for 25-26
Finding and Leaning into Your Authentic Authority 25-26 cohort
Jane Moulding of SmarterWisdom and I are embarking on our third cohort of women leaders next year. This is for student facing senior administrators and the core of the program is learning and working within a peer consultant protocol to unpack leadership dilemmas. Check out more information by clicking on the link above. Hit return or shoot me an email at jfausltich@stonycreekstrategy.com if you’re interested.