If the board is talking about the wrong subjects, the organization will go in the wrong direction or no direction at all.
Mission Enablers works with Christian schools and parochial schools to help increase enrollment, recover from financial difficulty, or build sustainability. When the board talks about the right things it helps shorten the time of crisis or prevents a crisis from arising.
Six things often happen when the board is off target. First, the board puts energy into unproductive areas. Second, the board is unable to spend time on the important issues. Third, support declines because the staff, volunteers, donors, referral sources, and parents loose faith in the board’s decision-making. Fourth, the staff ignores the board and does what it thinks is best. Fifth, the school stands still (waffles back and forth or runs in a tight circle) or heads in an unproductive direction. Last, the crisis deepens, tempers flare, and blame is dispensed. In short, no one wins.
Here are some common board topics – events from the past, money, collecting tuition from delinquent families, paying bills, grievances, building and grounds, and how to cut costs. Those topics have several things in common. They are operational issues. They are the responsibility of the staff. Discussing them is a form of micro management. Discussing them suggests the staff lacks the competence to be successful. If it is truly necessary to discuss them, then discuss the best way to train the staff to handle the issue.
Here are the topics discussed by the board at a healthy school – God, Christ, spiritual growth, discipleship, faith formation, children, education, quality, the mission, ministry, and the future.
Do you see how the change in topics has the potential to increase enrollment, support from volunteers, donors, donations, sustainability, and the family support and participation?
Do you know how to change the conversation? The answer is not, we will change the conversation when the crisis passes. Changing the conversation now will cause the crisis to pass.
The answer is not, we don’t have time for the important issues because the other issues are urgent. The board hired the staff to do the urgent work so the board would be free to handle the important issues. It is good stewardship to let the staff earn their pay.
At healthy schools, the board does its work by talking about the right subjects and lets the staff do its work.
As always, if you want help contact us.
