• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Like an earthquake or the professional experience,” wrote retreating water before a Jeff Shields, NBOA’s president tsunami, there are signs that a and CEO, in a recent newsletter massive wave of disruption is column. “Couple that number on the verge of shaking up the with the fact that we are largely independent school operational a ‘mid-career’ profession, and landscape. Price-sensitive it's easy to surmise that a vast families, powerful technologies majority of our members will fuel and shifting demographics a trajectory of mass retirements have brought new and often in the very near future.” cheaper competition. Compliance challenges are mounting, deferred With the forecast clear, it’s campus maintenance demands time to prepare. Who will suit attention. And an aging finance up for the next generation of and operational workforce leadership? What challenges foretells tremendous leadership will they inherit? What skills turnover. Members of NBOA and attributes will they need to “have an average of 28.7 years of ride the wave successfully? By Donna Davis, Stacey Freed and Leah Thayer THE NEXT GENERATION OF leade rship 20 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 NETASSETS.ORG THE BOTTOM LINE • Begin succession planning well in advance to prepare for unforeseen challenges and reveal gaps in knowledge and skills. • Silos are out; collaboration and group scenario-building are in. • “Selling” potential leaders on the intangible benefits of independent schools can help balance the for- profit/nonprofit pay gap. leade rship [email protected] JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 21 Change has become so rapid and unpredictable that I don’t know anyone who can do a financial model that’s any good for more than three years.” — Vanessa Wassenar, Creating Resilient Schools MASTERS OF REINVENTION As longtime ollaborative, nimble, strategic, in Atlanta, where he is head of school. somewhat visionary: Rising He holds a weekly administrative team independent school C independent school business meeting in which everyone must come leaders will certainly need these attributes. prepared to discuss a particular assigned But let's start by dispensing with the article all have read. Or he uses an actual leaders retire, myth of the perfect leader. “There’s a case study of something occurring at the real danger in looking for a ‘white knight’ school. “Whether you are or were part of their successors to solve the challenges our schools it, you have an opportunity to get access face,” according to Philip Cork, assistant to it and problem-solve an issue as a will step into headmaster for finance and assistant team,” he said. treasurer at St. Andrew’s School in Boca Training and coaching are critical, Mehta dramatically different Raton, Florida. While top talent is critical, said. As roles shift and staff grapple with “this is a team effort,” he added. The more responsibilities and challenges, it’s circumstances. What better question is, “How do you build a an opportunity to coach and mentor “to team with the needed complementary improve team development, collaboration will they (or you) need attributes and skills for the future?” and problem-solving skills.” Collaboration is inherent in that Other attributes include the ability to to be successful? process. “The business officer graveyard identify trends and adapt nimbly. So rapid is filled with business officers who went and unpredictable has change become in and told the faculty, ‘We are going to that “I don’t know anyone who can do a start running this place like a business,’” financial model that’s any good for more said Jeff Shields, NBOA’s president and than three years,” said Vanessa Wassenar CEO. “The business officer has to drive of Creating Resilient Schools. change and introduce business concepts in “Any predictions about the future are a servant-leadership sort of way.” just that,” agreed change management MORE FROM NBOA Cork agrees. “The days of business consultant Howard Teibel, whose clients 2016–2017 Business Office Compensation and officers existing in a separate silo and only include independent schools, colleges and Staffing Survey interacting with others about numbers universities. “I think any conversation go.nboa.org/Comp-and-Staffing is over.” He believes it’s important for about being prepared for the future needs to 2014-2015 Business Office Survey Report business officers to spend some time in include the acknowledgment that we’re good go.nboa.org/BizOfficeSurvey the classroom, “interact with students and at short-term decisions (getting through the Smooth Moves: Orchestrating a Successful understand the spaces in which teachers are next one- to three-year budget cycle) but are Head of School Transition teaching. It can give you a good perspective wholly unprepared to think 10 years down go.nboa.org/HeadOfSchoolTransition on what [teachers] would like to see. It’s a the road.” To better prepare for change, A Delicate Balance: the Rise of the Chief Risk matter of value and not dollars.” he prefers “group scenario building” in Management Officer Nishant Mehta seeks that kind of which designated leaders from different go.nboa.org/SchoolRiskManager collaboration at The Children’s School perspectives (finance, facilities, enrollment 22 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 NETASSETS.ORG 53.4 56 58.6 Average age of NBOA members Average age of higher-ed business officers Average retirement age of Fortune 500 CFOs (2014–15 NBOA Business Office Survey Report) (NACUBO’s 2016 National Profile of (SpencerStuart) Higher Education Chief Business Officers) management, etc.) map out various management, including employee benefits THE NEW GUARD scenarios, taking history into account, “and and retirement planning, for instance, and then asking, ‘How would we handle each of another for operations, risk management these if they came into being?’” and project management. On the other hand, leaders should be able STRATEGIC COMMUNICATORS to see the big picture and think strategically. Cork foresees growing value for the CFO What skill sets will the next generation “who understands the current pedagogy in of leaders need? When it comes to the the school and how it needs to change, and chief business officer, independent what it takes to deliver on the expectation schools face so many complexities that of providing students with both the skills “you have to be a number interpreter and for, and love of, lifelong learning.” And not a number cruncher and see how it he believes all leaders should support fits into the strategic plan,” said Chuck professional and personal development, ROCHELLE HARGRAVES McCullagh, CFO at Williston-Northampton for themselves and their staff. “This is an St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School School in Northampton, Massachusetts. important aspect of leaders’ lives.” (Washington, D.C.) “A whole area of compliance and risk Communication skills continue to gain management has taken on a life of its currency. School leaders — ideally, all staff Job title and start: Assistant head of school own and is now piled onto financial and and faculty — should understand and be for finance and operations, July 2016 operations management.” able to articulate the value proposition like Previously: Six years as CFO at the YWCA of the On the one hand, larger schools may never before. “The previous generation National Capital Area, preceded by nine years in opt to divide the CFO’s financial and of business managers assumed the value finance and operations at other nonprofits. operational responsibilities into separate, proposition was a given: ‘We’re a great more specialized roles. “Now you’re seeing Surprised by: “The genuine desire to school; people won’t stop paying our independent schools starting to look collaborate within the school and wider tuition,’” said Brad Rathgeber, executive more like universities,” said McCullagh. community. Idea sharing is valued, and director of One Schoolhouse, which feedback comes from a place of authentic “There’s someone handling the financial provides online learning for students interest for the well-being of the community side and then someone handling the and adult learners. “But that’s called at St. Patrick’s and for me as a professional.” physical plant.” One specialized leader into question a little bit now because might be accountable for financial Advice for schools anticipating a leadership the [tuition] is so high. The CFO has to change: “Develop a thorough succession plan understand the value proposition in a way well in advance of the leader's departure. Not they might not have had to before.” IS YOUR BOARD REALLY only does the process prepare the school for Underlying all of this is a simple fact: unforeseen changes, but it also brings to light ON BOARD? “Meeting the increasing expectations of our any gaps in knowledge and skills, and highlights Before getting too invested in bold new customers is an expensive proposition,” the need to compensate for those. More leadership, consider the degree to which said Cork. These demands raise the bar importantly, it can serve as an onboarding tool your board will support real change. for people-management skills. Within for the incoming leader and help transfer some “Schools that are prepared to face these the parental pool may be challenging of the institutional knowledge that otherwise challenges need top talent willing to would have been lost. Second, when the time characters like “snowplow parents who shake things up,” said Howard Teibel of comes to fill that leadership role, commit to clear the path so their kids can’t trip and Teibel, Inc. “Part of the story includes casting a wider net. If the cultural fit exists and fall,” said Paul Ibsen, who came out of the school’s culture and willingness to the technical competence is evident, be open to retirement last year to be the interim head face tough issues. Some cultures are not hiring a leader that does not have independent [willing], and they could get the wrong of school at Greensboro Montessori School school professional experience.

Load more

  10

Copy Link