Uncomfortable role
Dear Corporate Shrink,
I’m on the Board of Directors of a private school. There has been a long-standing issue involving the effectiveness of a top school administration official. The board is divided as to how to deal with this. Any suggestions?
Dear Uncomfortable role,
I know. You thought that your job was going to be limited to giving and finding those who can afford to give to the school. I think your board of directors is much more than that.
A board of directors should be a group committed to the development of the organizational vision and the execution of the missions and objectives that support that vision. In the case of a school, I would think that vision involves the cognitive and emotional development of the attending students. Reaching this vision would necessitate enlisting teachers and staff that would understand the goals of the school and would be committed to work in reaching these goals. If this "top administration official" is not assisting, or in any way interfering, with the accomplishment of the school’s vision, it becomes your board’s problem.
You are not very clear in describing the problem. You say it’s been a chronic issue so I am assuming it’s not a catastrophic event involving scandalous, inappropriate, or illegal behavior. I’m going to assume that the problem falls in the area of lack of leadership, seriously inefficient organizational skills, and/or poor interpersonal skills - in other words, police and lawyers are not rushing to the scene.
I’m also going to assume you are not the only voice of reason. You, therefore, and those who think like you, must convince the other directors that as a group you have been entrusted to plan and secure the healthy future of the school. This includes direct involvement in the operation of the school, including staff functioning, whenever there exists a significant problem affecting the school’s mission.
The first place to start is consultation with the head of the school - the president, dean or executive director. The board must make it clear that corrective action must be taken and the resistance to doing this must be examined and resolved. This leader must have the solid backing of the school board - ideally, everyone must be on the same page. Legal consultation or the involvement of an organizational development consultant should be secured if needed. Of course, if the "top administration official" happens to be the head of the school, the board, if they can’t reach a consensus to act, may need to hire a consultant to facilitate this process and help the board reach an action plan.
Once the board reaches consensus to act, a consultant would likely work directly with the underperforming executive. The work would involve "executive coaching". The initial critical phase of this process involves making sure that the executive knows what specific improvements, personal, interpersonal and/or operational, are being called for. These target goals are included in an Agreement that all the significant figures sign. The executive must be supported with the resources needed to make the changes - sufficient time, a competent executive coach, clear feedback, and the emotional support of the board. If there are no undermining hidden agendas - hard work, increased self-awareness, and the right help can lead to tremendous positive change, not just in one individual, but an entire organization.