Strategic Small School Boards- Are you asking the right questions?

Independent School Boards make decisions all the time- at every meeting and throughout the year. Some decisions are more critical than others, yet all are important and impact the school. Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, Boards are being asked to make decisions that they probably hadn’t considered before. Issues of privacy, strategy, legality, and mission are being discussed. Some small schools, with their lean budgets and often fragile enrollment streams, are even having to consider the most basic questions of whether and how they will survive. Thoughtful, planned, and self-reflective decision-making practices are called upon now more than ever. 
Decision-making in Independent School Boards often goes like this: A problem is identified (e.g. there is a global pandemic, the country is likely going into a recession, and unemployment has skyrocketed- will we have the enrollment we need to survive?). The members of the Board and the Head of School talk through their concerns.  They may try to gather some information from their current families (Will you be returning? Will your financial aid request change?) or from outside sources (other school heads, associations, etc.). And then they move to problem-solving mode: What should we do? How should we respond? Ideas are presented and debated. The solution that is most persuasively argued is chosen, actions are agreed upon, implementation is begun, and Board members cross their fingers and hope for the best. 
Scholars who have studied decision-making would suggest that this type of process, called the advocacy approach- where ideas and positions are debated and advocated for- limits the ability of organizations to make the best decisions. Instead, they advise using an inquiry approach, which is “a very open process designed to generate multiple alternatives, foster the exchange of ideas, and produce a well-tested solution.” (Garvin & Roboto, 2001). Inquiry is a well-known concept in the education world- promoted as a progressive strategy that supports the constructivist pedagogy. Yet we rarely hear of school leaders being encouraged to utilize inquiry methods. If engaging in inquiry is best practice for students why isn’t it used by adults as well? How can Boards apply the inquiry method to make better decisions? 
In his book Labyrinth: The Art of Decision-Making, Pawel Motyl, who promotes inquiry decision-making, recommends a series of decision-making steps for business leaders. I’ve modified them here as a series of questions Board members can ask themselves as they approach a significant problem. While the inquiry decision-making process involves more steps and more questions, these can serve as a starting point.

1. What actually needs to be decided? It is important to spend sufficient time in the problem identification phase in order to clearly articulate and understand the issue at hand. Even if the issue seems obvious (parents are withdrawing and we may not have the tuition income needed to meet our budget), in order to make sound, detailed decisions, the Board needs to clarify what actually they are addressing. Perhaps the decisions need to be focused on better communication; perhaps on increasing financial aid, perhaps on addressing the overall financial model. Moving quickly past the problem identification phase when issues seem obvious leads to bias (e.g. anchoring, saliency, authority, etc.) and reduced clarity and creativity in the group’s ability to respond.
2. What do we think we know? And What information do we need to best inform our decision-making? Boards should not assume that everyone in the group has the same information or the same understanding of the information. Taking the time to clarify what is known helps frame the issue and uncover the gaps in understandings. However, relying only on “what we think we know” is a recipe for poor decision-making. Boards need to become adept at identifying the data they need to make sound decisions, accessing and communicating the data, and making decisions based on data rather than opinion. Data can be gathered from current constituents (i.e. opinion, finances, headcount, etc.) or from outside the school (i.e. local demographics, other school’s data, research, etc.). Savvy Boards will consider what data is needed and how it can support good decision-making. Using the inquiry method, they will also rigorously challenge or test data to ensure that it is sound and relevant.
3. Do we have the right people involved in framing this issue and making decisions, and are we listening to them? Ideally, the Board has been carefully profiled to reflect both the community’s constituency and the diversity of perspectives needed to make sound decisions. Unfortunately, maintaining well-profiled Boards is difficult for many small schools. Research and experience tell us that including varied voices, with a range of experience and perspectives, in decision-making yields the most productive and positive results (e.g. Motyl, Garvin & Roboto). Boards can invite outside voices to help them frame issues and consider solutions when making important decisions. The two keys here are: 1) truly seeking out people who will bring distinct perspectives- even if (or especially if) those perspectives conflict with status quo and 2) ensuring that there is a culture of equity, honesty, and inclusion so that all voices are heard. Prejudice, discrimination, confirmation bias, and group-think are all traps Boards need to actively combat against when thinking about who to involve when making important decisions.
4. How do our solutions reflect and connect with our Mission? The most effective schools are those who have robust mission-program-message-market alignment. Boards should be in the habit of checking every decision they make to ensure that it aligns and upholds the school’s mission. Decisions that are hastily made in a crisis, that do not align with the school’s mission, will result in confusion, dissatisfaction, and potentially loss of families.
5. How did we do? Part of the questioning process in inquiry decision-making is reflective, regarding both the decision made and the process used to make it. Our teachers promote the value of self-reflection to our students, yet Boards rarely take the time to meaningfully reflect upon their process or efficacy. Reflection and evaluation are critical steps in the learning process and allow Boards to learn and grow from mistakes.

The whole world is working to understand, respond, and cope with the ramifications of the current pandemic. Like school administrators and teachers, Independent School Board members have had to make decisions that have significant impact on students, families, and faculty & staff with little time to pause, collect data, test assumptions, and consider strategy as promoted in the inquiry method. Nonetheless, these steps can be practiced and implemented moving forward as school Boards help chart the “new normal” for Independent Schools.

Acies Strategies provides Board Development and Leadership Coaching for leaders and Board members of small schools.