Back to School: 5 Tips for School Leaders

As the new school year gets underway, I’ve been reflecting on my years as an admission, marketing communications, and annual fund director and what advice I would give my past (much younger!) self—knowing what I know now, considering my successes and failures, and having advised hundreds of private-independent school leaders. I’m sharing my top 5 back-to-school tips here.

1. Make a plan.

I’ve often said that my first few years working in private-independent schools felt like I was on a treadmill: running fast but getting nowhere. While I may have been doing good, important work, it didn’t feel like it was moving the needle in any substantive way. It was in my fourth year as a comms director when I finally spent the time to develop a solid communications plan that linked to the school’s strategic plan and outlined not only my goals and action steps but also a timeline, the resources I would need to achieve my goals, and KPIs and metrics for measurement of my efforts. With that plan in place, I could finally elevate above the day-to-day tactical work and focus on the bigger picture of communications’ role in the school. The “busy work” could take a back seat to the critical strategic level work that helped support my colleagues, the Head, and the Board’s most pressing objectives.

2. Plan to revise the plan!

Implementation of even our most thoughtful and best-designed plans rarely follows our intended script. Instead, we may become sidetracked by the “urgent over the important,” or more rarely, a significant shift happens at our school that necessitates us changing course or hitting the pause button on our plans. But that does not mean creating the plan isn’t a worthwhile endeavor. Even when pieces move on the chess board, keeping our eyes on our ultimate (and big picture) institutional goals allows us to stay focused and grounded.

3. Make a habit of asking “why?”

If there’s one thing schools are universally successful at, it’s addition. And I don’t mean the addition we teach in math classes. I mean adding programs and events, adding facilities, and adding a seemingly endless list of responsibilities to our employees and our students. What we do not do well is stop and ask, “Why are we doing this? “Why are we adding,” and “Why are we hesitant to stop doing this?” Ask the tough (but critical) question. Why does this make us better, and how does this program/facility/new task/shiny object advance our mission on behalf of our students?

4. Define and communicate boundaries.

An “always on” and “constantly connected” mentality is pervasive in our personal and professional lives. I can quickly think of a dozen ways a family member, friend, colleague, or client could contact me at any hour of the day. No wonder turnover is rampant in schools - we're exhausted!

In a society where instant gratification has become the norm, how can we, as school leaders, not only set but communicate our boundaries when it comes to work-life balance? Consider these questions: How quickly will you respond to an email or a voicemail? Are your texts "always open," and for whom? Will you respond after hours, on weekends, or during school breaks? If so, under what circumstances? What are the expectations of your school community and your direct supervisor?

Having a periodic conversation with your colleagues and volunteer leaders about what they can expect (and what you ask in return) is one of the most important steps you can take to guard against burnout and create a path toward a respectful and productive professional partnership with those you rely on and those who depend on you.

5. Always bring it back to mission.

When I think about the cycle of the school year, one image immediately comes to mind: a rollercoaster. Yes, there is a clear beginning and an end to the ride, but along the way, there are lots of ups and some downs, and occasionally, we get thrown for a loop. But altogether, the journey of each school year is thrilling and joyful. When you find yourself in a valley instead of at a peak, a reconnection to the mission is crucial.

Even if your school’s mission statement is committed to memory, write it down. Read it, reflect on it, and identify (even underline or highlight) the elements of your school’s mission that align with your personal mission and values. This reminder - this alignment - will reconnect you to what matters most in your daily work, even when the going is at its toughest.

Wishing all my my school colleagues a wonderful year. The work you do positively impacts the lives of children every day, and for that, no "thank you" is loud enough!