I have learned a lot as a leader and educator over the past eighteen years. Staying plugged in professionally has paid dividends for the organizations I help lead.
But until I was told, “If you do what I ask you to do, you will have all the resources you need,” I was more reactive to the economic demands of my job than visionary. I was the victim of circumstances, not the victor my board and families needed.
I realized I needed to shut-up and listen. Those prophetic words came from Deb Lukovich of alinea and a partnership ensued that provided real learning and resources for Sheboygan County Christian Schools.
We were stuck in a scarcity mentality
Imagine the scarcity mentality that would be fostered in teachers, parents and board members under these circumstances: ten years of declining enrollment, mounting debt, fledgling fundraising, laying off of staff, cutting of programs and a general sense that the school was rapidly approaching the “death line”.
When I accepted this position three years ago, I should have hired Eeyore just to add an optimist to the staff! I could rally the troops to a point, but then I needed a partner. That is where alinea came in and the rest is, well; a success story.
Since this partnership was started, enrollment at the high school is up, fundraising has increased by over 400%, and the question morphed from “When do we hit the death line?” to “What is our next big thing?!"
Success, though, was not instantaneous. How do you change a mental model built on scarcity?
A transformation must occur
The transformation started at the board level. What the leadership models the staff and constituents will embrace. This was a challenging transformation though. This shift from a traditional board model to a community engaged model had board members searching for the ejector button. “I don’t know how to be a fundraiser!” “I don’t know who will take a tour!”
How did it happen? By just taking a risk. Success began to breed more success. The board member who said these are not my skills was the first board member to attain a new student through a tour. A board member who said, "I don’t do relationships well, I do maintenance," netted $9k for new equipment for our computer lab.
Once we had our story straight, knew what we wanted and gained success after success,the momentum built.
Our A-ha moment
alinea taught us that knowing your story and engaging the community with passion will yield the results you are after.
Just recently I followed up with a gentleman that went on the very first tour initiated by a board member. He was flattered that we cared what he thought. Later he told our president that he is now a supporter of Christian High. He talked incessantly in the community about our school. During the follow up meeting, without being prompted or asked, he handed me a sizable check and said, “Let’s keep in touch.”I told the board there were some smart people that told us this is how it works. Guess what? It is how it works!
Creating vision these days in education and non-profits is losing its luster because most organizations don't truly believe that they can shape their future. We have scarcity mentalities fueled by the tyranny of immediate concerns.
A helpless mentality plagues many non-profits right now. Boards and leaders must maintain a "can do" attitude to replace a victim mentality. But “can do" optimism is a thin veneer over a fundamentally reactive view.
Most organizations think in terms of managing events only. Peter Senge puts it this way,
"The dominance of the event mentality tells people that the name of the game is reacting to change, not generating change. An event orientation will eventually drive out real vision, leaving only hollow ‘vision statements,’ good ideas that are never taken to heart.”alinea helped Sheboygan County Christian Schools’ mission penetrate deeply in the community. They provided learning that sparked renewed hope and a vision for a prosperous future.
-Corey Navis
Head of Schools, Sheboygan County Christian High School
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