Patrick F. Bassett, President

1
The Search for a Head of School
Patrick F. Bassett, President www.nais.org
2
Overview

• Anticipating Change
• Leadership Styles
• Landscape and Context
• Questions Conundrums
• Seasoned Advice to Search Committees
• Strategic Priorities for the School
• Head Search Protocols
• A Sample Search Consultants Schedule

3
The Seven Stages of the Change Cycle (Source
KNFP seminar, Kellogg Foundation) cf. William
Bridges, Kurt Lewin, Virginia Satir, George
David, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, Tom Peters)

• Schools should anticipate and plan for the
  predictable stages that change in leadership
  brings
• Business as Usual the routine the frozen
  state the status quo
• External Threat potential disaster propitious
  change event an ending a death in the family
  an unfreezing via the introduction of a foreign
  element disequilibrium dissatisfaction with the
  status quo.
• Denial refusal to read the Richter scale anger
  and rage chaos.
• Mourning confusion depression.
• Acceptance letting go.
• Renewal creativity the incubation state of new
  ideas and epiphanies new beginnings movement
  vision of what better might look like
  reintegration first practical steps practice of
  new routines.
• New Structure sustainable change the new
  status quo new frozen state of restored
  equilibrium spiritual integration
  internalization and transformation of self.

4
Effecting Change
Abstracting and Personalizing Change
Faculty exercise What are your own major change
events? Didnt they follow this pattern? Cant
we predict and prepare for stages?
5
Conundrums of Leadership Defining the Job of
School Head
Views of the Heads Style The ambassador, the
general, or the priest.
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Conundrums of Leadership
Job Descriptions for Heads Head Search Ads
(Education Week Classifieds)

• College Prep seeks a leader who
• is responsive to the constituency and
  understands the significance of genuine
  communication
• is a decisive and well-organized manager who can
  make tough decisions and be a steward of
  resources.
• is a visionary who can set the agenda for the
  21st. century.
• Schools search committees are looking for
• the ambassador, the general, and the priest, all
  rolled into one.
• God on a good day.

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Conundrums of Leadership
The Real Job (Education Week op ed, 4/12/95, Rob
Evans)

• Wanted A miracle worker who can
• do more with less
• pacify rival groups
• endure chronic second-guessing
• tolerate low levels of support
• process large volumes of paper
• work double shifts (75 nights out a year).
• He or she will have carte blanche to innovate,
  but
• cannot spend much money
• replace any personnel, or
• upset any constituency.

8
Context Landscape

• School leadership demographics are undergoing a
  major shift.
• Thousands of schools are in need of strong,
  effective leadership.
• Many of those schools are looking for new leaders
  at the same time you are
• Fortunately, new prospects are entering the
  pipeline.
• Internal candidates are another
  (often-overlooked) source of prospects.

9
Questions Conundrums

• What does success look like? What are danger
  signals you should watch for?
• What if the candidate recommended to the board
  isnt the first choice of the faculty or another
  key constituency?
• What if the community is comfortable with the
  school and wants someone who will sustain the
  current traditionsbut the board sees an
  uncertain future and believes the school needs a
  change agent?
• What makes a head search so different, and why
  does it take so much time and energy to do in
  this world what businesses do in a very private,
  quiet, and quick fashion?

10
Seasoned Advice to Search Committees

• Everyone has an opinion about what a school
  leader should be like, and no one agrees
  completely.
• The school actually solicits and cares about the
  contrasting opinions.
• Balance the thorough and professional steps with
  the intuitive and subjective blink judgments.

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Seasoned Advice to Search Committees

• Know that success means that this is a candidate
  youd welcome into your family, since in fact
  schools are much more like a family than a
  business.
• Expect that some members of the faculty wont
  like the new headjust as some (often, but not
  always, the same group) didnt like the old head.
• Hang tough and support the new head and the
  change agenda. If you fold on your new head once
  the bumps begin, youll soon be forming a new
  search committee.

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Conundrums of Leadership
Board Chair Priority Order for Heads Work (NAIS
Poll, 1991) 1. Climate and Values 2. Work
with Trustees 3. Curriculum 4 Strategic
Planning 5. Finance 6. Policy 7. Public
Relations 8. Conflict Management 9.
Recruiting Faculty 10. Salaries and Benefits 11.
Counseling 12. Discipline 13. Fund-raising 14.
Teaching
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Elements of the Heads Job
Trustees Priority Order 91 Poll Heads
Priority Order 91 Poll 1. Climate and
Values 4 2. Work with Trustees
11 3. Curriculum 5 4 Strategic
Planning 10 5. Finance 12 6.
Policy 8 7. Public Relations 7 8.
Conflict Management 6 9. Recruiting Faculty
9 10. Salaries and Benefits
14 11. Counseling 3 12. Discipline
2 13. Fund-raising 13 14. Teaching
1 The Problem No match-up in priorities
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Elements of the Heads Job
Board Chair Priority Order (NAIS Poll of Boards,
2001) 2001 Rank 1991 Rank 1. Climate and
Values 1 2. Recruiting Faculty 9 3.
Strategic Planning 4 4. Finance 5 5.
Policy 6 6. Work with Trustees 2 7.
Fund-raising 13 8. Public
Relations 7 9. Curriculum 3 10.
Salaries and Benefits 10 11. Conflict
Management 8 12. Counseling
11 13. Discipline 12 14. Teaching
14
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Elements of the Heads Job
Board Chair vs. Head Priority Order (NAIS Poll
2001) Chairs 2001 Heads 2001 1. Climate
and Values 1 2. Recruiting
Faculty 2 3. Strategic Planning 4
4. Finance 5 5.
Policy 6 6. Work with Trustees 3
7. Fund-raising 7 8.
Public Relations 8 9. Curriculum
12 10. Salaries and Benefits 11
11. Conflict Management 9 12.
Counseling 10 13.
Discipline 13 14.
Teaching 14 The New Reality
Total match-up in priorities
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Elements of the Heads Job
Board Chair vs. Head Priority Order (NAIS Poll
2001) Chairs Heads 2001 Heads 91 1.
Climate and Values 1 4 2. Recruiting
Faculty 2 9 3. Strategic Planning 4
10 4. Finance 5 12 5.
Policy 6 8 6. Work with Trustees 3
11 7. Fund-raising 7 13 8.
Public Relations 8 7 9. Curriculum
12 5 10. Salaries and Benefits
11 14 11. Conflict Management 9 6 12
. Counseling 10 3 13.
Discipline 13 2 14.
Teaching 14 1 The
Lesson Co-define high impact activities.
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Essential Attributes of School Leadership

• The Profile of Successful Heads

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2001 Head/Board Chair Survey Essential
Attributes
How important are the following attributes for a
school head to be effective? ( 1 little
importance 7 essential.) in order of
importance
Essential Attribute Board Chair Score Head Score
Vision 6.58 6.44
Educational Leadership 6.10 6.13
Personnel Management Expertise 5.83 5.75
Public Relations 5.74 5.59
Financial Management 5.22 5.18
Counseling Skills 5.18 5.15
Fund-raising Expertise 5.17 5.10
Practical or prophetic vision? Curricular
leadership? What kind of training?
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Psychometric Testing Results (ASSESS Battery
Watson-Glaser Ravens Thurstone Management
Potential Profile administered to current heads
of school, benchmarked against CEOs in America)

• Intellectual Ability Critical Thinking
  (71ile) Abstract Reasoning (68ile) Mental
  Alertness (91ile).
• Thinking Style Reflective/Probing (57ile)
  Organized/Structured (21ile) Serious/Restrained
  (51ile) Objective/Factual (34ile)
  Realistic/Pragmatic (61ile).
• Work Style Energy Level (56ile) Self-reliance
  (39ile) Acceptance of Control (15ile).
• Motivations Need for freedom (85ile) Need for
  Recognition (55ile).

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Psychometric Testing Results (ASSESS Battery
Watson-Glaser Ravens Thurstone Management
Potential Profile administered to current heads
of school, benchmarked against CEOs in America)

• Emotional Style Emotional Evenness (61ile)
  Criticism Tolerance (34ile) Emotional Control
  (51ile).
• Interpersonal Style Assertiveness (66ile)
  Sociability (41ile) Need To Be Liked (58ile)
  Positive about People (69ile) Insight (57ile).
  
• Other Cultural/Organizational Conformity
  (37ile).
• Lesson Have confidence in your head to give him
  or her the freedom to create the school you both
  imagine.

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• The Perfect Head of School (Walter Ebermyer, ISM,
  1980)

• The Perfect Head of School always has the right
  thing to saywears good clothesbuys good
  booksis 29 years old with 40 years of
  experiencesmiles all the timevisits 15 classes
  per day and is always in the office to be
  available for instant parent conferencesetc.
• The Perfect Head of School is always in the next
  nearest school (not yours).
• If your head does not measure up
• Send this notice to six other schools that are
  tired of their heads, too.
• Bundle up your head and send him or her to the
  school on the top of the list.
• In one week you will receive 1643 heads--and one
  will be perfect Have faith in this letter.
• One country day school broke the chain and got
  its old head back in less than four months.

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Strategic Priorities The Boards Strategic Plan
(A Sample To Poll Constituents)

• Admissions priorities and procedures
• College preparation and placement
• Faculty-recruitment, retention, motivation,
  evaluation and compensation
• Fiscal management of Schools resources
• Fund raising and development
• Marketing of the school
• Perpetuating/refining the schools culture and
  vision
• Strengthening academic programs and curriculum
• Renovation and enhancement of facilities
• Interacting with students
• Other ______________________

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Strategic Priorities To Share with Candidates

• Results of the School Survey of Constituents
• Results of the Schools Last Accreditation
  Report Findings
• The Boards Strategic Plan
• Leadership Variables Preferences The
  Consultants Findings

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Head Search Protocols

• Based on our experience, NAIS recommends that
  schools beginning the head search process pay
  some attention to the following matters
• 1. Seek Counsel
• See NAIS publications, The Search Handbook and
  "Principles of Good Practice, The Hiring Process"
  as references.
• If using a headhunter firm, call for
  recommendations some schools who have recently
  undertaken a search and interview three firms who
  receive high word-of-mouth ratings budget
  25-75,000 for consultant's fees and another
  10-25,000 for expenses (advertising, travel for
  consultants and candidates, dinners, etc.). (NAIS
  recommends all of the head search consultants
  listed in the corporate sponsors section of the
  NAIS Directory or on the NAIS website
  www.nais.org .)
• If not using a search consultant firm, consider
  calling upon a consultant for a two-day search
  workshop, day-1 for fact-finding at the school
  (focus groups) and day-2 with the initial core
  membership of the Search Committee budget
  10,000 - 25,000 for search-related expenses.
  (See NAIS Directory for listing of independent
  school consultants or go to www.nais.org .)

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Head Search Protocols

• 2. Establish a Search Committee
• Keep the committee small (8 members or so),
  mostly trustees. Trustees on committee should
  include Chair, Chair's heir apparent, and other
  key trustees who will remain on board, some of
  whom should be current parents. Also include
  opinion leaders from the faculty, parent, and
  alumni bodies.
• Create advisory committee(s) of faculty, parents,
  students, alumni Note in advance to the advisory
  committee(s) that advising is not the same as
  choosing (the latter being the exclusive
  prerogative of the board). It is a good idea to
  set up the advisory committee(s)'s procedure in
  such a way so that the committee(s) indicate to
  the search committee perceived strengths and
  weaknesses of the candidates rather than "scores"
  or "priorities" or "preferences" i.e., It is
  important to avoid situations where an advisory
  committee "makes a choice" since it may not be
  the same choice as the board eventually settles
  on. Advisory committees should not do the initial
  screening of applications but be invited to the
  initial focus group sessions where leadership
  priorities are identified and to the interviewing
  stage for the last 2 or 3 semifinalists.
• Develop a calendar An ideal schedule is to do
  preliminary work over the spring and summer and
  begin intensive interviewing in the first months
  of the fall--candidates wish to settle matters as
  early as possible, so push for a
  November/December decision time-line, if
  possible.

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Head Search Protocols

• 3. Establish a Needs Assessment Mechanism
  (Search consultant focus group interviews over
  two or three days at the school, with key
  constituencies, for example.)
• Determine the leadership style most appropriate
  for the school at this juncture corporate
  (action change-oriented) vs. collaborative
  (relationship peacemaking-oriented) vs.
  visionary (dynamic energizing-oriented).
• Assess the leadership skills and emphases most
  needed and sought. (Determine which of the 14
  elements of the heads job and/or the 7
  essential attributes are most important for
  your school at this time see earlier slides for
  these elements and attributes.) Articulate the
  aptitudes and qualities sought in new leader
  (beyond the usual of vision, sense of humor,
  organizational and people skills, etc.).
• Define the immediate needs and the long-term
  goals of the school.
• Create a grid articulated by constituencies of
  leadership preferences.

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Head Search Protocols

• 4. Prepare an Announcement of Opening and Ad
  Campaign
• Quiet phase Consultant contacts those in the
  field who fit the profile and are not actively
  seeking a new position.
• Mailing to all constituents School Profile and
  Leadership Profile. General soliciting of
  constituents to nominate and encourage candidate
  to submit resumes with references, three letters
  of recommendation, and a statement of educational
  philosophy. Mailing to all NAIS school heads and
  division heads.
• Placing of ads in Ideas Perspectives (ISM
  Newsletter), Independent School (NAIS magazine),
  Education Week, Chronicle of Higher Education,
  The Blue Sheet (Educational Directions).
• Posting of opening on the Internet (via Career
  Center Section of the NAIS website www.nais.org )

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Head Search Protocols

• 5. Screen Initial Inquiries
• Determine who will screen initial inquiries
  Consultant alone? Consultant with search
  committee member? Whole search committee?
• Develop rating system based on leadership profile
  criteria e.g., A All-star candidate B
  Better consider this one C Cant see it.
  Failsafe system to upgrade initial Cs?
• Establish response protocol and procedures All
  inquires receive immediate acknowledgment
  rejection notices mailed promptly fortnightly
  correspondence with those remaining in the pool
  after each screening round to apprise of search
  progress, etc.
• Wean list of As Bs to the Top Twenty. Do
  initial 30-minute telephone interview with Top
  20 add notes to dossiers for each of the
  candidates.
• As a committee assess the Top 20 dossiers to make
  the next cut The Top Ten (6-10).

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Head Search Protocols

• 6. All First-round Interviewees
• Prepare a mailing for Top Ten, to include
  catalogs, bulletins, school newspapers, budgets,
  last evaluation summary, any development or
  strategic planning case statements, etc.
• Determine early if an internal candidate is a
  real contender If not, arrange for graceful
  withdrawal of candidacy if so, reassure other
  strong candidates who may be disinclined to
  compete, assuming, perhaps incorrectly, that the
  internal candidate has an unfair advantage or
  that choosing another will divide the school.
• 7. Prepare a "Condition of School" White Paper
  for Semi-finalist Candidates (for their pre-visit
  homework
• Provide school statistics (academic, admissions,
  development, budget, survey of constituents
  results).
• Develop faculty and student profiles.
• Indicate status of last evaluation and long-range
  plan recommendations.

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Head Search Protocols

• 8. Develop Semifinalist List
• Invite Top Ten candidates (6-10) for an initial
  screening interview with the search
  committee--plan on a 1 1/2 hour session with a
  30-minute reaction period by the committee after
  the candidate leaves for a total of two-hours per
  candidate, all over 2 days. Screening to take
  place at school or at a neutral site (such as an
  airport hotel conference room). Determine level
  of seriousness of each candidate.
• Reassure candidates that their candidacy will
  remain confidential unless they enter the
  finalist category.
• Develop an initial list of 4-5 most promising
  candidates segregate list into 2-3 finalists
  with 1-2 alternates (should any of your finalists
  drop out for any reason).
• Search chair alerts 2-3 semifinalist candidates
  that he or she will do reference calls and
  background checks with people not on references
  list.
• Ask the semifinalists to submit to psychometric
  testing to determine skills and aptitudes and the
  match between those and the current needs of the
  school and to glean the more pressing questions
  to ask.

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Head Search Protocols

• 9. Arrange Candidate Visits to School
• Invite 2-3 finalists to campus, with spouses, for
  the final round two-day visit, with evening
  dinner with search committee representatives
  followed the next day with interviews with all
  advisory groups and with each key school player
  schedule voluntary open sessions with school
  faculty, staff, students, parents, trustees
  candidate is invited to share some general
  thoughts with each group then respond to
  questions.
• Develop a feedback mechanism for each group to
  funnel reactions to search committee. Develop in
  advance, in conjunction with each candidate's
  spouse, an itinerary and schedule for visits and
  tours as desired. Remember, the spouse's reaction
  to moving into a new community is a key factor in
  attracting the candidate to come to one's school,
  so spouse and family needs and aspirations are
  critical to know and to address. Final event of
  interview day meeting with full search committee
  for impressions and general discussion.
• Search committee chair has confidential chat with
  each candidate to discuss contract matters check
  with NAIS on range of head salaries and benefits
  and on typical contract parameters. NAIS
  recommends a three-year contract with
  multiple-year renewals negotiated the summer
  prior to the final year for each expiration date
  (i.e., a minimum of 12-month notice given by
  either party). See sample head contract on the
  NAIS website www.nais.org .

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Head Search Protocols

• 10. Cut to the Chase
• Search committee meets to determine top choice.
• Search committee reps arrange visit to the
  leading candidate's current school for on-site
  interviews with candidate's current colleagues
  and student leadership. Note This stage is
  highly sensitive and disruptive, so NAIS
  recommends, contrary to the counsel of some
  search firms, that the on-site visit only occurs
  with the one finalist who is the clear leading
  contender.
• Assuming no last minute red flags, the search
  committee meets en toto to make a unanimous
  recommendation to the Board.
• 11. Know That Final Matters Matter
• Once contract is signed, make mutual arrangements
  for simultaneous announcements.
• Search committee becomes transition team Develop
  schedule for new head to visit school for major
  events, a board meeting, etc. At an early
  executive committee meeting in the fall, board
  chair and head establish goals and evaluation
  criteria/process for the new head and determine a
  schedule for frequent chair/head meetings. The
  transition team, with the head and spouse, plan a
  social calendar to introduce the new head to the
  community and a pr calendar of speaking events to
  capitalize on the enthusiasm and interest a new
  head generates.

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Search Consultant Sample Schedule

• 1. 3-day Initial fact-finding visit
• Day 1
• -Open Forums Sessions (1 ½ hr. leadership
  profile exercises) a.) Trustees, past and
  present b.) faculty administration staff
• -Reception/Dinner with Search Committee (informal
  conversations)
• Day 2
• -Search Committee Procedures and Protocols (2 ½
  hrs)
• -Open Forums Sessions (1 ½ hr. leadership
  profile exercises) Parents
• -Focus Groups Sessions (1 ½ hr. leadership
  profile exercises) Alumni Council
• Day 3
• -Open Forums Sessions (1 ½ hr. leadership
  profile exercises) Parents
• -Focus Groups Sessions (1 ½ hr. leadership
  profile exercises) a). Alumni Council b).
  Student Leadership c.) Administrative Council
  (team-building exercises).

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Search Consultant Sample Schedule

• 2. Search Committee Meetings 1- or 2-day
  visit(s) at each filter point
• Top Twenty
• Top Ten
• First Interviews for Top Ten
• Semi-finalist visits to the school
• Finalist site visit
• 3. Follow-up Consultations 1-day visits
• Summer Board Retreat Goal-setting for the year
• Winter Board Meeting Mid-course assessment
• Summer Board Meeting Evaluation of head and
  board and goal setting for year 2.

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Headmaster Search Timeline

• Phase 1
• Month 1 Focus Groups with constituencies
• Month 2 Development of Leadership
  Statement and Head Position
  Description
• Month 3 Publish Leadership Statement
• Month 4 Proactive Quiet Recruiting Effort
• Phase 2
• Months 1-2 Advertise opening screen
  candidates (6 - 10 semi-finalists)
• Months 3-4 Interview semi-finalists and select
  3 finalists
• Month 5 Recommend primary candidate to
  Board and negotiate contract
• Month 6 Welcome Head to School

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Head Search Workshop

• The End!