HOW PREPARED IS YOUR BOARD FOR

A CRISIS?

CAIS Head/Trustee Conference

January 28, 2017

Jim Hulbert, JD & Lauren Lamm, Trustee Branson School

Trending Now…

Educator sexual misconduct

Student-on-student sexual assault

Gender identity

Race

Shared Leadership and Trust

“Being a trustee at an independent school can be a messy business.

while the basic fiduciary obligations and requirements of board

policies are often quite clear, the actual work - usually done closely

with the head of school and administration team - can be complicated

by the tensions between strategic leadership from the board and the

operational and management activities of the administration. The two

do not happen in a vacuum and often will overlap.”

“Trust within the board and between the board and the school

leadership are fundamental to properly tackling these quagmires.”

**Trustee Handbook, 10th Edition, NAIS, by Donna Orem and Debra Wilson

Three Types of Crises

Sudden- no advanced warning, black swan

Managed- you are made aware of a situation and manage it

Creeping- something is out there

Time is the Enemy

Do the Work in Advance

The school that is well prepared will move through a

crisis more effectively

Risk management is different than it used to be.

Today’s crises are impacted by:

Social media

School community demands transparency

Today’s crises are exceedingly complex and take up a tremendous of time

for the HoS, board chair and school leadership team

The need for speed – advance training and preparation are key

From the Board’s Perspective

Experience a black swan crisis

Lessons learned from that i.e.

ineffective preparation, etc.

Effective Leaders are Productively

Paranoid

Behaviors that correlate with successful

outcomes

Hypervigilance

Decision making speed

Deliberate, fact-driven decisions

Channel worry into action

Prepare contingency plans

Stay highly attuned to threats and changes in the environment/ even when –especially when all is going well

Behaviors that correlate with unsuccessful

outcomes

Arrogance

Failure to adjust decision

speed

Reactive, impulsive decision,

lacking fanatic discipline

Comprise in excellence of

execution

Not planning ahead

*Jim Collins : Great by Choice

The Overall Role of the Board

Ensures crisis plan is in place before a crisis

Collaborative

Supports the head by providing strategic guidance

Maintains visibility as needed

Knows who speaks for the Board (the chair+1) and for the school

(the head +1)

Understands its boundaries and responsibilities

Does not try to run the school unless there is an unusual situation or

the head is the crisis

Knows what the media strategy is and sticks to it

Adheres to the media strategy

Characteristics of a Crisis

Surprise

Insufficient information

Escalating flow of events

Feels out of control

Intense scrutiny from

outside

Siege mentality

Panic

Before You Are in Crisis

1. Determine spokesperson (usually chair) and at least

one back-up

2. Trustee contact list for board must be current

including numbers for home, office, vacation homes,

etc.

3. Establish how the board will be communicating to

various audiences

Points for the Board to Consider

Develop a list of standard and non-standard risks that

could impact the school on an annual basis, including

the “black swan” risks

Review the school’s crisis plan for dealing with those

risks

Revisit the mission statement every year to ensure that

it exists not only on paper but is socialized throughout

the board

Consider doing a crisis case study at a board retreat

Responsibilities of the

Board Chair

Ensures the full board sees any communication school is sending

out before it is sent(i.e. parent/community letter, media

statement)

Board receives talking points from the communications director

and HoS

Identify communication protocol to be used during a crisis

Determine spokesperson for the board (usually chair); for the

school is the HoS

Advise trustees how to how to manage media and social

situations

The Board Code of Conduct

in Crisis Times

Present a united front even if some don’t agree with the

strategy

Respect the communication plan, especially regarding media

Confidentiality is critical

Avoid knee jerk reactions especially at the outset

Always keep your board hat on

Keep personal opinions to oneself

Avoid speculation

Keep in mind the difference between school culture and

corporate culture

Key Elements in Crisis Messaging

Board Messaging

The full board will see the final letter to the

community

Trustees receive two to three key messages including

how to handle social situations

Every trustee needs to know to refer inquiry to chair

or head of school as needed

Media

If a board member is contacted by

media

Thank you, I am not the school’s

spokesperson. Please contact our school’s

communications director at

_____________________.

Sex Abuse Past and Present

The Challenge our Schools and Boards

are Facing

What is the Process?

The Board’s Role In a Sex Abuse Matter

Supports the head of school; chair and head work as a team

Partners with head in making final decisions about hiring independent investigation firm, law firm

Ensures the school has legal counsel who are experts in sex abuse matters and this will not always be the school’s general counsel

How much of the investigation the school will share with the community

The Jane Group Crisis Optics

Moral Legal

Media Reputation

Moral Optics

High functioning board can inspire the

right moral action

Do the right thing

Media Optics

How will this play out in the media?

What is the potential headline?

The board should have a strategy for dealing with the media.

Legal Optics

Court of law vs. court of public opinion

Partnership with outside advisers – legal,

crisis, other

CrisisAlumni

Parents Current and Prospective

Students

Faculty & Staff

MediaDonors

Law Enforcement

Local community

Other independent

schools

Reputation Optics

A crisis will go away; how it goes away is

what’s important

A crisis will make your school stronger

A crisis will bring your school closer

together as an institution

Important Note

This presentation concerns crisis management and communication, and

does not constitute legal advice. If you have further crisis communications

issues, you should consult us directly.

630-325-2509

Jane Hulbert Jim Hulbert J.D.