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TELLING THE STORY OF YOUR SCHOOL
Getting to the heart of the learning business
TAISI Leadership Pre-Conference September 2013
WHO IS IN THE ROOM?
WHO IS IN THE ROOM? Tell us a story about
yourself that will surprise, engage… that we will all
remember
WHERE I AM COMING FROM
WHERE I AM COMING FROM
ADMISSIONS COMMUNICATIONS DEVELOPMENT INNOVATION/REVENUE
WHERE I AM COMING FROM
DIR of ADMISSIONS AND ADVANCEMENT
Adm Manager Robin
Sara (80%) Sorcha Anne / Sophie (120%)
Comms Manager Martin
Suzette
Dev Manager Brian
Development Coordinator Catherine (80%) Barbara Shea
(temp)
Veronique (80%)
Innovation Melissa (1 day/week; consultant)
WHY ARE WE HERE?
OUR LEARNING PURPOSE
To understand the story of our school, how we are connected to that story, and how we help others find their place in that story.
OVERVIEW OF THE DAY TIME TELLING THE STORY OF YOUR SCHOOL 09:00-10:30 Session 1: A connected and sustainable story
10:30-11:00 Coffee
11:00-13:00 Session 2: A coherent story
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:30 Session 3: A story rooted in innovation and tradition
15:30-16:00 Coffee
16:00-17:00 Session 4: A target driven and planned story
17:00 End
SESSION ONE
A connected and sustainable story
WHAT DO YOU DO?
A CONNECTED AND SUSTAINABLE STORY
WHAT DO YOU REALLY DO? AND HOW ARE YOU CONNECTED?
A CONNECTED AND SUSTAINABLE STORY
A CONNECTED AND SUSTAINABLE STORY
When you hear the word ‘sustainable’ what do you start thinking about?
• Things can keep going • Can sustain themselves • Can continue into the future • And go on for ever
A CONNECTED AND SUSTAINABLE STORY
So, what does it take for a school to keep going and continue into the
future?
A CONNECTED AND SUSTAINABLE STORY
BUILDING THE FINANCES
BUILDING THE HUMAN RESOURCES
BUILDING THE LEARNING
BUILDING THE MARKET AND ENROLMENT
BUILDING THE BUILDINGS
BUILDING THE IT INFRASTRUCTURE
BUILDING THE ALUMNI AND FUNDRAISING
A CONNECTED AND SUSTAINABLE STORY
BUILDING THE FINANCES
BUILDING THE HUMAN RESOURCES
BUILDING THE LEARNING
BUILDING THE MARKET AND ENROLMENT
BUILDING THE BUILDINGS
BUILDING THE IT INFRASTRUCTURE
BUILDING THE ALUMNI AND FUNDRAISING
Write down five key performance indicators for each field of activity.
We know we are being sustainable when….
A CONNECTED AND SUSTAINABLE STORY
LET’S BUILD TOGETHER
A CONNECTED AND SUSTAINABLE STORY
LET’S DRAW TOGETHER (with bonus points for perspective and colour)
A CONNECTED AND SUSTAINABLE STORY
HR
FINANCE
IT
LEARNING
BUILDING
MARKET
ALUMNI
A CONNECTED AND SUSTAINABLE STORY
HR
FINANCE
IT
LEARNING
BUILDING
MARKET
ALUMNI
A CONNECTED AND SUSTAINABLE STORY
A CONNECTED AND SUSTAINABLE STORY
Transforming
Improving
Sustaining
A CONNECTED AND SUSTAINABLE STORY
Transforming (Generative)
Improving (Strategic)
Sustaining (Fiduciary)
Chait Richard, Ryan William, Taylor Barbara E. (2005) Governance as Leadership: Reframing the Work of Nonprofit Boards.
BUILDING THE FINANCES
BUILDING THE HUMAN RESOURCES
BUILDING THE LEARNING
BUILDING THE MARKET AND ENROLMENT
BUILDING THE BUILDINGS
BUILDING THE IT INFRASTRUCTURE
BUILDING THE ALUMNI AND FUNDRAISING
Building lateral capacity Building elasticity Building a culture of innovation Building coherence
A CONNECTED AND SUSTAINABLE STORY
CHECK POINT
A question A comment A suggestion An action point
SESSION TWO
A coherent story
A COHERENT STORY
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
We are storytellers And our story is founded upon what we
believe or know to be true.
A COHERENT STORY
A story about a toothbrush
What makes this a good (or bad) story?
A COHERENT STORY
Effective storytelling starts with things we know to be true
• It has a ring of truth • It resonates • It connects • It uncovers • It reaffirms • It brings into sharper relief
(Sarah Kay, TED March 2011)
A COHERENT STORY
SUSTAINED BY WHAT WE BELIEVE
Write down 10 things you know to be true about your school’s learning vision.
THE EXACT SAME THING… SOMETHING YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE…
A NEW ANGLE ON SOMETHING YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW EVERYTHING
ABOUT
THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE…
A COHERENT STORY
THE EXACT SAME THING… SOMETHING YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE…
A NEW ANGLE ON SOMETHING YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW EVERYTHING
ABOUT
THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE…
CONNECTION
PERSPECTIVE DIFFERENTIATION
SURPRISE
A COHERENT STORY
Connection Surprise
Perspective Differentiation
…in 5 seconds
A COHERENT STORY
SUSTAINED BY WHAT WE BELIEVE
What’s the elevator conversation of your school? (try it)
How many of you turned to your school’s mission statement as a script?
A COHERENT STORY
So you have your story…. How is it influencing your decision-making?
A COHERENT STORY
Everyone included, everyone challenged, everyone successful
Admissions Policy
Financial Aid
Communications strategy How and what students learn
Learning support
Building design
Strategic planning
Partnerships
Who the teachers are
Fundraising and develop
COHERENCE
A COHERENT STORY
A COHERENT STORY
Telling the story of our
school and helping others find their place in that story
1. Attraction
2. Recruitment
4. Engagement
3. Induction 5. Retention
6. Deptarture/Arriva;
External Communications
Internal Communications
A COHERENT STORY
We do a lot of ‘stuff’… ATTRACTION RECRUITMENT INDUCTION ENGAGEMENT REFLECTION RELEASE Print advertising Website Recruitment Campaigns
Admissions documents Informational publications
New family publications New family website
Weekly Newsflash Directors Letter Board of Trustees Reports Directory Emergency Communications Divisional Updates (send by the Heads) Event promotion
Admissions Survey New Family Survey Parent Satisfaction Survey Exit Survey Data Dashboard
Alumni newsletter Alumni event communications
A COHERENT STORY
But if we find the simplicity amidst all the complexity…
• What parts of the story change? • What parts stay the same?
A COHERENT STORY
What dots are we throwing onto our canvas?
A COHERENT STORY
Where is the coherence of our story breaking down?
A COHERENT STORY
PITCH (imagine the school of the future)
A COHERENT STORY
BRAND
A COHERENT STORY
What do the following images ‘say’ to you?
A COHERENT STORY
BRAND THE EMOTIONS, THOUGHTS AND ASSOCIATIONS THAT PEOPLE BRING TO YOUR PRODUCT WHENEVER THEY HEAR IT MENTIONED.
CHECK POINT
A question A comment A suggestion An action point
Are you in sales?
A COHERENT STORY
A COHERENT STORY
HOW MUCH OF YOUR TIME IS ABOUT
PERSUADING, CONVINCING OR
INFLUENCING OTHERS?
A COHERENT STORY
1 in 10 are involved in marketing of the remaining 9, 40% of our time is non sales selling
A COHERENT STORY
ALWAYS BE CLOSING
A COHERENT STORY
ATTUNEMENT BUOYANCY CLARITY
A COHERENT STORY
1. One word. Say Search. Think Google. Say Priceless. Think Mastercard
2. The question. Are you better off than you were 4 years ago? (Regan, 1980)
3. The rhyming pitch. A Mars a day helps you work rest and play. 4. The subject line pitch. 3 Simply Ways to Ensure that Your Emails
Get Read 5. The Pixar Pitch. Once upon a time… Every day… Because of that…
Until finally… 6. The Twitter Pitch. We’re all in sales now, but sales isn’t what it
used to be.
…offering a story so compelling that a new conversation can begin.
A COHERENT STORY
So how are we doing?
A COHERENT STORY
Hunt the cliché
A COHERENT STORY
New story formats
1. One word. Say Search. Think Google. Say Priceless. Think Mastercard
2. The question. Are you better off than you were 4 years ago? (Regan, 1980)
3. The rhyming pitch. A Mars a day helps you work rest and play. 4. The subject line pitch. 3 Simply Ways to Ensure that Your Emails
Get Read 5. The Pixar Pitch. Once upon a time… Every day… Because of that…
Until finally… 6. The Twitter Pitch. We’re all in sales now, but sales isn’t what it
used to be.
…offering a story so compelling that a new conversation can
begin.
A COHERENT STORY
A COHERENT STORY
A COHERENT STORY
The Modern Art of School Communications
A COHERENT STORY
Example 1
THE PEOPLE
And then…
Example 2
THE HEDGEHOG
Standing out from the crowd. or
Finding a hedgehog in the forest.
Example 3
MORE THAN A SCHOOL
Attraction and Recruitment
Engagement and Retention
Engagement and Retention
Release
Cheow Sky 5 months ago Oh yeah, ISB rules...it really is more than a school. :)
• Board Chair
• School Director
• Communications Director
•Admissions Officer
A COHERENT STORY
• Video stories
• The snapshot story of one year
• The story from the inside
• Pop up stories that surprise and engage
• Myth busting stories
A COHERENT STORY
The future for us right now is…
CHECK POINT
A question A comment A suggestion An action point
SESSION THREE
A story rooted in Innovation and
Tradition
A STORY ROOTED IN INNOVATION AND TRADITION
TRADITION INNOVATION
A STORY ROOTED IN INNOVATION AND TRADITION
Remembered by a few Known by many
Cutting edge
Old news
A STORY ROOTED IN INNOVATION AND TRADITION
Remembered by a few Known by many
Cutting edge
Old news
EARLY ADOPTERS THE BANDWAGON
RETRO/NOSTAGLIA PRE-OBSOLETE
A STORY ROOTED IN INNOVATION AND TRADITION
Day-to-Day
Innovation
Tradition
A STORY ROOTED IN INNOVATION AND TRADITION
Tell a story, from your professional experience, that illustrates one of the principles that Steven Johnson mentions…
A STORY ROOTED IN INNOVATION AND TRADITION
YES, BUT… Reasons why we don’t innovate
A STORY ROOTED IN INNOVATION AND TRADITION
YES, BUT… Reasons why we don’t innovate
“I don’t have the time” “I don’t see the need”
“We don’t have the budget” “We pride ourselves on being traditional”
A STORY ROOTED IN INNOVATION AND TRADITION
Let’s consider Innovation as consolidation: the
relentless, disciplined focus to simply keep doing what we do, only better –
more efficiently, more responsibly, more truthfully.
A STORY ROOTED IN INNOVATION AND TRADITION
A STORY ROOTED IN INNOVATION AND TRADITION
CASE STUDY Enrolment at your school is down and the Board is keen for the management team to come up with a new marketing strategy. The are rumours that some families are choosing a competitor school because they feel more welcomed. The admissions team is well-meaning, but lacking in experience – particularly when it comes to speaking about the school’s programme of learning.
A STORY ROOTED IN INNOVATION AND TRADITION
Which face are you? Which faces are missing from your team?
A STORY ROOTED IN INNOVATION AND TRADITION
Day-to-Day
Innovation
Tradition So is there any need to hang on to the past? 5 things we would fight to keep
A STORY ROOTED IN INNOVATION AND TRADITION
Day-to-Day
Innovation
Tradition
• Sustained governance and leadership
• Continuity of mission and vision
• Strong institutional memory
• A coherent story
• Strong brand and reputation
A STORY ROOTED IN INNOVATION AND TRADITION
Day-to-Day
Innovation
Tradition
80/20 How will you make it happen?
A STORY ROOTED IN INNOVATION AND TRADITION
Example 1: Innovation
CAPTURING THE STUDENT VOICE
Student Volunteers
• High School
Students • Admssions,
Comms and Development job assignments
Summer Interns/Short term
• High School
Students • Recent
Graduates • Small stipend
1 Year Internships
• Alumni • Mid-Course /
Post Graduates • Housing and
stipend
Young employees
• Three of our
most recent staff positions were previously interns
Example Capture the student voice
Example 2: Tradition
ENGAGING THE ALUMNI
Appendix
LEARNING TO UNTHINK
IMAGINING THE FUTURE TOGETHER (CAN BE HARD)
IMAGINING THE FUTURE TOGETHER (CAN BE HARD)
2020
THE FAMILY VISIT AND TOUR
Begi
nnin
g to
THINK
Lear
ning
to
UNTHINK
Taki
ng ti
me
to
RETHINK
THE FAMILY VISIT AND TOUR
MYT
H
BRO
KEN
MYT
H
SECO
ND
NAI
VITY
Sometimes you need to break the story to tell a truer story. (C.S. Lewis)
THINK THE FAMILY VISIT AND TOUR
Begi
nnin
g to
THINK Starting with where we are…
A SCHOOL WITH A VIEW
Is this just my British sense of humour, or is this somehow reminiscent of the jobs we do?
THINK THE FAMILY VISIT AND TOUR
YOUR FAMILY VISIT AND TOUR
How long?
With whom?
What format?
Who else is involved?
In what kind of space?
How does it end?
• What is the same? • What is different? • What works? • What hurdles do
you face?
UNTHINK THE FAMILY VISIT AND TOUR Le
arni
ng to
UNTHINK Deconstructing what we do…
UNTHINK THE FAMILY VISIT AND TOUR
What do you see?
UNTHINK THE FAMILY VISIT AND TOUR
What do you see?
UNTHINK THE FAMILY VISIT AND TOUR
STOP THINKING?
UNTHINK THE FAMILY VISIT AND TOUR
TURN YOUR ATTENTION ELSEWHERE.
UNTHINK THE FAMILY VISIT AND TOUR
Peeks across the fence What interests you? What captures your imagination? What connections are your making?
IDEAS FROM THE OTHER SIDE
RE-THINK THE FAMILY VISIT AND TOUR Ta
king
tim
e to
RETHINK
UNTHINK THE FAMILY VISIT AND TOUR
What kind of future does this help us to imagine for our work?
UNTHINK THE FAMILY VISIT AND TOUR
UNTHINK THE FAMILY VISIT AND TOUR
PURPOSE What is if for? AUDIENCE Who is it for? RESOURCES How could it be supported? TIMING How long should it take?
RE-THINK THE FAMILY VISIT AND TOUR
10 Things We Could Change
If only…
RE-THINK THE FAMILY VISIT AND TOUR
CHOICES Stop doing something
Increase capacity Settle for mediocrity
A STORY ROOTED IN INNOVATION AND TRADITION
CHECK POINT
A question A comment A suggestion An action point
SESSION FOUR
A target driven and planned story
A TARGET DRIVEN AND PLANNED STORY
Data. So what?
Data. So what?
A TARGET DRIVEN AND PLANNED STORY
Emotional Engagement
Rational Justification
Data. So what?
• A health check up • Breaking down traditional silos • Providing a compelling story format
A TARGET DRIVEN AND PLANNED STORY
OUR MISSION
But how do we know we’re living up to it?
A TARGET DRIVEN AND PLANNED STORY
The K-Car Approach KEY QUESTIONS What do we / they want to know?
COLLECTION What kind of information do we need?
ANALYSIS What conclusions can we draw?
REPORTING With whom do we share?
A TARGET DRIVEN AND PLANNED STORY
The K-Car Approach Key Questions Collection Analysis Reporting
What are the questions that are important to you right now?
What data are you currently collecting and how is it being used?
Who is doing the analysis and in what format?
Who is benefiting from this analysis and how is it being reported?
A TARGET DRIVEN AND PLANNED STORY
Avoiding Exploring Building Maintaining Transforming We know data is important but don't have time to focus on it right now. We feel somewhat guilty about not using data more effectively, but there are too many other things that are higher priority.
We collect and report some data but we know we could do more with it. Data comes up frequently in conversations and we feel that if we could just harness the data we have, it could have a big impact. We are working on plans to use data more effectively but do not have a clear path forward.
We have a plan for how to use data and are working to implement it. We have some processes and tools in place, but it is still a work in progress.
We collect and report our data on a regular basis. Tools and processes are in place and working smoothly. Data collection and analysis is considered part of the job rather than a separate initiative.
We use data to truly understand how we are performing and identify strategies for improvement. We regularly monitor our progress and adjust our practices as needed based on the results.
A TARGET DRIVEN AND PLANNED STORY
Example
FINDING SIMPLICITY IN THE COMPLEXITY
• We collected data but did nothing with it • We weren’t sure what data was the most important • We weren’t sure how to report data • No one talked about targets • No one listened anyway • It (not surprisingly) did not lead to changes in behaviour…
The story we used to tell
Where is the simplicity in all this complexity?
… for us, this quickly led to a whole bunch of of other questions: • How do we get a snapshot of the school on one page? • How do we gauge the health of the organisation? • How do we preserve our institutional memory? • How do we efficiently report to the Board? • How do we make best use of management meetings? • How does data link to our strategic planning? • How do we monitor progress across so many large projects? • What do we learn from best practice in other fields? • What are the key drivers that define great schools?
These are not necessarily the best questions. But they were our questions.
THE DATA DASHBOARD
2. An institutional memory
1. The School on one page
3. A common ‘script’
4. Focussed on KPIs
Analysis
1. Enrolment Trends
3. Demographic Trends
4. Student Achievement Trends
5. Environmental Trends
Strategic target / goal setting in each of these areas is key
2. Financial Trends
Reporting
A Cycle of Opinion Surveys
New parent survey
Exit Survey
Admissions survey
ANNUAL SATISFACTION SURVEY
Listen to key stakeholders Gather regular feedback Educational and operational
Word of Mouth accounts for 66% of our annual enrolment
Opinions
An annual cycle of data analysis and reporting to the Board
EXAMINATION RESULTS
•SEPTEMBER
ENROLMENT & DEMOGRAPHICS
•OCTOBER
FINANCE & HR TRENDS
•NOVEMBER
ASSESSMENT DATA (ISA/MAP)
•APRIL
SATISFACTION SURVEYS
•MAY
Conversations
Back to the ‘so what’?
• Are we having better conversations?
• Are we more disciplined?
• Will anything change because we have the data?
• Are we agreed on the meaning and significance of this data?
Ten Lessons 1.Every data point should begin with a question. 2.Simplicity is essential. 3.The health of an organization is more than the sum of the parts. 4.Behind every graph there is a story waiting to be told. 5.Measuring learning is the hardest task of all. 6.Survey data is important feedback on how well we are living up to our Mission. 7.Data is increasingly important for school admissions. 8.A data dashboard can lead to better decision-making. 9.Data management is all about disciplined action. 10.Transparency is never a bad thing.
WHERE NEXT?
The Plan. So what changes?
A TARGET DRIVEN AND PLANNED STORY
THINKING ABOUT IT WORKING ON IT
LIVING IT TRANSFORMING IT
MISSION AND VALUES
STORYTELLING
INNOVATION (TRADITION)
PARTNERSHIPS The school realises that they cannot afford to do everything that it wants but still no regular and strategic analysis of cost vs value; some partnerships are beginning to emerge but they remain ad hoc and outside of a broad schoolwide strategy; no one in the organisation is feels accountable for maintaining these relationships.
PLANNING
A TARGET DRIVEN AND PLANNED STORY
THINKING ABOUT IT WORKING ON IT LIVING IT TRANSFORMING IT
MISSION AND VALUES
STORYTELLING The story of the school is coherent at each stage of the cycle of engagement; stakeholders are well positioned to find their place in the story; the communication has become a conversation rooted in the school’s mission.
INNOVATION (TRADITION)
PARTNERSHIPS
PLANNING
A TARGET DRIVEN AND PLANNED STORY
THINKING ABOUT IT WORKING ON IT LIVING IT TRANSFORMING IT
MISSION AND VALUES
Having come this far, what if we…
STORYTELLING
INNOVATION (TRADITION)
PARTNERSHIPS
PLANNING
A TARGET DRIVEN AND PLANNED STORY
AREA OF FOCUS
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE?
HOW WILL WE CLOSE THE GAP?
A TARGET DRIVEN AND PLANNED STORY
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED? WHAT WILL CHANGE?
In the end, we are all communicators…
