Practices That Discourage Micromanagement

BOARD-SAVVY SUPERINTENDENT

With 40 years of working with school boards in one capacity or another, I believe the biggest complaint I hear from superintendents is board micromanagement — board members either infusing themselves into decisions that are administrative in nature or expecting information at levels of detail wholly inappropriate for the governance of a school district.

It is not unusual to see board members swerve out of their lane and into the superintendent’s.

Start at the beginning when addressing this condition.

Starting Properly

No better strategy exists to discourage micromanagement than right at the start of your tenure as a superintendent. Even before you take the job, use your interview to set the stage for how the district will be managed. If you are selected, begin with a board retreat to specifically discuss roles and communication expectations.

I once facilitated a retreat for a new superintendent where the board historically involved itself in the hiring of all staff with nepotism running rampant. After a lengthy discussion, all board members agreed the superintendent was responsible for the selection of all new hires. A week later, the superintendent called to tell me a board member had already reached out to get a family member hired. She was able to remind the board member about the policy she had agreed to.