Innovation in a Conservative Industry--Part I

Interest in innovation--at least as expressed by independent school board members--continues to rise. When asked via an online survey what matters should occupy board time and attention during the coming year (a standard question we ask before facilitating board retreats), it has been a long time since at least a few members didn't mention the I-word. "We have to become more innovative in the middle school," or "We need to innovate more or we will fall behind," are comments we often read.Yet, when pressed for specifics about what would constitute innovation, we find two default batches of answers come up again and again: 1) process or incremental improvements that "fix potholes" more than change paradigms; and 2) an reliance on hearsay or second-hand examples (such as something happening at one's sister's kids school in another city). "We need a STEM program; they are doing that at [fill in name of school] and it would be a real innovation for us." Really? STEM hasn't been innovative in almost a decade, and is fast becoming table stakes for being in the school business.The Association of Governing Boards (AGB) "Top Strategic Issues for Boards, 2018-2019" monograph identifies innovation as one of its six issues, and is very clear that the quest for innovation, whether in the classroom or business model, starts with the board. The AGB offers a checklist of questions that double as a "gut check" for boards wishing their schools (and the leaders they hire) would be more innovative:

• Is the culture of your board supportive of innovation? Is the board aware of the need for innovation and receptive to promising proposals for incremental and dramatic change?
• Does your board have the right composition and committee structure to foster innovation?
• What are the sources of innovative ideas at your school? Are innovative ideas recognized and rewarded?
• Does the board and head of school support innovation on the part of the faculty? Is the faculty meaningfully included in conversations about institutional change?
• What kinds of financial resources are needed to support innovation and where will they come from?
• Have the board and head discussed the need for patience, the potential for failure, and the risks involved in supporting innovation?
• Has your board formally delegated to the head the authority to lead innovation efforts? Has the board signaled to the school community its commitment to support innovation even if it means uncomfortable disruption?

We would add, "Does your board understand that there can be no real progress without change, and that all meaningful change disrupts someone?"More n innovation coming in a future post.