Most of you know that I live in the DC Metropolitan area. And, while our schools have made major progress (of course, coming from rock bottom…), most of the schools are still “almost ready” for prime time.
In the city of DC itself, we’ve gone through (as of today) three chancellors in 7 years. Michelle Rhee was appointed in 2007. I thought she made a big difference in the school system, but she was associated with a mayor who lost the election, so…Which led to Kaya Henderson’s appointment in 2010. And, now she’s leaving.
Which has led the mayor to announce a national search for a chancellor. And, that really is the issue I wish to discuss today.
Many a company replaces its CEO. As do many a school system. And, when the company- or the school system- is improving, but still a far way away from where it should be, is the best course to do a national search for a new executive?
If the company is, indeed, improving; if the company is demonstrating progress towards the agreed upon goals, is it not better to seek out the counsel of the person departing? To ask that person who might be someone who could continue the course- amplify the program to obtain the best results?
I am not saying this is the system that should be used if things are going downhill. Because then you need to find someone who can turn around the situation, someone divorced from things as they have been to ensure the future will be different.
But, for school systems like DC, which has made tremendous progress over the past decade (one of the “not so funniest stories” was finding – in a school system chronically short of textbooks- that there was a warehouse overflowing with the needed books), asking the current CEO (which is what the Chancellor really is) who they would pick seems like the brightest move.
I won’t mention any company names, but we’ve been called in more than a few times to help a company, to train the CEO (or COO) to do things differently, to grow the company. because these individuals knew a lot about the firm- and in its current state- that history was critical to growing the business.
But, we’ve also been called in to seek a new CEO or COO, when the firm has been making progress and the existing officer doesn’t want to put in 50, 60, or 70 hours any longer. And, we’ve spent time with that person to see who in the existing personnel roster could become the next officer. Given that these folks really cared about the company- but because of family or personal reasons- couldn’t devote all their energies to the firm- they suggested some great folks. Folks that would (and we think did) do better than a stranger from another entity.
Knowing the inner workings of the entity, plus the expensive search costs, means looking inside is something we all should consider. Not just for school systems, but for our corporate enterprises, too.
I’m just saying…
Home grown CEOs? | https://t.co/PJbeQCyhwB via @Adjuvancy
The CEO of the company I work for is nearing retirement age and I expect it will happen before I, myself, retire. He came from outside the company but worked for us a couple of years before our previous CEO officially retired. I expect our new CEO will not be hired from within, although I think we have a couple of good candidates. And incidentally, a former Chancellor of the NYC School system was in my high school graduating class (Harold Levy), and he wasn’t even a educator. He only lasted a couple of years.
Your second example proves the point, Alana. (There is insufficient data to discuss the first.). It was clear the NYC system was not making progress, so you would want to bring someone with no ties to the existing regime to bring about the change desired.
Thanks for that inout.