What is one of the first things superintendents should discuss with their board members? Interestingly, it is how to handle complaints and concerns. Complaints and concerns literally start on day one, therefore, as superintendents, we must prepare our board members for this challenge. I am not saying that board members deal with constant haranguing from the community or staff members, but I guarantee you the sharing of complaints and concerns is common place today. As this is the case, the logical question is how can we teach board members handle these situations appropriately?
The answer lies in providing board members with an easy to remember process to follow when faced with a complaint or concern. Although complaints and concerns are likely touched upon during state association board member training, the subject likely gets lost in the volume of material to be learned.
One method I highlighted in the Accelerated Leadership: 50 Insights for Today’s Superintendent book to address complaints and concerns comes from the Associated School Boards of South Dakota (ASBSD). Personally, I found their process both memorable (likely due to the fact that an acronym is used) and clear. If we can make the procedure which board members follow easy to use it will have a greater chance of being sustained as time progresses.
The ASBSD process uses the acronym LAST to guide board members in handling complaints and concerns: Listen to the person, Acknowledge their complaint or concern, Send them to the correct person (lowest level in the organization where the issue can be resolved), and Thank them for their interest in the district. If board members follow this process they will ensure that the person feels heard and will have offered a path to achieve resolution.
To help board members understand the “why” behind following this process we need to explain that they are the final decision makers in the district regarding issues of complaint and concern. If they attempt to fix the issue they lose their fairness and impartiality once a board level hearing is required. Board members therefore need to understand their role as “judges” in the district. In other words they are the final arbiters in the appeal process, so like judges, board members must guard against becoming personally involved in resolving complaints or concerns.
Let’s be clear in stating that this is not natural, nor easy for board members to do. It is human nature to want to help (i.e. “Let me check into that…”) and for some it is a way to establish power and authority. As this is the case we need to be clear about their role as judges, and possibly even discuss the potential negative outcomes which can come from intervening in complaints and concerns (i.e. claims of bias, lack of impartiality, or allegations of favoritism).
I think the board member as judge paradigm is a helpful way to provide individuals with a mindset from which to operate. It always helps when we have a mental model to follow in the work that we do and most will understand that a judge does not intervene in issues to be heard, but rather maintains fairness and impartiality at all costs.
Please share your thoughts on the LAST method to handle complaints or concerns and also the paradigm of the board as judges for the school district. Remember, we all gain wisdom when we learn from each other.