Let's Get It!

Although I would never consider myself a sports fan, I have been tangentially involved in professional sports for decades. I've listened to a lot of sports talk from all angles. I don't care much about individual teams or players, but I am fascinated by the business of sports and how people think about sports. From a marketing perspective, nearly every organization in this country, including businesses, non-profits, institutions, political campaigns and movements, has taken a page from professional sports. It's a model that says: You are either with us or against us; it's our team or no team; winners take all, with merch to advertise your alignment.

Since the Super Bowl is upon us, let's talk football, and then we will bring it around to schools. As I see it, most fans attribute wins and losses in one of three ways,

The Players: The players make errors, are outplayed, or perform spectacularly. People who love people believe in specific players and their super-human powers to carry the game and win the day.

The Coaches: The coaches make intelligent, experienced decisions, change strategy appropriately at half-time, or bungle the whole affair. Strategists align with coaching acumen as the key to the game.

The Referees: The calls go our team's way, or they don't; the referee crew favors the home team or does not. Unless the coaches and players are in perfect alignment, they can be derailed by a bad referee call. Conspiracy theorists are apt to blame referees.

I'll add a fourth way reserved for savvy sports insiders: The Front Office Staff. If the team is not managed well from the inside, its roster suffers, the fan experience at the stadium is not good, players are traded to that team (and rarely choose it), and it rarely wins playoff games. Their fans defect and start wearing the colors of the winning coastal team.

What about the fans? These people pay for all this through their tickets, the support of advertisers, the purchase of merch, and an unfathomable amount of word-of-mouth. Since we talk about independent schools here, and I am most interested in the success of schools, not sports teams, let's make some parallels. Your students' parents are the fans and are indoctrinated into the sports model, as we all are, to some degree, as humans who live in the 21st century.

Parents, the school's customers, or fans, look at the organization and talk about its wins and losses relating to their students' overall academic and emotional success. If students win, parents re-enroll their children. Parents attribute wins and losses at school in one of three ways that correlate to the list above,

The Teachers. They are the players in our sports model. There are three-time Pro Bowl teachers who consistently and brilliantly deliver the program, and then there are ones who fall short. Parents love their kid's teacher or don't, and are vocal about it. For these fans, it's all about the teacher.

The Administrators. They are the coaches in our parallel world. They are specialists in their particular strategy and lead the teachers to victory. Division Heads, Academic Deans, and Dean of Student Life equate to positions like the Defensive Line Coach, Special Teams Coach, or Wide Receivers Coach. Fans can be unclear about each coaching position and move right to applaud or blame the head coach or head of school.

The Trustees. I think of trustees as referees in our parallel world. They are the keepers of the game's mission, philosophy, and values. Sometimes the calls go the way of the teachers, administrators, and parents, and sometimes they don't. But, excellent trustees hold their school in the highest regard, have fiduciary responsibility for the organization, and work together to maintain the integrity of the school, or game. Refs and trustees also hold enormous power and sway, and when things go wrong, they can go very wrong.

Our fourth way is The Advancement Team. Here's where our Front Office Staff come in. Unless a family is applying to the school, families or fans have minimal contact with the Advancement Team. In the background, they shape the school through admissions, marketing, and communications, making strategies possible through development. The degree to which the school invests in the Advancement Team and the team outperforms the competition is the degree to which the organization will attract and retain top players, coaches, and loyal fans.

Where are the students in our sports parallel? They are supposed to be at the center of all we do at schools. Students represent the team's wins or losses. They are the game. If most students thrive and succeed within your school's mission, your school wins. For families where that is not the case, your school is losing.

In my work with school leaders, I focus on the administration (coaches), trustees (referees), and advancement (front-office staff), and I am very interested in the parents’ (fans’) reaction. A football team that wins the Super Bowl has won approximately 70% of its games. But, if a school wins 70% of the time, and enrollment is the benchmark, they are looking at 30% attrition, which is unsustainable.

And that's why sports metaphors don't work in the real world. But since that's what we have, I want your school to win, and I can help you get there. Let's get it!

The author, Jill Goodman, is a consultant working with independent school leaders to advance their school’s mission, enhance their processes, and bolster their skills. Learn more about all services here.

Photo Credit: Football Stockart