Development

Into the fold

Having followed last issue’s guidance on setting up a development office, let’s assume you have recruited an excellent candidate to run it. Tim Edge examines ways to make this new member of your team feel valued

Many development professionals, particularly those without schools experience, can find a school environment alien and forbidding. Structures can seem unduly hierarchical and bureaucratic; management and information systems might appear antediluvian when compared with those in their previous post.

Managing expectations can also be tricky, particularly when heads and governors expect an instant return on their investment. Currently, the average length of stay for a first-time development director is just under two years. What strategies can schools put in place, therefore, to nurture and retain their development professionals?

Communication lines
It is normal practice for a development director to report directly to the head. It is important that the head makes time in his/her busy schedule for a regular one-to-one meeting. A full hour once every two weeks is about right, preferably at a time when interruptions will be kept to a minimum. It is also beneficial to schedule an informal dinner meeting off-site, once a term, not only to review progress but also to get to know each other better.

Get to understand development
Heads and governors should also make time to get to know the development business. The annual European Schools Development Conference, run by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), attracts increasing numbers of heads and governors wishing to broaden their understanding of development work in an informal and stimulating environment.

“High net worth donors rarely support organisations that have a poorly developed sense of visionary purpose.”

Many schools have also established links with American schools that, with the benefit of a number of decades of experience, are often in an ideal position to share information on best practice and development trends and to host visits from UK schools. Why not combine your trip to the USA with a gathering of your stateside alumni? From my experience, US alumni groups will be among your most committed and enthusiastic supporters and should be cultivated assiduously.

Keep an open mind
It is also important that heads keep an open mind to unfamiliar and innovative strategic observations and suggestions that a development director might offer in the early stages. Respect their fresh perspective and commercial nous. Resist the temptation to utter the immortal words “we’ve always done it this way”. Banish from your vocabulary the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Open yourself up to the possibility of change before a rigorous examination of whether things might be done in a different and more effective way.

Many employers offer exit interviews, but why not consider a first impressions session, allowing the new development director the opportunity to share with senior managers and governors, his/her impressions of what is done well and what might be approached in a different way?

Many first-time development directors can find the necessity to forge effective links with the common room a daunting prospect. Heads can help a great deal by stressing frequently the importance of development work to the future prosperity of the school. Heads should also allow development directors a regular briefing slot at staff inset days and ensure that development objectives are articulated clearly as part of the induction process for new staff.

The importance of strategic planning
If you don’t have a school strategic plan, start work today (see Robert Boyd’s feature on pages 6-7). Development office objectives should be drawn from the school’s strategic priorities. Also, schools that have not engaged in rigorous strategic thinking and planning will invariably fail when trying to solicit major gifts.

One of the quickest ways to scare off a potential major donor is to greet his question about the school’s future direction and objectives with a look of panic! High net worth donors rarely support organisations that have a poorly developed sense of visionary purpose.

Up to scratch
Ensure that the induction process for the development director allows him/her to take a long and thorough look at all aspects of the school, unencumbered by pressure to deliver quick returns. If your job advertisement mentioned a commitment to training and career development, make sure this actually happens and is supported by an appropriate budget. Also, take care to ensure that junior members of the development staff are encouraged to develop their careers.

It is more cost and time-effective to nurture and promote someone from within the development staff than to engage in an external recruitment process. Make this a priority.

Keep listening
It is important that the new development director feels that he/she is given a voice. At the very least, they should receive an annual appraisal with a six-monthly informal review at the half-year point. If conducted professionally, the appraisal process is an excellent way of teasing out minor snags before they develop into full-blown problems, which might lead to an early departure.

A culture of praise
If you are the kind of boss who doesn’t believe in thanking staff for just doing their jobs, change. Being a development director (like being a head) can be a lonely and often unrecognised job. Never underestimate the value of informal thanks and recognition, ideally as close to an accomplishment as possible.

A shrewd head will also subtly stress to a new and highly rated employee their value to the school over the medium to long-term. Emphasising the expectation of a long-term partnership can make a difference to a new employee’s sense of stability. Remember that staff rarely leave jobs where they are happy and feel valued and understood, even when faced with the prospect of a higher salary elsewhere.

Keep talking
Finally, keep your new development director in the loop. Develop a system for briefing him/her on key decisions and progress made against strategic objectives. This might be through membership of the senior management team or less formally as part of the regular one-to-one process. Ensuring familiarity with the school’s objectives enhances a sense of belonging and shared purpose.

Tim Edge is development director at Charterhouse.

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