DBHawley - Services

DBHawley (usually me, Dr David B Hawley, and sometimes in partnership with others who have expertise way better than mine) consults with, coaches and mentors school heads, board chairs and school owners to be highly effective in their roles, the head with their leadership team and the chair or owners with their board members, and to help establish and maintain a high functioning long lasting relationship between the head of school and the board chair or owner so that generations of students can flourish.

Coaching and Mentoring

One on one coaching for transitions for new heads and heads who are considering a transition to another school or job.
One on one coaching for experienced heads who wish to focus on an area of leadership development.
One to one coaching of the board chair or owner(s).
Coaching and mentoring the head and the chair or owner together, my favorite type of engagement, using creative approaches, case studies, developing checklists and stress tests before there is a crisis.This approach, I assert, will bring the greatest value to all parties and the students who will be the ultimate beneficiaries of a lasting professional partnership between leader and governor.

NOTE: My engagements are typically for one school year and involve a minimum of one in-person meeting, ideally at the school but can also be arranged at a conference or a convenient location for all parties. I do not do "one and done" transactional engagements because that is not how healthy relationships are supported in a school or in life.

Workshops and retreats

Workshops on good governance for boards
Workshops and facilitation of retreats with school leadership teams
Facilitation of bespoke retreats for boards and for school leadership teams

NOTE: As with my coaching and mentoring engagements, while I love doing workshops, retreats or sessions online or in person with boards and leadership teams, they are never "one and done" engagements. A typical engagement includes a follow-up every three to six months for two to three years. These may be as simple as a phone call. Without these follow-ups, I have no accountability and cannot know if your investment in my services has had an impact. DBHawley does not do workshops that end with the evaluation form. The workshops and retreats are meant to be the start of a relationship to improve some aspect of school leadership and governance. The ongoing follow-up conversations after these workshops and retreats are integral to what makes them successful both for your school and others. Think of it as shared accountability.

Leadership cohorts

A group of four to six heads of school who meet regularly for focused facilitated discussions and shared problem solving and mutual support.

Rationale

In order for students to thrive, teachers to flourish, and to create a joyful culture and place for learning, schools need stability of leadership. And that stability comes from an intentional investment in leadership and board development. Being a head of school or the chair of a board or owner of a school comes with predictable challenges and stresses. Good intentions alone will not prepare either the head or the chair or owner to manage the complexity and disruptions.

The stability that schools need to thrive can be accomplished by building a structured, predictable and positive partnership between the head of school and the chair of the board or the owner(s) of the school. Why is this important? Across accredited independent and international schools worldwide, the average tenure of the head of school is too brief (3-4 years) for the school to be effectively led. Most people leave their company because of how they are managed. The same is true for school heads. They leave because they can no longer work with the board or owner not because they want to leave the school.

I completed a seminal study in 1991 and found the median tenure of international school heads was just over three years. Several recent studies show that it may now be even shorter. And anecdotal evidence suggests that the tenure of board chairs is about two years. Students, teachers and parents in our schools deserve more stability in these leadership roles and this critically important school relationship. And that is my purpose. To help make that happen, one relationship at a time. In doing so, I hope to see the average tenure double or triple in length.