During World War II, there was a poster depicting an enemy agent eavesdropping on a restaurant conversation about U.S. war vessels. The caption? Loose Lips Sink Ships. This phrase can apply to your Board as well.
While your school’s various constituencies may perceive the Board as “open,” don’t allow individual Trustees to misconstrue that concept. Board members must not view this openness as a license to comment about private matters or to divulge that specific members or factions of the Board have expressed certain attitudes or positions. “Leaks” of information about private matters or difficult Board discussions can spread quickly through the school and undermine the Board’s effectiveness.
Board members are often privy to sensitive information. For example, to understand a school-related problem, a Trustee may need to be told in confidence about a teacher or student, perhaps relating to a home situation, substance abuse, pregnancy, or a financial reversal. Or the Board might discuss compensation issues, contemplate staff reduction, or engage in an emotional debate.
It is only natural to want to vent about a vexing problem, discuss a thorny issue with a respected authority, or be the first to announce “hot news” to a friend. However, Trustees must understand the need for confidentiality. Issue should stay within the Board’s circle and not be discussed with others who do not have access to the same information.
The greatest breaches in confidentiality result from comments made by Board members within their own homes. A full report of a meeting’s challenges and frustrations to a partner can seem reasonable and even productive. However, that person has now been placed in a difficult position. He or she must handle this new knowledge with even greater discretion—because it is secondhand, important points may have been communicated unclearly or misunderstood. In addition, an “outsider” has no real feeling for the possible implications if the information is spread to others—intentionally or inadvertently.
Board members who have children attending the school face an additional problem. Their offspring’s omnipresent (and immature) ears are quick to pick up on any conversation that has to do with their school—and they may not be discreet the following day in the classroom. Even if children don’t repeat what they have heard, they are sharp enough to note an adult’s attitude, for example, toward a particular faculty or staff member. This will have an impact on their own actions and discussions at school.
Train Trustees to counter this prevalent problem. Emphasize the need for discretion, starting with the Trustee cultivation and orientation processes. Board members must understand right from the outset that they will deal with a host of problems, including some that are extremely sensitive. Even seemingly innocuous discussions about Board opinions and actions can have negative repercussions. Discretion should be every Trustee’s watchword!
Additional ISM resources:
ISM Monthly Update for Trustees Vol. 11 No. 3 Use Meeting Summaries to ‘Market’ Your Board
ISM Monthly Update for Trustees Vol. 13 No. 4 Sharing Board Information With Constituents
Additional ISM resources for Gold Consortium members:
I&P Vol. 28 No. 5 Creating a Strategic Culture in Your School’s Board of Trustees: Fostering Objectivity
I&P Vol. 37 No. 14 Action-Oriented Agendas for Successful Board Meetings
