When you come up the front stairs, how often do you see Dr Bohlin meeting with other administrators? Dr. Bohlin’s head moves empathetically. She jumps up to write on the whiteboard. She waves her hands as she talks. Have you ever wondered why the administrators meet all the time and what they talk about? I set out to find out answers to these questions, and Dr. Bohlin gave me the inside scoop.
We all know that in order for us to learn something in school we need teachers. But most people do not understand what the administration does. Dr Bohlin explained: “The administration group are people who make this school possible.” They support and organize the operation of the school. They serve the school in a way that we cannot see.
The school is made up of many “cabinets” of teams. There are the Administrative Management Team (AMT), the Business Management Team, Admissions, and the Institute of Advancement Team. The AMT manages all the operations at the school. The Business Management Team takes care of the buildings and oversees technology. The Advancement Team stays connected with families and alumae through multiple channels of communication. Dr. Bohlin holds the center; she is like the captain of the Administrative team.
One thing that might surprise you, Dr. Bolin and the AMT team rarely make decision together! Most decision are made by the leader of each “cabinet.” Each member of the AMT reports to the Head of School. They set personal goals and goals for their departments; and, in weekly meetings with Dr. Bohlin members of the Administration review, recommend and develop strategies to manage all school changes.
I was surprised to learn that the AMT also has assigned reading; they read books together and discuss them to learn techniques that help them understand people and manage their jobs better. Here are some books they read in recent years: Hardwiring for Excellence, by Quint Studer and Six Thinking Hats, by Edward de Bono.
Dr. Bohlin added: “Remember, the people on the AMT are very important department leaders; they each have a responsibility for a quadrant in the school. We help each other try to be better professionals. We help each other try to be better team leaders.”
Next time you glimpse behind the glass of Dr. Bohlin’s conference room, remember that those people talking behind the silent glass are Montrose’s front-line team.