Amy Gilchrist--Break Down Silos for Program Growth and Streamlined Processes

Amy Gilchrist, Director of Parish Plus at Parish Episcopal School in Dallas, Texas, inherited a portfolio of successful auxiliary programs with an experienced and dedicated staff. She also discovered that these programs were rapidly losing their capacity for growth.

"Our programs were vertically stacked and separate," Amy says. "Each program was doing everything for themselves--planning, problem-solving, managing. They each handled their own car pool schedules and transportation. There was little communication and almost no collaboration."

Amy saw a system that was in danger of collapsing under its own weight. Despite the dedication and experience of the staff and faculty who supported auxiliary and summer, they struggled with morale and the stress of operating each siloed program. Something needed to change. 

Fortunately, Amy had observed and learned from distributed leadership models in previous schools and corporations. She developed a bold plan to break down all of Parish Plus' silos, with the exception of student learning services and the spirit store, which remain standalone operations. She took her plan to the CFO, got the go-ahead, and got to work. 

The Distributed Leadership Model at Parish Plus

By implementing a distributed leadership model, Amy's plan was to break down the silos isolating programs, renew capacity for growth, and streamline planning and processes. She also was determined to do it without laying anyone off.

The key to making Amy's plan work was to create two new leadership roles: a Director of Programs and a Director of Operations. Amy filled these positions by assessing the skills of current staff and choosing whose skill set best fit the roles. Working in tandem, these co-directors lead and run all summer and after school programs. All auxiliary programs, except for the spirit store and student learning services, were consolidated under this leadership team, eliminating the vertically stacked structure that was limiting growth and communication. The framework of this new model includes:

• The Director of Operations: handles day-to-day management including check-ins, carpools, and security with a focus on current programs; supported by an Operations Manager who manages the database and other tasks
• The Director of Programs: handles big-picture tasks such as curriculum development, supplies, and vendor coordination with a focus on future planning; supported by a Programs Assistant helping with curriculum development across day camp and general care programs
• Seasonal staff and counselors supporting each Director
• An administrative assistant hired to field initial inquiries and direct calls to the appropriate department

Amy plans to conduct a debrief and get feedback from staff and to document processes and systems as they are being established or revised.

Benefits of the Distributed Leadership Model

This is the first year Parish Plus has operated under this new structure, but Amy has already seen powerful benefits:

• A team that has grown more flexible and capable of independent problem-solving
• More effective coordination across programs
• Decreased stress and greater bandwith among staff
• A strong foundation with capacity for growth
• Streamlined processes, including invoicing 
• A system easier for parents to navigate
• The development of an app that provides real-time participant headcount
• Overall metrics, including registration numbers and survey results, are similar to previous years

The one thing Amy would do differently is provide stronger onboarding and preparation for staff to give them time to adapt to the changes. 

Professional Philosophy

Amy's professional philosophy reflects her belief in the power of distributed leadership--trust, transparency, and teamwork. She credits SPARC with supporting her professional growth and helping her hone the skills to implement and lead the bold new structure of auxiliary leadership of Parish Plus.

SPARC's National Conference in Scottsdale, AZ is only one month away! Join SPARC today for discounted rates to the conference and regional events as well as access to valuable professional development tools, webinar and roundtable recordings, and unparalleled community support through SPARC Connect.