Strategy vs. Operations: A False Dichotomy
Mark Crotty | September 1, 2025
As executive director of a regional accrediting association, I often heard about frustrations between heads of school and boards. The details and nuances would vary, but often a unifying theme emerged: boundary violations. Usually the grievance would fit into the framework of strategy versus operations. A head complains the board is poking, even plunging, into operations; a board thinks the head doesn’t share enough about operational matters. The plot is well worn; the system, unhealthy.
This emphasis on separation has become a staple of governance training, usually illustrated by that chart from the NAIS Trustee Handbook with domains divided up by a nice diagonal line. I’ve seen other such illustrations. They exist for good reason. Plenty of horror stories, complete with jump scares, exist about secrecy and overreach. The diagram sets some clear parameters for easy reference. The principles are straightforward.
Well, at least in theory they are. In practice, though, it’s not so simple. Seldom can one draw a straight line with a ruler to clarify complex ideas. In this case, I imagine it more like using an Etch-a-Sketch, with all the quivering and the ability to shake and redraw. Context matters. During governance workshops, I sometimes play a game called “Strategic or Operational?” The right answer is often, “It depends.”
For example, let’s say a school is contemplating changes in its math program. At first, that seems clearly operational. And if the issue is the choice of textbook, it is. But what if that change involves creating a center of excellence for mathematically gifted students. That holds clear strategic implications.
Rather than being seen as separate entities, strategy and operations should clearly align, with strategy determining operational decisions. On one hand, that seems obvious. Yet I wonder if the oversimplification illustrated in the chart hasn’t created a false dichotomy in people’s minds. Indeed, it actually may have detracted from the essential partnership between a head and a board.
Consider how strategy sits at the top of the chart, with total responsibility given to the board. What is the head’s’ role there? Sometimes it’s limited, even passive. Yet the head is the leader of the school, the educational expert, the expert on the school as a unique institution, the one charged with creating a vision. The head must be an integral part of any strategic work. Savvy heads know when to share power, but they also don’t relinquish their role as the leader. As part of that, heads must clearly articulate how their decisions reflect the larger strategic goals. The board then grows more confident in the operational aspects of the school. Trustees can knowledgeably answer questions from constituents and more powerfully evangelize on the school’s behalf. Meanwhile, the board can focus, in stronger partnership with the head, on generative and strategic work, creating new possibilities for the school.
Such a cultural change takes time, and both sides will lapse, particularly around certain topics. But examining and changing certain practices can help create the necessary change. Among questions to ask:
- In meetings, how much time is the board dedicating to operational, strategic, and generative work?
- How are these domains intentionally connecting?
- Are agenda items inviting trustees to enter too deeply into operational areas?
- Are strategic items given priority, or do they get short shrift?
- Do boards include some professional development and reflection in each meeting?
- Is there clarity about not just goals and measures, but how heads and boards can work together towards them?
- Do committees have clear charges so that important and unified work happens therein?
- Is pre-meeting information being shared in a timely, comprehensive-yet-digestible fashion?
Boards have basic responsibilities, and they must meet them. Beyond that, studies of exemplary boards reveal repeatedly that the true factors in excellence are cultural. One key to fostering a healthy ecosystem is, rather than seeing strategy and operations as mutually exclusive, nurturing their symbiosis.
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