When the old boss first arrived she reviewed a particular process and said, “Just tell me one thing. Tell me the reason you aren’t following the accounting manual.” She elaborated that it is OK to break the rules if you have a well-reasoned argument. It is not OK if you don’t even know what the
Category: Productivity
Workarounds
Not too long ago I put this one word sign on my desk: Workaround? The meaning being that I should constantly ask myself “Is this a workaround?” If yes, fix the root cause. Perhaps I am working around a person I don’t trust? That has to be addressed too. Workarounds arise when you have to
Technology and Job Descriptions
When you work in the Business Office, you have to stick your nose into everyone’s business. For example I remember getting involved in a controversy about job descriptions for clerical positions at school sites. Wouldn’t that be an issue between Human Resources and school principals, you ask? Well, no. Not when you are charged with
Silos, at School and Work
When my son was in the 6th grade I met with his math teacher, because he had said he “hated math”. I said, your students are learning about ancient Egypt in Social Studies, which he really enjoys. Couldn’t the students learn about Egyptian mathematics and how the ancient Egyptians may have discovered these concepts? This suggestion fell
Hiring an Analyst: Inside Scoop
In a school district business office there is usually a position called Budget Analyst. When I first went to the Pretty Big School District I needed to fill a Budget Analyst vacancy. I started by talking to current staff to see who would be interested in applying. One (I thought) promising employee asked “do you need to
What’s my Job, Really
Those of us in the business of education usually have no classroom experience. When first entering into this field we generally defer to the instructional experts and function in support roles. You want me to crunch the numbers on that proposal? Sure! You need us to report your program expenditures to the state? Done! But
Mission Statements
OK I get it – a mission statement is important. “It is the philosophy that guides how we do business every day” says Starbucks. Everyone we hire and everything we do needs to be aligned. Get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus and… droning noise in background while
Inventory, Computers and Mobile Devices
If you work in a large enough district long enough you’ll experience not just one but multiple instances of major property loss. These losses are not just the result of theft, but are due to fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornados to name just some of the most common forms of catastrophic property loss. Then,
- When Special Education Doesn’t Cost Everything plus the Kitchen Sink
- Contracts in a Nutshell
- Coding the LCAP
- “I Don’t Have Time”
- Advice from an Interim Mentor
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Brianna Simmons: Great bblog
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Bernadine: Great discussion. I am definitely in the "write it down" camp. As long as you create an environment where procedures…
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Book Review: Magic Words by Tim David | FiscalShare: […] book is actually a great supplement to the book I recently reviewed: Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work. In that book Susan…
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Fiscalshare: Thanks for your thoughtful comments. I have been in numerous trainings where some of the busy participants are not on…
FiscalShare 