AISB engaged GSO/Jon to perform a comprehensive operational review in light of major strategic initiatives the school was embarking on. We knew we needed to ensure we had our "house in order"; so we could confidently move into the next evolutionary phase of our history. Additionally, I had a new Finance and Operations leader who had to assume a significant and unsustainable amount of responsibility in her inaugural years because of past historical practice. I also needed to ensure that we could provide her with a roadmap that would allow her much more long-term role viability. Jon and I had previously conversed about a wide range of school operations topics (which illustrates his versatility) for some time beforehand. I knew that I could rely on his deep skill set and personality to lead this sensitive engagement, in addition to his reputation and referrals from other Head of School colleagues. He delivered that clarity and more.  

Jon came onsite to AISB during a very busy week (it was our 50th Anniversary) and not only managed to restore some already depleted energy levels (it was June), but also move through interviewing and learning from our key stakeholders with efficiency, precision, high EQ, and total objectivity. This approach allowed my team to feel confident in safely sharing their perspectives, learning from his deep experience, and feeling both listened to and optimistic about what his feedback would be. 

The report that he surfaced to me was very clear in the prioritized opportunities that AISB had/has. It methodically broke down what each major foundational pillar of our school's strengths and opportunities were and surfaced both some large-scale recommendations, as well as smaller and more manageable ones. This has given us great clarity on what we need to do, allowed me to communicate with simplicity (through a summary he also provided), and we have made some significant and rapid progress as a result. Our systems connectivity is coming into focus, our workflows and practices are maturing, and we've made personnel moves that have moved our teams to higher points of contribution. We still have a some more path to travel, but feel very confident in our direction and evolution capability, thanks in large part to Jon's partnership. 

Importantly, I'm firmly of the belief that all schools should have the type of comprehensive engagement that we undertook with Jon/GSO to understand how their operations are performing and the possibilities for optimization. As a School Director, I wish I had benefitted from this type of clarity at each of my prior stops and am glad I know about it now. Whether a school is seeking clarity like AISB was midway through my tenure, engaging a new Director, or a leader wishes to become a Director, this is an invaluable aid for schools to have for them, for their Boards (to keep strategically focused and operationally aware), and for any transition or evolution. I highly recommend (and have recommended) Jon/GSO to engage in this partnership and we are already confidently collaborating on follow up work together as well. His contributions will have lasting positive impact to our school and myself.