MISBO is very excited to announce our new custom vendor search feature on our website. The ability of MISBO members to save on purchases from MISBO vendors was, and continues to be, a primary reason to belong to MISBO. The new and improved search function makes the process of finding MISBO vendors much easier for everyone at your school. Please take some time to try this new feature! More detailed information and links can be found in the article below.

 

I recently was asked to present at a national sales meeting for a company that provides services to independent schools. The leadership of this organization felt their sales force would be better equipped to help independent schools if they knew more about how they function, the organizational structure and the roles and responsibilities of the business officer. I have done similar presentations to a variety of audiences all over the world and it is amazing how much I learn each time.

 

As I considered this presentation, I thought about what we have been learning and discussing in our schools - the 21st century skills our students need to be successful. There are many versions of what began as "the four C's" - Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, and Creativity. As I considered these skills it occurred to me the business officer (and in fact any leader) at an independent school must also be skilled in the four C's. The roles and responsibilities are varied and the scope and magnitude of the leadership positions are great. On a daily basis, we must shift from being a strategic thinker considering the future sustainability of our schools to dealing with the details of ensuring our schools function properly and efficiently each and every day. This takes a unique person with a unique set of skills.

 

My 'career' began in the restaurant business owning and operating a number of small restaurants. On any given day, I could be cooking, processing payroll, negotiating a lease, hiring or firing an employee, or perhaps cleaning a toilet. The skills I learned operating my restaurants provided the perfect training ground for becoming a business officer at an independent school years later. Think about your past experiences and which ones provided you with the skills you now possess to be successful in your current job. Send me a note and let me know - I'd love to hear your stories.

 

Are we training the next generation of business officers in our schools?

 

Sincerely,

Marc

 

Marc Levinson

Executive Director, MISBO

marclevinson@misbo.com

MISBO is happy to rollout our NEW custom vendor search.  This new year brings our members expanded functionality for searching for vendor contracts on the MISBO website.  You can now get a quick summary view by contract on our public site.  And we've made it easier to find providing a new link in the upper right hand corner of the MISBO home page.  Or if you log in to the member portal, you can get more detailed contract information, including ordering steps and contact and contract information. In either view, you can also sort by product or service category!  Please take a look and let us know how you like it.