A private K–12 school Alumni Association manager is either the Association's greatest asset or its greatest liability. Rarely are they neutral.
I believe that in the Age of AI this role will become one of the most influential in a private school, on a par, in time, with the Head of the school.
Think of the people in your life who simply know you. The family doctor who asks after your mother by name, the hairdresser who remembers the job interview you were nervous about. Their roles are practical, but what they offer is deeply personal. The Alumni Association manager is fast becoming one of those people.
Over the past year, my team and I have spoken with 217 Alumni Association managers across 24 countries. Again and again, the same truth emerged. However good its events, platform or magazine, an Alumni Association is only ever as trusted as the person at its heart.
I’ve chosen to bring this subject forward deliberately. Before we talk further about strategy, systems or platforms, we need to talk about the person who brings them to life.
Here are the ten characteristics of an outstanding private K–12 school Alumni Association manager:
Consistency · Judgement · Spaciousness · Cultural fluency · Attention to detail · A strong memory for people · Visibility · Openness to change · Excellence across structure, systems and sentiment · Value-led advocacy
In this edition, you will:
Know exactly what your Alumni notice about you, and which one change they would feel first
See what each characteristic looks like in practice, drawn from the most outstanding managers we have met
Score yourself with our Gold Standard Self-Audit, and leave with one clear step for this week
Subscribe to our membership to read the rest.
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- Weekly, private 15-minute Vitality Briefs, offering a distinctive Alluminate perspective, practical guidance and one achievable step forward for the work in front of you
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- Membership of a small and growing international professional community of private K–12 school Alumni Association leaders and practitioners committed to improving Alumni life outcomes
