Second, provide leadership by setting goals for improving services and cutting expenses. My experience has shown that most employees are well aware of opportunities to cut expenses and improve services but have not been given the opportunity to implement their ideas. Many employees care deeply about their districts but have been frustrated by years of top-down management. Third, make sure that you create an environment of trust with employees, involve them in improvement efforts, and then encourage and reward them for their efforts. Ultimately, employees hold the key to success, for they are the ones who can help identify problems and eliminate waste.
Bureaucracies tend to reward conformity and status-quo thinking.
Leaders must begin to change this culture by engaging and involving employees and by following through on their good ideas. Fourth, put management systems in place to ensure the district is spending money on the right strategies, operating as efficiently as possible, and moving every part of the organization in the right direction. I've found that most schools have a school improvement plan aimed at improving academic results, but few set performance goals in nonacademic areas. Every noneducational department should have a performance improvement plan and measures that are reported back to the board on a monthly or quarterly basis. Failure to make this part of the governance process almost guarantees weak performance.