When schools embark on the complex work of reimagining compensation and benefits systems, it’s important to become immersed in spreadsheets, historical workload and salary data, and compliance requirements. And yet, sustainable change demands more than technical refinements to legacy processes, it requires an approach that balances grounding, internal stability with strategic, outward-facing awareness. One helpful image that captures this dual focus is to think in terms of “Pillars and Periscopes”. 

Pillars anchor the work internally. They represent the foundational elements that give a school stability and coherence: mission, strategic priorities, financial sustainability, and community culture. Without clarity on these pillars, compensation redesign risks becoming transactional, focused more on mechanics than meaning. A pillar-oriented approach ensures that how a school pays its people is a direct reflection of who the school is and what it values most. 

Periscopes, on the other hand, remind us to look outward. Schools do not operate in isolation. Social dynamics, demographic shifts, economic pressures, and policy change, whether around labor law, healthcare options, or tuition-remission taxation, shape the landscape in which compensation decisions are made. By scanning the horizon through these periscopes, leaders can anticipate external pressures before they arrive, respond proactively, and position their institutions to thrive amidst change.

For independent school leaders, the invitation is to hold both perspectives at once. Pillars provide stabilizing cultural anchoring and periscopes provide expansive vision. Together, they offer a dual focus that can transform this work from a reactive exercise into a strategic lever, helping schools align their compensation practices with both the enduring mission of their schools and emerging realities on the horizon.

New Support for Compensation Strategy

At NBOA Advisory Services, we understand that compensation is more than just numbers – it’s a reflection of your school’s values, culture, and strategic priorities. That’s why we’re proud to offer Compensation Consulting, a new service designed specifically for PK-12 independent schools, including:

• Compensation System Assessment: Mixed-Methods Analysis of Perceptions & Priorities (7-9 Month Engagement)

• Compensation System Overhaul: Develop a Customized, Mission-Aligned Compensation System (10-20 Month Engagement)

This service is powered by a partnership with Dr. Patrick Schuermann, a nationally recognized expert in independent school compensation strategy, who led  NBOA’s Mission-Anchored Compensation Strategies research and brings decades of experience to your school’s unique context.

Explore our Compensation Consulting Services