I’ve come to recognize what is about to happen when I get a text that says something like “I need to connect with you all immediately following this meeting.” Usually, it involves an announcement or situation that is likely to have a significant impact on the work. I got one of those last week, when our Deputy Superintendent of Education Services, and my current boss, Alfonso Jimenez, called us together for a quick meeting. After nearly 4 years of working together, Dr. Jimenez informed us he was offered the position as superintendent of Hacienda La Puente Unified School District.
Obviously, I’m excited for Dr. Jimenez, and since I’m in the process of transition myself, I couldn’t hold too serious a grudge for his decision to leave Santa Ana Unified. As has become something of a tradition for me, I wanted to take a few moments to reflect on the ways in which Alfonso has influenced my own leadership and impacted the work of Santa Ana during his time with the district.
Emotional Intelligence
Alfonso is incredibly stable and centered. Yes, I’ve seen him get animated on occasion, but it is never about him or how he has been treated. It is always about the work and the quality of our commitment and service to students and families. When the heat gets turned up, Alfonso stays calm and focused, and he never takes things personally. In the context of a large urban school district, this leadership attribute is absolutely essential. With major constituency groups all weighing in and pressing on decisions around resource allocation and provision of services, being able to calmly hear and consider multiple perspectives is a critical skill.
Alfonso also doesn’t play favorites. While he is very personable and enjoys strong relationships, he doesn’t play people off of one another. For example, as Deputy Superintendent he supervises myself and my two Assistant Superintendent colleagues. We are an intensely passionate and opinionated trio as we strive to move the work forward, and Alfonso has managed to build relationships of trust with each of us and as a collective team. Key to that work is an ability to keep confidences. Even amongst his closest colleagues, Alfonso will let you know when he isn’t at liberty to discuss or share. It takes an incredible amount of emotional intelligence to stay centered under such demanding circumstances.
Attention to Detail
Dr. Jimenez has a very keen eye for the details. Whether he is reviewing a project plan, grant submission, vendor contract, or update to members of the Governing Board, Alfonso does not miss anything. We’re used to Alfonso pulling out his black notebook to review to-do items and follow up on anything that might have been missed. On occasion, I will get a late-night email asking about the status of an item that he mentioned in passing the day or week previous. For as much as I pride myself on being thorough and double-checking my work, Alfonso has saved me on a number of occasions when he caught a detail that would have made my life more problematic. I’m constantly amazed at how closely he reads and reviews everything – I think that’s why the email reminders are coming late at night!
What is amazing about Alfonso’s attention to detail is that he never seems to micromanage. I find his reminders and feedback incredibly helpful in elevating my own work and sense of follow-through. He is able to empower my work while simultaneously holding me to high expectations for being thorough and complete. He delivers his critical feedback in a straight-forward and non-judgmental manner.
Deeply Engaged
Alfonso has lived and breathed Santa Ana Unified during his time here. He puts in long, demanding hours – and not necessarily because it is his preference but because the nature of the work often demands it. He does this without complaint or drawing attention to himself. He just consistently and patiently does what needs to be done.
This quality of personal engagement is particularly heightened in crisis situations, where Dr. Jimenez is absolutely solid. He understands the need to both address the situation at hand but also attend to the simultaneous public relations and communications needs of the community. It is no surprise to me that the board in Hacienda La Puente came to recognize that Alfonso has a wide range of experiences addressing challenging situations, of which he has personal and first-hand experience managing. Of course he knows how to delegate – the volume of work that moves through his office can be staggering – but he also knows when not to delegate, and when the work needs his personal attention.