“Hindsight is 20/20 vision.”
We often consider this a negative statement as we rue some decision we have made. As we head into the literal year 2020, let’s consider the statement in a positive light. Hindsight literally means “thinking about things after they’ve happened.”
Instead of making New Year’s Resolutions, I encourage you to take some “hindsight” time as a board to reflect on the past year, and use that reflection as the baseline to set some key governance goals for 2020. When I talk about “governance” goals, I am not talking about goals in the CEO’s strategic plan for your organization. Rather, I am referring to goals you as a board have about your governance. Perhaps a goal was to make your board meetings more future-focused, to develop a set of Ends policies that clearly specify the organizational results you expect, or to develop a more comprehensive plan to connect with those on whose behalf you govern. Those are examples of governance goals.
Looking back at 2019, what were the “wins” that your board was most happy about achieving? Give yourselves credit for those things. Take a moment to celebrate them.
Were there any governance targets you had hoped to achieve, but haven’t yet completed? If so, what needs to be done to ensure they are fulfilled this coming year? Create a simple Governance Action Plan with target dates and tag an individual board member or board committee to spearhead the action to ensure it is completed.
In what areas has your board grown in the last year? What education the board received was particularly helpful? Which areas does the board need to learn more about to set clear organizational direction? Include them in your education plan for next year.
If your board is using Policy Governance® are there areas where you need to learn more, or learn to better apply the principles? Plan now for that learning. Contact us at The Governance Coach™ for support and tools to continuously improve your governance process and effectiveness. Check out GC Place, the subscription site we launched this year for more resources.
As you head into a new year, we wish you success in leading your organization to fulfill its mission.