When The Governance Coach celebrated its 20th anniversary, we published an issue of the REALBoard Advisor[1] that featured interviews with clients that we had coached for different periods of time over those years. They talked about the benefits their boards enjoyed as a result of Policy Governance®.
They noted the adaptability of Policy Governance: It works in a broad range of contexts – profit and non-profit, single focus organizations and complex organization with diverse mandates, large and small – in terms of staff and budget.
They identified how the board can engage meaningfully with those on whose behalf it governs:
- The board focuses on needs of the breadth and diversity of the community but isn’t swayed by the squeakiest wheel
- The community that the organization serves saw concrete achievements and improved conduct after the board implemented Policy Governance
The interviews also revealed positive impact on board culture:
- The board uses its time to look into the future, to be strategic rather than focusing on operational detail.
- Recruiting board members is easier because Policy Governance is a model or system that can be clearly explained.
- The board’s decision-making follows consistent patterns even in times of crises.
Several interviews emphasized that role clarity and its effect on the board-CEO relationship is one of the greatest benefits for boards using Policy Governance:
- The roles of the board and the CEO are distinct and clear.
- The board can give its CEO greater independence, within boundaries of course, which unleashes the CEO’s leadership potential. With empowerment comes job satisfaction, and with job satisfaction, retention.
- The board is confident that it can safely delegate authority to management and the flexibility for management to use its experience, education and creativity to achieve the board’s desired results and be nimble as needed.
- Knowing that the board has a rigorous process to hold the CEO accountable against pre-stated criteria.
- CEOs know that the board has their back when circumstances require the CEO to act nimbly and the CEO has applied reasonable interpretations of the board’s policies.
As I sat down to write this blog to celebrate OUR 30th ANNIVERSARY (!!), I wondered about the consistency of coaching that we provide to organizations. 30 years is a long tenure for any coach.
I realized as I re-read the 20th Anniversary interviews that what we hear from organizations today who want to learn about Policy Governance, decide to implement the system, and work at becoming more skilled in its application sounds pretty much like the benefits listed at the start of this blog. The search for role clarity, risk protection and future focus continue to resonate with boards.
Policy Governance remains a unique and powerful system of governance. It has delivered powerful benefits to our clients throughout these past thirty years. These benefits continue to motivate boards to get in touch with us. If you are on a board or work for a board that is interested in becoming more effective – Book a Discovery Call.
➡ Upcoming dates for virtual courses:
Introduction to Policy Governance for Individuals
- Course Orientation February 4 with live sessions February 18 and March 11
- Course Orientation March 25 with live sessions April 8 and April 29
Assessing Monitoring Reports for Individuals
- Course Orientation February 11 with live sessions February 25 and March 18
Sessions for an organization’s board or groups of 4 or more can be scheduled according to your needs. Please contact us for more information on booking for groups.
[1] REALBoard Advisor. Vol. 20 No. 2, June 2015 (REALBoard Advisor – The Governance Coach)