REALBoard Buzz™ - The Governance Coach

Why is Discipline a Dirty Word for Some Board Members?

Posted by Richard Stringham
On January 22, 2020
Board Leadership, Board Role, Board Self-Evaluation

In this age of disruption, what follows might seem heresy. We are encouraged to think outside the box, to view our businesses differently. I’ve no quarrel with that. But I’ve been witnessing some boards in which board members are shirking discipline and, in some cases, doing so because they want to make changes. Again, I don’t […]

Monitoring by Direct Inspection – When, How and Why?

Posted by Rose Mercier
On January 15, 2020
CEO Evaluation, Monitoring

There are three methods that a board can use to monitor the CEO’s compliance with its Ends and Executive Limitations policies. The most frequently used method is an internal report where the CEO provides evidence of the reasonable interpretation. Last August, I wrote a blog about using external monitoring. It’s time to address monitoring by direct inspection. What is the direct inspection method of monitoring? Quite simply, it is when the board delegates one […]

At What Point do I Begin?

Posted by Eric Phinney
On January 8, 2020
Board Development, Governance Improvement, Policy Governance System

I am always pleased when I am invited by an organization to come and help them with their board of directors. Then comes the fine tuning of the invitation. They have requested to see all the various “systems” of board governance and learn their advantages and disadvantages. Usually boards are using a process they have inherited that is based on tradition, an application of Robert’s Rules of […]

Taking Stock – Hindsight Can Be Positive

Posted by Jannice Moore
On December 31, 2019
Board Development, Board Self-Evaluation

“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 […]

You Can’t Bring That in Here

Posted by Andrew Bergen
On December 18, 2019
Board Development, Board Self-Evaluation

You’ve heard all those horror stories about crossing the border between two countries, how difficult the immigration and customs process can be? Have you watched the National Geographic Channels show, Border Security? Well, I’ve had a few troubles at border crossings, but overall, it’s been ok. However, I do know how things can get really bad. Right now, the Border Agent checks to see if any prohibited materials are […]

Jet Trails or Trail Blazers?

Posted by Jannice Moore
On December 11, 2019
Board Leadership

On a recent walk I was enjoying the clear azure blue sky when I noticed a jet trail streaking across it. The trail made a spectacular impact, but in a few minutes it had faded from view. I was reminded about boards and board members I’ve encountered over my career. All too often their short-term thinking has a similarity with […]

How Well Has Your Board Performed This Year?

Posted by Paul Zilz
On December 4, 2019
Board Leadership, Board Self-Evaluation

As we near the end of the calendar year, we often take stock of performance: ours, those accountable to us, and our investments. Shouldn’t your board evaluate its own performance too, since it is accountable for your organization’s performance to whomever “owns” your organization? Most boards aspire to see the organizations they serve make a real difference in people’s […]

The Powerful Nature of Conversation

Posted by Dee Incoronato
On November 21, 2019
Board Role, Owners and Ownership

While I was working on my doctoral degree in Organization Development, one professor emphasized the powerful nature of conversation in an organization. She pointed out repeatedly the many ways language creates change and in the process of conversation, change emerged. Ralph D. Stacey in his book Strategic Management and Organizational Dynamics: The Challenge of Complexity […]

The Future Keeps Moving

Posted by Andrew Bergen
On November 13, 2019
Board Leadership, Future Focus

I’ve been on a journey the past 2 years – toward greater physical health. Those of you who know me might think there is a long road ahead! I’ve made significant progress and still have some distance to travel. I’ve always enjoyed running (not fast, but I get there!) and so have made that one […]

Meaning & Purpose in Governance

Posted by David Gray
On October 30, 2019
Board Leadership, Sustaining Policy Governance

I’ve been thinking lately about a particular feature of board performance that I see all too often. It’s a feature that has troubled me for some time now, but I think I’m beginning to understand why it happens and how to avoid it. Governance is a system. One of the most famous definitions of governance is found in what is commonly called […]

The Blame Game

Posted by Rose Mercier
On October 23, 2019
Accountability, Any Reasonable Interpretation, Monitoring

I read a series of reports in my local paper chronicling the hand-wringing of the board of a local municipal agency about what it could do about credit card expenses that had been submitted by a previous CEO – two years since departed. The board was not happy about what it had discovered. The local exotic dancing venue seemed to have been a favourite venue for entertaining prospective businesses or partners…One can perhaps understand the board’s discomfort. The […]

Recruiting Better Board Members

Posted by Richard Stringham
On October 16, 2019
Board Recruitment

Don’t be Satisfied with Just “Warm Bodies” for Board Positions On behalf of your organization’s ownership, your board determines what will demonstrate success for the organization. Furthermore, the “buck” truly stops at the board as there is no higher authority in the organization. Therefore, the board must do all it can to ensure that it has the people best suited for the job. Years ago, I learned that […]

Alice in Policy Wonderland

Posted by Jannice Moore
On October 9, 2019
Policy Development

Crafting well-designed policies is not easy. Boards could, however, take some lessons from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The White Rabbit put on his spectacles: “where shall I begin, please your Majesty?” he asked. “Begin at the beginning,” the King said gravely, “and go on till you come to the end. Then stop.”(Chapter 12) The nested structure of […]

The Board and Tone at the Top

Posted by Ted Hull
On October 2, 2019
Board Role, Executive Limitations

Tone at the top is about an ethical culture where all employees feel responsible for doing the right thing. Since the board is at the top of the organization, what’s the board’s role in ensuring ethical culture? One of the best definitions of culture I’ve heard is it’s just the way we do it.  Every organization […]

Does Your Board Know How Well (or Not) It is Performing?

Posted by Paul Zilz
On September 25, 2019
Board Self-Evaluation

In the process of governing, boards should invest time in properly setting, evaluating, and ensuring achievement of the strategic, future-focused benefits the organization is supposed to produce for targeted recipients at a specified worth (Ends, for shorthand). Instead, boards are often distracted by operational incidental information This distraction not only hinders the organization from achieving […]

Does Your Board Have a Growth or a Fixed Mindset?

Posted by Andrew Bergen
On September 18, 2019
Board Leadership, Executive Limitations, Risk

I’ve been exploring the concept of “Growth vs. Fixed Mindset” over the past couple of months. A recent podcast* on the subject addressed this mindset partly in relation to the concept of risk. The podcast explained that a key factor in many areas of organizational health (including employee engagement, organizational growth, success of new ideas, etc.) was the […]

Policy Governance®: A Values-Based Model

Posted by David Gray
On September 11, 2019
Policy Governance System, Values

If you’ve had anything to do with the team here at The Governance Coach™, you’ll know that we are big fans of the Policy Governance® system first developed by John Carver back in the 1970s. And for good reason: over a period of 25 years, we’ve helped more than 500 boards work with the system, […]

External Monitoring Reports – When, How & Why?

Posted by Rose Mercier
On September 4, 2019
Monitoring

If you are buying a house or a car from the current owner, you want to know that the house or car is safe and operational as stated. After all, you don’t want to move in and discover a flooded basement at the end of the first rainy day, or have the car break down […]

All For One and One For All

Posted by Dee Incoronato
On August 28, 2019
One Voice

Feeling confident about your role as a board member and your ability to make a difference may depend upon how board members function as a team. The board of directors is the group of people entrusted with and accountable for the leadership and governance of an organization. In the best of circumstances, board members work […]

Policy Governance® – One Size Fits All?

Posted by Rose Mercier
On August 21, 2019
Policy Governance System

Should your Board be Governing for Disruption?

Posted by Richard Stringham
On August 14, 2019
Ends, Executive Limitations, Strategic Focus, Strategic Leadership

If you observe boards over time, you start to see some interesting patterns. A couple of decades ago, boards of non-profits were prone to direct their CEOs to enter into partnerships. Closer examination would reveal that it wasn’t just boards that were pushing partnerships; much was driven by funding agencies, particularly government funding agencies. From […]

The Value of a Robust System Regarding Risk

Posted by Jannice Moore
On August 7, 2019
Executive Limitations, Policy Governance System, Risk

A recent Governance Briefing from Davis Polk* details an interesting decision from the Delaware Supreme Court on the importance of boards exercising oversight of risk. The case revolved around a listeria outbreak at an ice cream production facility, which resulted in devastating losses, including several deaths. To quote from the article, “the case tells us […]

Eat One Hot Dog Faster

Posted by Andrew Bergen
On July 31, 2019
Board Leadership, Ends

One a recent episode of the Podcast* “Freakanomics Radio”, the host was interviewing world famous food eating champion Takeru Kobayashi. He is most well-known for taking on the Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest at the age of 23 and walking away the winner. Not only did he win – but he doubled the record […]

Three Types of Questions Your Board Should Ask Owners

Posted by Paul Zilz
On July 24, 2019
Owners and Ownership

I once served on a non-profit board comprised of passionate board members focused on improving the lives of those residing in our community. In an effort to shift the board’s focus from internal operational issues, I suggested the board seek input from members of our community about what community needs they saw that were not […]

Leading Through Values

Posted by Joseph Inskeep
On July 17, 2019
Board Leadership, Values

In the life of organizations, it really does matter whether leaders stay focused on the things that actually matter. For governing boards, what matters most is giving voice to the core values and principles that define organizational purpose, ethics and prudence. It is all too easy for a board to allow inertia to carry its […]

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