REALBoard Buzz™

If Governing for the Future is So Important, Why are So Few Boards doing it well?

Posted by Richard Stringham
On May 12, 2022
Board Leadership, Future Focus, Strategic Foresight

At The Governance Coach™, we believe that truly responsible boards seek to shape meaningful futures. Yet, from what we’ve observed, only a select few are deeply engaged in that outcome. Here are a few reasons why boards are not getting to that level of profound future shaping and what they can do about those […]

It Takes So Much Time

Posted by Rose Mercier
On March 31, 2022
Monitoring

I think it’s fair to say that learning and understanding monitoring can be a steep curve for both board and CEO. It’s a bit of an unknown process to most boards when they start their Policy Governance® journey. The mere mention of monitoring at a board meeting can cause deep sighs, grimaces, rolling of eyes, […]

Word Smith & Word Smart

Posted by Rose Mercier
On March 3, 2022
Any Reasonable Interpretation, Policy Development

I draft a lot of documents – reports, articles like this one, policies, memos, letters, bylaws, social media posts, etc. If you write a lot, it is easy to get caught up in trying to find the precise words to say what you mean. The dictionary defines ‘wordsmith’ as “an expert in the use of […]

Board Leadership, Blue Skies and Growing Up

Posted by Paul Zilz
On February 3, 2022
Accountability, Board Leadership, Ends, Owners and Ownership

Children ask questions that are both profound and require clear, age-appropriate responses. “Why is the sky blue?” Why does the sky have clouds?” “Why is there pink, red, and orange in the sky when the sun sets?” Behind each of these questions is a whole lot of science about water vapor and the color spectrum. […]

Why the Board Chair Should Not Interpret the Board’s Directives to the CEO?

Posted by Richard Stringham
On January 13, 2022
Any Reasonable Interpretation, Board Chair Role, Board Communication, One Voice

When I first began governance consulting, I often ran into a misconception that the Board Chair was the CEO’s boss. I don’t encounter that nearly so often these days; but an odd remnant of that view still pops up – some think that the Chair should be the board’s spokesperson to the CEO. If I […]

Wait! Before the Board Approves that Report…

Posted by Richard Stringham
On December 2, 2021
Information for the board, Monitoring

…perhaps it shouldn’t! Some boards have an interesting perspective on reports. They view a report as something the board needs to adopt or approve. On one hand, this is understandable. If the board doesn’t make a decision whether it will adopt or approve a report, what should the board do with it? At The Governance […]

Embracing Complexity

Posted by Rose Mercier
On November 25, 2021
Board Development, Board Leadership, Strategic Foresight

I am reading an interesting book1 about leading in times of crisis and change. While its messages are directed in large part to individual leaders, there are many lessons in it for governing boards. After all, effective boards are leading organizations where change is a constant and crises are not unknown. Organizations are complex and […]

March Hare, Mad Hatter or the Duchess?

Posted by Jannice Moore
On November 18, 2021
Policy Development

When recently re-reading some excerpts from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, it struck me that they are scarily similar to some board policies I’ve seen in my experience. Perhaps as boards we can take some lessons from Alice’s adventure about writing policies. Write them – succinctly. “I quite agree with you,” said the Duchess, […]

Is Your Board Evaluating Performance?

Posted by governancecoach
On October 28, 2021
Board Self-Evaluation

When it comes to evaluation, is your board living by its own standards? You likely recognize the value of evaluating your CEO against predefined expectations and standards. You even expect the CEO to do the same with subordinates. If you are using Policy Governance® you created well defined policies and a monitoring schedule to guide […]

Where Is Our Board Taking Us?

Posted by Paul Zilz
On October 21, 2021
Board Leadership, Strategic Focus

My wife and I were recently taking a leisurely walk at sunset. As we looked up to the sky, we noticed the high-flying airplane contrails which were lit up in a variety of shades of red, yellow, and purple, contrasting with a deepening blue sky. My wanderlust mind led me to state “I wonder where […]

What Kind of Birds Are You Attracting?

Posted by Andrew Bergen
On October 14, 2021
Owners and Ownership

We happen to live in a quiet and fairly wooded area of our city. It provides the environment for a lot of birds (and sometimes other, unwanted wildlife – read coyotes). We enjoy watching and listening to the birds and are growing in our ability to identify by sight and sound. We keep feeders full […]

7 Tips for Creating Board Committees

Posted by Jannice Moore
On September 16, 2021
Committees

Should a board have committees? It depends. How many committees should a board have? It depends. It depends on whether the committees will interfere with the accountability of the CEO. It depends on whether those committees will help the board or hinder the “holism” of the board. Here are a few quick tips if you […]

Organizational Culture and Policies: Where is the Connection?

Posted by Rose Mercier
On September 9, 2021
Board Leadership, Executive Limitations, Policy Development

Sometimes when boards start to develop Executive Limitations, they want to make sure their policies address organizational culture. Where might policies say it is unacceptable if the organization’s operations are inconsistent with our organizational culture? This question always starts an interesting conversation. How exactly is the board defining its organization’s culture? It’s a pretty big […]

Holding On for Dear Life …… or Death!

Posted by Richard Stringham
On August 26, 2021
Policy Governance Implementation

In my days as a much younger man I was invited to join friends for a weekend of canoeing on a river which included some exciting sections of rapids. Although not requiring a high level of white-water skills, it was nonetheless challenging especially for a novice such as myself. I had done a fair bit […]

Is Policy Governance® a “Good Fit” for Your Board?

Posted by Paul Zilz
On August 19, 2021
Governance Improvement, Policy Governance Implementation

So you are looking at your board’s governance approach and wondering if Policy Governance® is right for your organization? I remember when I was newly elected as a leader of a board, and we were looking to adopt the “Carver model.” I had no idea what that meant and had not read any of John […]

Is Your Board on ‘Cruise Control’?

Posted by Jannice Moore
On August 12, 2021
Executive Limitations

A number of years ago, a family member was in the hospital, and I set out in my car to visit her. But I was preoccupied with a work-related matter, and before I realized it, I arrived, not at the hospital, but at the office! My reflex brain had put me into auto-pilot mode. It […]

How Do You Know What You Don’t Know?

Posted by Jeffery Schau
On July 29, 2021

One day I was using a hand saw to cut a piece of wood. I knew enough to keep my hands in a safe position and brace the piece of wood. I also knew there are tough spots in wood, called knots, that can catch the blade, causing it to stick. Armed with this knowledge […]

If it Was Easy, Everyone Would Do It!

Posted by Jeffery Schau
On July 22, 2021
Policy Governance Implementation

Policy Governance® is a model of governance based on a set of integrated principles. When a board consistently applies these principles, the organization is positioned for incredible impact. The hope of what could be is easy to grasp. When a board evaluating how it governs explores the model, it may ask the question, “If this […]

Three Considerations when Recruiting for Board Diversity

Posted by Richard Stringham
On July 15, 2021
Board Diversity, Board Recruitment

As more research comes in, the case for diversity at the board table grows even stronger. Diverse perspectives at the board table translate into greater board success and reduced risk. This has some boards asking how they can increase diversity at the board table. 1. Stop going to the same sources when recruiting board members. […]

You Have the Tools to Govern, But Are You Healthy Enough to Maximize Their Potential?

Posted by Jeffery Schau
On July 8, 2021
Board Development, Governance Failure, Governance Improvement

When boards seek to govern with excellence, they often seek out a system or model of governance to help guide them. In other words, they look for a tool they can wield to help them get the job done. Policy Governance® is such a tool, and a wonderful one at that. However, even with a […]

Where is Mr. Spock When You Need Him?

Posted by Richard Stringham
On June 24, 2021
Any Reasonable Interpretation

In previous careers, I have worked for several CEOs of non-profit organizations in which the respective boards weren’t using Policy Governance®. Meetings of the board were always intriguing from the perspective of understanding what the board was thinking. Prior to a meeting, as we put proposals together for the board’s consideration (yes, these were reactive […]

Board Focus: Aspirational Mission Statement or Targeted Results?

Posted by Paul Zilz
On June 10, 2021
Accountability, Board Leadership, Strategic Focus

Everybody appreciates an aspirational mission statement! Boards and staff often spend significant time developing and refining a mission statement that best captures what the organization does for others. And a mission statement is indeed very useful for branding and a key element for effective fundraising. But I would argue that your board’s time would best […]

Efficiency Lessons for Boards Using Policy Governance®

Posted by Richard Stringham
On June 3, 2021
At What Worth, Ends

In an interview on the CBC Radio program SPARK , Roger Martin, Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, contends that businesses’ obsession with efficiency over the past two centuries has gone too far. Although efficiency has been and will continue to be an important part of the success of businesses and […]

Evidently this is Not Evidence!

Posted by Richard Stringham
On May 20, 2021
Board Development, Board Self-Evaluation

Earlier on in my consulting career, it was common to come across boards in which directors thought that the Board Chair should be the CEO’s boss. However, when a board uses Policy Governance®, board members should operate in a manner that recognizes the board as a whole is the CEO’s boss and the Chair is […]

Change or Growth?

Posted by Jannice Moore
On May 13, 2021
Board Development, Board Leadership, Policy Governance System

Every now and then, I run into a board that has been using Policy Governance®, often for some time, and decides it wants a “change” – just to try something different. Almost always, this desire is precipitated by a significant turnover in board members, and a failure on the part of the board to have […]

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