The Board as an “It”

Posted by Richard Stringham
On March 19, 2019
One Voice

If you listen to conversations about governance, inevitably someone will refer to a board as “they.” For example: “The board indicated that they want to see more information in our reports.” I suggest that the language needs to change. Instead of “they,” the board should be thought of as an “it.” Before you think that […]

Peter, Paul and Mary

Posted by Andrew Bergen
On March 12, 2019
Board Agenda Planning, Future Focus

The work patterns for my wife and I allow us to travel to the office together in the morning. We park underground at her office complex and, from there, I walk to my office. The parking underground sure is nice in winter! When we first started this travel pattern, in the middle of winter, we […]

Can a Policy Governance® Board do Fundraising?

Posted by Ted Hull
On March 5, 2019
Board Role, Clear Delegation, Fundraising

When a not-for-profit organization recruits board members, one of the desired – and even required – criteria is the capacity to raise funds. How well a candidate is connected with those who have deeps pockets and are more likely to reach into those pockets is a coveted asset. If you are on a Policy Governance […]

Your Members Can Make a Real Difference in a Way You May Never Have Thought Possible

Posted by Paul Zilz
On February 26, 2019
Role Clarity

Role clarity for members is often a topic I address with a church interested in improving its ability to achieve its mission. This issue arises because the church leadership is interested in moving from a member-managed organization to a board-governed organization, using John Carver’s system of Policy Governance®. Ensuring members have a proper understanding of […]

Executive Sessions – Why, When and How

Posted by Rose Mercier
On February 19, 2019

Early in my professional career, I worked in a nonprofit organization. I knew relatively little about board roles or governance processes – no one was even actually talking about ‘governance’ back then. I did observe that, quite apart from the need to prepare seemingly endless reams of material and reports, upcoming board meetings instilled a […]

At The Heart of Change

Posted by Joseph Inskeep
On February 12, 2019

The world becomes a little better place to live when any governing board ascends to principled, strategic leadership. Such a board undoubtedly will have fostered a culture that values learning as much as leading. The learning curve is not without discomfort, of course; it usually involves dissonance and always values insight more than comfort. Principled, strategic […]

Why Should the CEO [Not] be on the board?

Posted by Ted Hull
On January 29, 2019

If you want to have a passionate discussion, try one that addresses whether the CEO should or should not be on the board. Some will view it as necessary as ice-cream with apple pie and others as a skunk at a garden party. Well, not quite that good or that bad; but you get the […]

Board Expectations: Where are they Written?

Posted by Richard Stringham
On January 22, 2019
Board Meetings, Governance Improvement, Policy Development

As a last-minute request, I was once asked to chair an Annual General Meeting for a non-profit organization. There had been some internal conflicts on the board followed by some resignations and the Board (including replacement directors) wanted someone “neutral” to chair what was shaping up to be a contentious meeting. (Note to self: don’t […]

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE BOARD WALL – ARE WE THE MOST EFFECTIVE BOARD OF ALL?

Posted by Rose Mercier
On January 15, 2019
Board Self-Evaluation

A new year. Time for resolutions. Energy for self-improvement. What better time for your board to ask itself – are we governing as effectively as we could? Why is self-evaluation important? As a board, you are entrusted with the stewardship of resources on behalf of someone else – the legal and moral owners of the […]

Does Willpower Lead to Success?

Posted by Jannice Moore
On January 8, 2019
Governance Improvement

It’s that time of year again. Your board has resolved that THIS year, things will be different. You will do a better job of – fill in the blank. You’ve begun using Policy Governance®, but are struggling with how to maintain a connection with owners. Or your CEO isn’t all that keen on writing monitoring reports […]

How Formal Should Your Board Meetings Be?

Posted by Richard Stringham
On December 18, 2018
Board Chair Role, Board Meetings

Have you ever come away from a board meeting with a sense that the group could have made better collective decisions? Did you feel that a healthy conversation would be far more productive than a set of orchestrated motions that you are expected to vote upon following some rather tightly controlled debate which doesn’t seem […]

When Boards Make Big Changes and Govern with Purpose

Posted by Paul Zilz
On December 11, 2018
Board Leadership, Governance Improvement, Strategic Leadership

Remember the last time you moved or renovated? My wife and I are making major renovations to our main floor in the house. Wow! What an endeavor! As well as you try to anticipate the various decisions that must be made, there are always 100 more that arise because of contingencies. Same with a move! […]

Measure What You Value

Posted by Andrew Bergen
On December 4, 2018

This week, I listened to a Podcast from Freakonomics Radio called “Where Does Creativity Come From?”. If you are looking for a recommendation for a good podcast, I’d suggest Freakonomics – very divergent and evocative thinking is presented in their work. The episode in question aired on October 24, 2018. One of the people being […]

Don’t Be Satisfied with Low-Hanging Fruit

Posted by Jannice Moore
On November 27, 2018

We have an apple tree in our backyard. This fall it was so loaded with apples we had to prop up the lower branches to keep them from breaking. When it was time to harvest them, we picked all the apples we could reach without a ladder – the low-hanging fruit – and filled several […]

The “At What Cost” Question

Posted by Ted Hull
On November 13, 2018
At What Worth, Ends, Opportunity Costs

When boards – and specifically not for profit boards, are developing their Ends, they will determine who the beneficiaries are and what benefits will result for these beneficiaries. The third part of this process is determining whether or not it’s worth the cost of producing those results for those people. Underlying that is the question […]

Implementing Policy Governance: A Cost-Benefit Analysis

Posted by Rose Mercier
On November 6, 2018
Policy Governance Implementation

Before we decide to invest in anything major, either as an individual or as an organization, we often undertake a cost benefit analysis. We usually start by listing the benefits, the potential upside of moving forward. If we want to make sure we’re considering all the angles, we also list the potential downsides. So, what […]

Seven Dysfunctional Board Leadership Approaches…and the Solution

Posted by Paul Zilz
On October 30, 2018
Board Leadership

How transparent, accountable, results-oriented, and future-focused is your board? Does your board follow one of the dysfunctional “Seven P” governance approaches that hinder effective board strategic leadership? Years ago, I was serving in a leadership role during a transition of governance on a board of directors. This membership organization had undergone numerous years of dysfunction […]

So Many Leaves! A Better Way to Evaluate the CEO.

Posted by Andrew Bergen
On October 23, 2018
CEO Evaluation

I typically have loved the Fall season. The colors of the leaves, the cool air at night – I just like changes in seasons (generally). However, there are two parts of Fall that I don’t like. First, it signals Winter is coming. This year, Fall has arrived quite abruptly and very early. That doesn’t bode […]

The End.

Posted by Dee Incoronato
On October 16, 2018
Ends

It all starts with the End. Ends policies signify the impact the organization seeks to have on the outside world. In Policy Governance®, the global Ends statement must have three components: the impact, difference, change, benefit or outcome in or for people (results); the identity, description, or characteristics of the population to receive the results […]

Living on a Small Boat – Preparation Matters

Posted by Eric Phinney
On October 9, 2018
Board Development

Three weeks ago my wife Val and I set out to sail down the eastern seaboard to the Bahamas for the winter. I have just retired after 30 years as a pastor in the Anglican Church. There was much planning for this epic voyage. It began in 2011 when I first purchased “Tevah.” It was a […]

Is Your Governance Doctor Up to Date?

Posted by Richard Stringham
On October 2, 2018
Board Development, Consultants

During my years as a university student, a friend and I took up scuba diving. On one dive, I found that I was a bit more congested than I had realized and had difficulty equalizing the pressure in my ears. We fastidiously observed the rule to never dive alone and, not wanting to disappoint my […]

Prescribing vs. Proscribing

Posted by Ted Hull
On September 18, 2018
Executive Limitations

We love Policy Governance®, except for that negative language requirement. Why can’t we just tell the CEO how to do something? Tobe consistent with the model and still get its way, a board may go to great lengths to come up with creative ways of directing its CEO, while still employing negative language. First, let’s […]

What is Monitoring in Policy Governance®?

Posted by Richard Stringham
On September 11, 2018
Monitoring

Does Your Board Govern as if It’s the “Top Dog” of the Organization?

Posted by Paul Zilz
On September 4, 2018
Board Role, Ends, Owners and Ownership

This is a fundamental, but often overlooked, question for your board to ask: “What is our position and our role in this organization?” The way your board answers this question will determine, to a large extent, its focus and its processes. Many boards assume that they are “at the top of the food chain,” that […]

Remembering to Listen

Posted by Andrew Bergen
On August 28, 2018
Owners and Ownership

I live in Canada. Currently, our government is involved in a disagreement with another nation regarding a tweet that was disagreeable. I’m not here to discuss the merits of either side of the issue at hand. A few days ago, I was listening to an interview on the radio with the former Canadian ambassador to […]

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