REALBoard Buzz™

Freedom In Discipline

Posted by Jannice Moore
On July 8, 2020
Board Development, Board Leadership, Governance Improvement

Has your board considered Policy Governance® but decided against it because it sounded like too much work, or you heard it was too confining? Often, this translates into “we don’t really want to exercise discipline.” Many boards tend to shy away from discipline. Perhaps it’s because the word evokes mental images of punishment – when […]

Boards, Purpose, and Policy Governance®

Posted by Rose Mercier
On July 1, 2020
Board Leadership, Ends

I read a lot of stuff. Online and print, articles and books, the most recent releases and the not-so-current: governance, strategy, management, culture, measurement, news, technology, music, food, mysteries…you get the idea. I don’t read everything with the same attention to detail with which I read governance books and articles. Often, I find myself having an internal dialogue about how an author’s ideas relate to Policy Governance® principles – the main […]

The Trick To Good Soup

Posted by Andrew Bergen
On June 24, 2020
Board Development, Board Leadership

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I’ve been exploring an emerging perspective on “Growth Mindset vs. Closed Mindset”. One of the leaders in this work is the Neuroleadership Institute. Their research indicates that the simple (yet often difficult) work of changing one’s mental model significantly shifts one towards possibilities that were previously unavailable. For example, I like soup. I […]

Boards Can Change the World; But Only with Gut-Wrenching Honesty

Posted by Richard Stringham
On June 17, 2020
Board Self-Evaluation, Governance Improvement, Values

Worldwide protests sparked by the death of George Floyd have some asking if this will be the turning point in history that is so badly needed. Calls are being made for every institution at every level to tackle the pervasive and systemic racism. I’m a white male in his mid-sixties living in an affluent Canadian […]

Who Makes A Good Board Member?

Posted by David Gray
On June 10, 2020
Board Recruitment, Board Role

I’m often asked what qualities distinguish a good board member from a not-so-good member, so that boards can try to recruit the former. In my opinion, there are three qualities. The first is a comprehensive understanding of the Policy Governance® system. Yes, I’m completely biased in this respect, but I regard the system as the […]

PART 2: Does Your Board Need to Downsize Before it Implements Policy Governance®?

Posted by Rose Mercier
On June 3, 2020
Board Structure

For Part 1, click here. You’re adopting Policy Governance – why would you consider downsizing? What are the possible benefits of a “smaller board”? One possible benefit is that with fewer members, you are more likely to hear everyone’s voice when talking about the values that should be the basis of your policies. As a […]

PART 1: Does Your Board Need to Downsize Before it Implements Policy Governance®?

Posted by Rose Mercier
On May 27, 2020
Board Structure

From time to time I like to Google the topic of board size – prompted either by a question I’ve been asked by a board – usually wanting to know the relationship between board size and effectiveness. Sometimes I go down the Google rabbit hole simply out of curiosity. Okay, I know board size is […]

Are You Mything Out?

Posted by Rose Mercier
On May 20, 2020
Objections to Policy Governance

“Here’s why our board doesn’t use Policy Governance®.” It’s “one size fits all” It gives too much power to the CEO It only works in big organizations You can’t have committees It prescribes structures and size It’s too rigid Board members can’t talk to staff Directors can’t fulfill their fiduciary duty unless they approve the […]

When the Wheels Fall Off a Meeting

Posted by David Gray
On May 13, 2020
Board Meetings

In my New Zealand-based governance consulting work, I’m privileged to work with a number of Māori tribal governance bodies. These are organisations which have been created (often by Act of Parliament) to govern the affairs of an iwi (or tribe) and to manage its assets. Tribal members are elected to the boards of these bodies through various kinds of electoral processes, often […]

Board Business in a Virtual World

Posted by Eric Phinney
On May 6, 2020
Board Meetings

I just completed a weeklong meeting with an international organization that I chair. Normally, to minimize travel costs, we meet only twice a year for 5 days. Facing the restrictions for COVID-19 was daunting. Could we get through the business that we had planned? Would people be able to engage? Would we be distracted by the technology? Would the technology work? Could we […]

Authority and Accountability

Posted by David Gray
On April 29, 2020
Accountability, Board Focus

One of the features of the Policy Governance® system is its focus on accountability. In my experience, this feature sometimes provokes a negative reaction from observers who are not completely familiar with the system. I think this is unfortunate, and often reflects a lack of understanding of how governance actually works. There is a cycle of authority and accountability at […]

Post-Covid 19 Governance and the New Norm

Posted by Richard Stringham
On April 22, 2020
Board Focus, Ends, Future Focus, Strategic Foresight

I think it’s fair to say that I’m not the only one wondering: “When will this pandemic be over so that we can return to normal?” Of course, there are two absurdities to that question: a) no-one knows when it will be over; and b) we won’t be returning to “normal;” instead we will be living the “new normal.” […]

Handling CEO Non-Compliance with Policies in a Pandemic

Posted by Jannice Moore
On April 15, 2020
CEO Evaluation, Monitoring

This pandemic is challenging for boards and CEOs. One issue expressed to me by several boards is how to support the CEO if the CEO is unable to meet the board’s expectations stated in existing Ends and Executive Limitations policies due to the changed circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic CEOs are often reluctant to […]

Revamping Board Agendas for Virtual Meetings – Part 2

Posted by Jannice Moore
On April 14, 2020
Expert Coaching. Practical Resources.

In Part 1 of this series, we looked at what you might consider changing on your board agenda to ensure the organization has appropriate processes in place in relation to the pandemic. Now we will address how you might consider processing your agenda differently in the new world of virtual-only meetings, at least for the […]

Why Your Board Cannot Ignore Any of the Policy Governance® Principles

Posted by Ted Hull
On April 8, 2020
Accountability, Policy Governance as a Whole

My wife and I have decided that we must replace our old vehicle. It has served us well, but recently it has laid down on us at the most inopportune times. We sat down at the table and after careful budget considerations determined we could afford $25,000. We could do that and still travel to see our daughter and her family in Toronto, take a winter vacation, […]

Using Google Docs for Policy Work

Posted by Eric Phinney
On April 7, 2020
Expert Coaching. Practical Resources.

Board work involves a lot of documents; documents that we are to agree on; documents that get reviewed, interpreted, moved, adopted and reviewed again. If you have not already discovered it, Google Docs can give an organization a real boost in efficiency. In this time of isolation many are ready now – or have no alternative but […]

The ‘Minister’ Question

Posted by David Gray
On April 1, 2020
Ends, Policy Governance System

One of the most powerful features of the Policy Governance® system is its relentless focus on effectiveness. I have a favourite question I like to ask the boards of the Māori organisations I work with, early in our relationship. (Māori are the indigenous people of New Zealand, which is where I live.) Here it is: […]

How Does COVID-19 Change Your Board’s Agenda? Part 1 – Content

Posted by Jannice Moore
On March 31, 2020
Expert Coaching. Practical Resources.

As we all work towards the “new normal” boards are being faced with new challenges daily. If your board uses Policy Governance®, you may be wondering how decisions around the pandemic may change your agenda. This is the first of two tips we hope you will find helpful – Part 1 focuses on content areas […]

Ask The Right Questions

Posted by Rose Mercier
On March 26, 2020
Expert Coaching. Practical Resources.

I just finished a newspaper article1 which has been stuck in my head. Here’s the earworm that has been playing over and over – although I realize it isn’t a musical tune, it has had the same effect – it wasn’t until the organization asked the right question, that the decision became clear. A bit of background might help you understand […]

Was that a Board Decision?

Posted by Richard Stringham
On March 25, 2020
Board Chair Role, Board Meetings

Readers of our blogs will recall that only the board as a whole has authority to make board decisions. It may delegate some of its authority to others (e.g., the CEO, board officers, or board committees), but there are some things it should never delegate to others and other decisions that it may choose to hold onto. If the board as a whole is holding authority for a decision, […]

Meetings During a Pandemic

Posted by Eric Phinney
On March 18, 2020
Board Meetings

By now, if you are a board chair, you have most likely canceled any upcoming face to face meetings.  The question arises: what to do now? There are still critical matters of governance that need to be carried out.   Some organizations have already been using Zoom, GoToMeeting, or some other video or audio-conferencing platform and you will […]

Fist to Five to Achieve Consensus

Posted by Andrew Bergen
On March 10, 2020
Board Meetings

Some years ago, I stumbled across a method for helping groups achieve consensus. Recently, I have pulled it out again while working with boards who are debating their Ends policies. Ends are really important – it’s the reason why the organization exists in the first place. And, because they’re so important, it is easy for board […]

Posted by Richard Stringham
On March 6, 2020
Board Meetings

In the news at home today, the federal Minister of Health, “cautioned Canadians to prepare for the ‘eventuality’ of [a coronavirus] outbreak here.” Elsewhere, we are witnessing more severe measures already in place such as the state of emergency just declared in the State of California. While governments are bracing and preparing, I’m sure that boards of directors are wondering if their respective […]

Writing Ends is more like distilling spirits than brewing beer!

Posted by Eric Phinney
On March 4, 2020
Ends, Policy Development

Last winter my wife and I cruised the coast of Florida in our sailboat. We happened upon the city of St. Augustine and were thrilled by the number of attractions. We ended up staying an extra day as we had seen an advert for free winery, distillery and brewery tours. There had to be a day’s activity in that. We spent […]

Why shouldn’t a board approve the CEO’s plans?

Posted by Rose Mercier
On February 26, 2020
Accountability, Any Reasonable Interpretation, Board Role

One of the changes a board experiences when it begins to use Policy Governance® is a move away from a more traditional decision-making process where the CEO requires the board’s approval before proceeding with any plan. Instead, it delegates authority to the CEO to achieve its policies (reasonably interpreted, of course) using whatever plans the CEO determines are necessary. First the board must determine the benefits to be produced, who is to benefit, and the worth of producing those […]

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