REALBoard Buzz™
Taking Care of What’s Important
In the early years of my consulting career, I was frequently involved with personal and professional leadership development projects. A frequent reference in those years was Steven Covey and his Seven Habits of Highly Effective People[1]. One of Covey’s many...
Shift Happens
Indulge me in a little nostalgia. Before COVID, I spent a lot of time in airplanes. I had the flight attendant announcements memorized: “In preparation for landing, please fasten your seatbelts, ensure your seat backs and table trays are in the...
Strategic Importance of Effective Board Education
The Jewish Torah tells a compelling story of a Middle Eastern shepherd encountering a bush that burns but is not consumed. The shepherd, known by the name of Moses, was curious and approached the bush only to be called in a new...
Make a Real Strategic Difference: Stop Managing and Start Governing!
I recently observed a board meeting where the board discussed whether or not to renew a contract with one of the organization’s vendors. Clearly, a majority of board members and the Executive Director were frustrated by a perceived lack of responsiveness from this...
The Board’s Policy Manual – An Essential Tool
You shouldn’t be surprised to learn that the board’s essential tool in Policy Governance® is its policy manual. After all, it is “Policy” Governance. However, you might be surprised to learn that a board can control and direct...
Monitoring as Measurement
I’ve had occasion in recent times to observe a number of boards undertaking monitoring activities. A couple of takeaways have stuck in my mind as a result of these experiences, one of which I’ll describe below and the other I’ll describe in a subsequent blog....
Track the Package
In the current pandemic, online purchasing has become even more prevalent than previously. A feature I really appreciate is the ability to track the delivery status of the product by simply clicking one button. I love that! I love it for a couple of reasons: It...
Board Oversight of Workplace Discrimination
If you sit on the board of directors for an organization, how do you know whether there has been unacceptable discrimination in the operational ranks? I’m not talking about discrimination based upon qualifications necessary for the position. Instead, I’m referring to...
Three Steps to Improve Board Effectiveness
You may be an Executive Director, CEO, or Pastor who is concerned about board effectiveness and whether or not the board of the organization you serve has the proper strategic mindset to govern well. I know some foundations also are concerned about “board development”...
The Gift of Time…to Focus
At this time, we are living through the necessity for physical distancing. Like most people around us, we are hoping for the time when restrictions will be lifted safely. My wife and I are having conversations imagining what the “new normal” will be like for the...