REALBoard Buzz™
Why Your Board Cannot Ignore Any of the Policy Governance® Principles
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...
Using Google Docs for Policy Work
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...
The ‘Minister’ Question
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...
How Does COVID-19 Change Your Board’s Agenda? Part 1 – Content
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...
Ask The Right Questions
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...
Was that a Board Decision?
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...
Meetings During a Pandemic
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...
Fist to Five to Achieve Consensus
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...
COVID – 19: Does Your Board Have this Covered?
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...
Writing Ends is more like distilling spirits than brewing beer!
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,...