REALBoard Buzz™
Wait! Before the Board Approves that Report…
…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,...
Embracing Complexity
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...
March Hare, Mad Hatter or the Duchess?
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...
Is Your Board Evaluating Performance?
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®...
Where Is Our Board Taking Us?
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...
What Kind of Birds Are You Attracting?
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...
7 Tips for Creating Board 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...
Organizational Culture and Policies: Where is the Connection?
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...
Holding On for Dear Life …… or Death!
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...
Is Policy Governance® a “Good Fit” for Your Board?
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...