Board Self-Evaluation Archives - The Governance Coach

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 […]

Why is Discipline a Dirty Word for Some Board Members?

Posted by Richard Stringham
On January 22, 2020
Board Leadership, Board Role, Board Self-Evaluation

In this age of disruption, what follows might seem heresy. We are encouraged to think outside the box, to view our businesses differently. I’ve no quarrel with that. But I’ve been witnessing some boards in which board members are shirking discipline and, in some cases, doing so because they want to make changes. Again, I don’t […]

Taking Stock – Hindsight Can Be Positive

Posted by Jannice Moore
On December 31, 2019
Board Development, Board Self-Evaluation

“Hindsight is 20/20 vision.” We often consider this a negative statement as we rue some decision we have made. As we head into the literal year 2020, let’s consider the statement in a positive light. Hindsight literally means “thinking about things after they’ve happened.” Instead of making New Year’s Resolutions, I encourage you to take […]

How Well Has Your Board Performed This Year?

Posted by Paul Zilz
On December 4, 2019
Board Leadership, Board Self-Evaluation

As we near the end of the calendar year, we often take stock of performance: ours, those accountable to us, and our investments. Shouldn’t your board evaluate its own performance too, since it is accountable for your organization’s performance to whomever “owns” your organization? Most boards aspire to see the organizations they serve make a real difference in people’s […]

Does Your Board Know How Well (or Not) It is Performing?

Posted by Paul Zilz
On September 25, 2019
Board Self-Evaluation

In the process of governing, boards should invest time in properly setting, evaluating, and ensuring achievement of the strategic, future-focused benefits the organization is supposed to produce for targeted recipients at a specified worth (Ends, for shorthand). Instead, boards are often distracted by operational incidental information This distraction not only hinders the organization from achieving […]

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 […]

Can We Be Candid?

Posted by Joseph Inskeep
On September 19, 2017
Board Self-Evaluation, Human Resources, Monitoring

The topic of candor got a boost this year from the popular book Radical Candor by Kim Scott (1), a retired Google/Apple veteran and management coach who believes the right kind of candor is a critical factor in personal and organizational success. Kim has YouTubed about the subject as well, and both her book and […]

Evidently this is Not Evidence!

Posted by Richard Stringham
On October 4, 2016
Board Development, Board Self-Evaluation

Earlier on in my consulting career, it was common to come across boards in which directors thought that the Board Chair should be the CEO’s boss. However, when a board uses Policy Governance®, board members should operate in a manner that recognizes the board as a whole is the CEO’s boss and the Chair is […]