Values Archives - The Governance Coach

No Matter How The Wind Blows

Posted by governancecoach
On May 6, 2021
Board Leadership, Sustaining Policy Governance, Values

The arrival of spring is always welcome. For my wife and me, one of the best parts of spring is the return of many migrating birds to our heavily treed yard. Finches of all varieties, woodpeckers, martins, hummingbirds and, of course, the iconic bird of spring, the robin. The past weekend, the wind was blowing […]

Board Intervention does Not Guarantee Better Decisions

Posted by Richard Stringham
On March 11, 2021
Accountability, Board Role, Values

Several years ago, I was coaching a board which had recently issued a public position statement on behalf of its organization. Unfortunately, the position it took was based on inadequate information and damaged the credibility of some of the association’s members, in addition to the association’s credibility. The irony was that the board had a […]

Is it Time to Do Away with Board Values Lists?

Posted by Richard Stringham
On March 4, 2021
Accountability, Board Leadership, Values

I’m not a big fan of boards creating lists of values. There. I’ve finally come out and said it and I’m glad I did! Of course, now I need to explain myself. A few decades ago, I ran a youth leadership development program. Toward the end of my tenure as the program manager I convinced […]

Is Your Board Examining the Right Costs?

Posted by Richard Stringham
On November 19, 2020
At What Worth, Values

In a recent episode of NPR’s Hidden Brain podcast, Vivian Lee, the author of: “The Long Fix: Solving America’s Health Care Crisis with Strategies that Work for Everyone,” describes the results of a substantive change that took place in Utah’s Medicaid program. Prior to the change, health care providers were paid for each medical procedure […]

How a Board can Embrace Diversity

Posted by Rose Mercier
On November 11, 2020
Board Development, Values

It would be hard not to notice the proliferation of media stories, academic and industry research, anecdotal evidence, and statistics about the diversity – or lack thereof – on boards of directors. Corporate boards, in particular, have been under pressure from institutional investors, governments and regulators to address gender diversity, and there are many excellent […]

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 […]

THINKING ABOUT CEO INCENTIVE PAY AS A QUESTION OF VALUES

Posted by Rose Mercier
On February 5, 2020
CEO Compensation, Values

In Policy Governance®, policies express a governing body’s values, so making those values explicit is the first step in answering a policy question. This is true of any important policy decision that a board wants to consider. One question a board may face is whether or not to provide incentive pay to its CEO. While the […]

Policy Governance®: A Values-Based Model

Posted by David Gray
On September 11, 2019
Policy Governance System, Values

If you’ve had anything to do with the team here at The Governance Coach™, you’ll know that we are big fans of the Policy Governance® system first developed by John Carver back in the 1970s. And for good reason: over a period of 25 years, we’ve helped more than 500 boards work with the system, […]

Leading Through Values

Posted by Joseph Inskeep
On July 17, 2019
Board Leadership, Values

In the life of organizations, it really does matter whether leaders stay focused on the things that actually matter. For governing boards, what matters most is giving voice to the core values and principles that define organizational purpose, ethics and prudence. It is all too easy for a board to allow inertia to carry its […]

How a Board can Embrace Diversity

Posted by Rose Mercier
On May 28, 2019
Board Development, Values

Two “Make or Break” Leadership Values

Posted by Paul Zilz
On April 16, 2019
Board Leadership, Servant Leadership, Values

Think about the last time you were trying to resolve an emotionally-laden issue within your family, your business team, or perhaps your church or service organization. What and how did you communicate? My wife has often said one of my greatest strengths is that I am that person who is not afraid to address the […]

Family Business, Family Values and Policy Governance

Posted by Joseph Inskeep
On June 20, 2017
Family Business, Governance Improvement, Values

Family businesses make up a larger percentage of the economy than many people realize. The Family Firm Institute (FFI) notes that family firms * account for two thirds of businesses worldwide, between 70%-90% of global GDP and 50%-80% of jobs in the majority of countries. In the US, half of all publically listed companies are […]