SCHOOL BOARDS TODAY – “THIS ISN’T WHAT I SIGNED UP FOR”

At BOARDynamics, we coach boards toward concurrence of their purpose, roles, goals and behaviors. For more information, go to www.BOARDynamics.net

·       “No matter what I do, I’m wrong”

·       “I’m not sure I want to do this any longer”

·       “I had no idea this job would be so hard”

Masks, superintendents and school boards under fire, book challenges, recall votes, dissatisfied parents, partisan political views, outsiders... all have influenced school boards and the difficult decisions that they have had to make over the past 20 months. There are plenty of reasons why the tenor and atmosphere surrounding school boards has changed. The challenges will continue. It has been difficult to be a school board member and will continue to be so. A unified school board, with a common raison d'être, has never been more important.

While we don’t have a silver bullet or a magic wand to make everything right, we do have a few suggestions:

• Agree on your PURPOSE as a school board and stick to it. Promote that purpose. Broadcast it. Live it. Make sure that you and your patrons understand it and know that you will be adhering to it. 
• Agree on your ROLE, as a board and as a board member. Patrons don’t always understand your role as a board member. Issues and conflict will remain, but the pressure can be reduced if you clearly, distinctly, and publicly define your role. Delineate the role of the board from that of the administration. And again, promote, broadcast, and live your roles.
• Solidify your GOALS as a board. Goals for the district will generally follow your strategic plan. But what about your goals as a board? How will you become a better, more efficient, and functional board? All boards can improve. Identify your strengths and capitalize on them. Identify those aspects of your board that could use some improvement and create a plan to fix them.
• Document and hold one another accountable to a set of behavioral expectations. We call these BEHAVIORAL NORMS. If we understand the expectations of one another, we are less likely to act in a manner contrary to those expectations.

We understand that school boards are elected and won’t always agree on the same path. That’s the nature of representation. But agreement of PURPOSE, ROLES, GOALS and BEHAVIOR will certainly pave the way for better decision making.

Contact us today to see how we can help you make your board better.

When is the Right Time to Bring your Team Together?

"THEY" say that timing is everything. So when does it make sense to bring your team together to make sure that everyone is on the same page?

Most of us are caught up in the details of just getting things done. We have deadlines, commitments, due dates and objectives to meet. Sometimes, we get so caught up in the minutiae of the task at hand that we just don't have time to look at the bigger picture. We can't tell you how many times we've said "I know I need to get the group together to make sure we're all on the same page - we'll do that as soon as the (insert appropriate milestone here) is finished/over/completed".

Holidays, vacations, projects - everything gets in the way. We are all constrained by our desire to "get it done". Our ability to schedule a time when everyone can attend is almost impossible. 

Added to our inability to make time is the constant change inherent in any group - people change, emphasis changes, customers and patrons needs change, the organization's priorities change. 

Here's a little secret that most of you reading this already know - the time to make sure that your PURPOSE, ROLES, GOALS and BEHAVIORS are aligned is NOW. Actually, it's not a secret if it's already known and recognized. So how do you make it happen?

We believe that by adding an objective viewpoint encourages thoughtful dialog and change. By committing to a timeframe that someone outside the group also shares forces commitment. By scheduling a catalyst to help you with these discussions, you are making a commitment to do what you already know needs to be done. Without a catalyst, the projects, commitments, vacations and holidays will always get in the way.

Contact us at BOARDynamics.net

 

CAN YOU MEASURE HOW EFFECTIVELY A BOARD WORKS TOGETHER?

How well does your board work together? We have commented here before about the importance of agreeing on PURPOSE, ROLES, GOALS and BEHAVIORS, but are these measurable?

Without a metric, how do you know that you are improving? How do you know that your expectations are shared among your board members? When new members join the board, how do you know that THEY concur with the established parameters under which you operate?

BOARDynamics took this challenge and created the BOARDynamics Concurrence Index. The BOARDynamics Concurrence Index is meant to be relative - that is, not necessarily comparable to other boards but a measure of your board's progress toward concurrence.

The BOARDynamics Concurrence Index is a numeric measurement of a board’s unity and agreement in relation to its PURPOSE, ROLES, GOALS and BEHAVIORS.  It measures processes that the board uses (Structural) in governance, and board members’ perceptions, understanding and adherence to the specified board purpose, roles, goals and behaviors (Behavioral).

Scoring of the index is weighted in favor of Behavioral dynamics.  Structural measures are intended to indicate procedural fidelity.  A board can achieve Behavioral concurrence without having Structural measures in place, however the likelihood of undesirable outcomes increases without Structural benchmarks.

The BOARDynamics Concurrence Index should be utilized to measure a board’s concurrence at a given point in time.  As issues arise and as the board makeup changes, the index scores may vary.  The importance of the index is the consistency of measurement and the understanding by the board of the impacts on the organization that these measurements represent.

Use of the BOARDynamics Concurrence Index should be viewed as suggestive.  Each board should weigh the importance and value of change, though improvement only occurs with deliberate action. Every board has different views, perspectives, and challenges.  The index should be recalculated if 1) board membership turns over significantly (25%), 2) issues impacting the board change dramatically or 3) more than 2 years have passed since the prior review of purpose, roles, goals and behavior.

BOARDynamics will make aggregated results available to our clients after significant data is accumulated.  Individual board index results will be kept anonymous, and only the board’s respective results will be provided.  Further breakdowns by board types and category will be available.

CONTACT US IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN IMPROVING - AND MEASURING - YOUR BOARD'S AGREEMENT OF YOUR PURPOSE, ROLES, GOALS AND BEHAVIORS.

New Board Members: How to Alleviate "The Rookie Syndrome"!

A show of hands: How many of you will have new board members this year?  This may come about due to the election in November, or new board appointments.  In any case, you will have people joining your board who will not have a clear grasp of the purpose and roles of your board.  Many will have absolutely no idea of the expectations of their new position. 

In some organizations, new board members get their orientation using the "fire hose" approach in which they are given every document within the organization and are expected to digest it and be up to speed by the next board meeting. (!) As a brand new board member, it can be difficult to know what questions to ask because of the amount of new information.  Its overwhelming! 

Your new board members will bring to their new role a list of preconceived ideas of what they think the job entails. They may view themselves as well-versed regarding the expectations of the position, but come to realize that their initial ideas were off-target.  Hopefully, in time new board members will get up to speed, realize they cannot control some of the things they thought they could, and get an idea of what is expected behavior.  But this can be a long and painful process for all concerned!

The board "Rookie Syndrome" can be addressed by being proactive and sensitive about helping both prospective and new board members understand the purpose of the board and subsequently, their roles.  While not commonplace, some organizations offer a "So You Want To Be A Board Member" session. The catch to this is that sitting board members MUST themselves have a clear understanding and agreement of the board's purpose, roles, goals and expected behavior. 

BOARDynamics offers you a solution.  We help a board come to agreement on their Purpose.  Once that is established, Roles are defined under the umbrella of their purpose. Then, establishing board Goals and subsequent Behaviors are discussed and agreed upon.  We can also help you facilitate informational sessions for prospective candidates as well as orientation for new board members to help you have the most effective board for your organization.  

We Make Boards Better!  

Call us today! 

 

It's Time for Your Board to Hit the Reset Button

When we all look back on "Covid" time, what will we remember? Isolation? Masking? Disagreements about vaccinations? Take-out? Zoom?

What we remember is the lost time chatting with colleagues. Just chatting. Meetings were held virtually, often from the privacy of our home. Shirts were required, but that’s about all. Cats, children, and sirens played a large part of our meetings. Sure, it was comfortable – sitting at your kitchen table, discussing things with your fellow board members. But having to raise your hand and push a button to be heard may have taken the steam out of your thought.

Let’s face it – not all decisions can be made quickly. Some of the most important time of any meeting is the 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after the meeting, when we speak to friends and colleagues, compare thoughts, discuss last night’s ball game or whatever decisions you are about to make, and generally, gain one another’s confidence.

Covid took all that away. Meetings were shorter and more abrupt. Sometimes, the ability to speak freely was removed by technical issues. The inability to schmooze did cut down on the discussion and rendered quicker decisions, but often without knowing and understanding why a decision was being made. Yes, this is a generalization. Many of us still covet the quicker decision making. But there are drawbacks.

For boards, whether they be volunteer, appointed or elected, this quicker decision-making may have polarized your board. It may appear to others that you have “taken sides” – not necessarily due to the subject being discussed but because of the necessarily shorter time that you took to make a decision. And if you were required by open meeting laws to stream your meetings, the public watching may have been disenchanted at the (relative and perceived) lack of discussion. Sure, the political climate had something to do with that but no virtual meeting can take the place of in-person, face-to-face conversation.

So, what do we do? How can we regain the trust of our colleagues and those we serve?

Our suggestion is to hit the reset button. Start by having a frank discussion about why your board exists. What is the purpose of the board? Not the purpose of the organization that you serve but the purpose of the board. Make sure you all agree on the board’s purpose. This will galvanize your board toward a common objective, enable efficiency in your decision making, unify the team and encourage trust.

Once your purpose is identified and agreement is reached, discuss your roles as board members. Don’t dwell on the past – look to the future. Roles may be forgotten during the chaos of a crisis. Write them down.

Next, talk about the goals that you have as a board – not past goals, 2020 is over – future goals. What does the board want to accomplish going forward?

Finally, talk about your behavior. Were there elements of behavior that were detrimental to the board? In the heat of the moment, we often let emotion drive our behavior. What was the impact of your behavior on your organization?

Let us help you RESET your board!

Our Conversation With Joel Goldberg

We were fortunate to sit down with Joel Goldberg for an episode of "Rounding the Bases", his podcast about culture and leadership, with a baseball twist. 

We had a lively conversation about today's issues and the need for agreement of a board's Purpose, Roles, Goals and Behaviors, and how BOARDynamics can help a board achieve this agreement.

Contact us as our schedule is filling.

We look forward to helping your board!

You can follow Joel at:

Facebook: @goldbergkc

Instagram: @joelgoldbergkc

LinkedIn: @goldbergkc

Strategic Planning or Defining the Board's Purpose - 

Which Comes First?

 

Strategic Planning – these two words strike fear and uncertainty into many people’s minds. Visions of endless “input sessions”, constant wordsmithing, discussions that tend to migrate away from the real purpose, and in the end, a document that is “binder-ized” (replete with those plastic fingered spines that prohibit effective page turning), with fancy graphics and big words but is placed in the “Strat Plng” file, and rarely consulted.... until you must do it again. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Why does this happen? The people doing the planning are often the same people who must IMPLEMENT the plan. There is a huge difference between the overriding strategy and the way this strategy is accomplished. Boards are responsible for establishing the high-level strategy – not figuring out how to do it. That’s the responsibility of the paid staff.

How does this impact boards? Boards are often made up of DOERS – people who have accomplished things, who have achieved, and who have been successful at getting things done. Board members are generally results-oriented, like to look at data, and need reassurance that their PLANS are coming to fruition. A consequence of a board with a results orientation is to turn strategy planning into a discussion of how to get it done. Is this what you want your board to do? What impact does the board doing tactical planning have on the administration (the people who you pay to achieve results)?

WHAT’S A BOARD TO DO?

First, identify the PURPOSE of the board. Make it a clean, short description. Remember, you are talking about the purpose of the board, not the organization.

No fancy words. One example might be

“The purpose of the board is to oversee the organization by hiring the executive director, providing policy direction, fiduciary oversight and be an advocate for the organization.”

Once the purpose of the board is established, define the roles of the board members. What is your focus? What kinds of things should board members be involved in? The roles of board members should generally follow the purpose of the board. If oversight is the purpose of the board, should board members be discussing the color to paint the building? If hiring the executive director is one of the purposes of the board, do your board members get involved in every hiring decision? If your board is responsible for fiduciary oversight, should board members be examining every receipt? Allow your purpose to guide your role.

What about goals? Should board members have goals? The simple answer is “yes, every board member should have goals”, but the goals that individual board members have should be for themselves. The goals of a board should be SHARED goals. A board member might want to “learn how to be a better fundraiser”. That is her goal, for herself. The board may have as one of its goals “become a more effective board”. That is a board goal that each board member should agree to.

SPOILER ALERT – PURPOSE COMES BEFORE PLANNING

Board members want to be a part of getting things done. That’s what they are used to doing outside of the board room. Remember, the strategic planning that most boards do is high level, not operational. Without understanding, and agreeing, on the purpose of the board, it is impossible for the board to develop strategy. If the board hasn’t determined their purpose and role, the strategic planning process will get bogged down.

WE CAN HELP

BOARDynamics can coach your board to gain agreement of your purpose, roles, goals, and behavior. We bring a vast set of unique experiences on elected, appointed and volunteer boards. Contact us and let us help you!