MOWAA Leadership Academy 2015: Leading While Governed 8/18/15 Marla J. Bobowick, Bobowick ConsulHng 1 LEADING WHILE GOVERNED: THE ART OF LEADING ALONGSIDE AN ENGAGED BOARD Marla J. Bobowick, Bobowick Consulting Intensive Workshop | Wed., Sept. 2 @ 8:30 – 11:45 AM Competency: Planning for the Future | ConcentraHon: Thought Leadership 1 Session Learning Outcomes • Distinguish between a culture of decision and a culture of inquiry • Examine the dynamics and behaviors that shape CEO/ board interactions • Share peals of wisdom and common pitfalls about board performance, practices, and structures Today’s Agenda 8:30 Engaged Boards & Consequential Governance 9:30 Leading While Governed: Introduction 10:00 Break 10:15 Leading While Governed: Discussion Groups 11:00 Deeper Dives • Strategic Board Recruitment • Board Meeting Makeovers • Constructive Partnerships 11:45 Adjourn 2
Transcript
MOWAA Leadership Academy 2015: Leading While Governed
8/18/15
Marla J. Bobowick, Bobowick ConsulHng 1
LEADING WHILE GOVERNED: THE ART OF LEADING ALONGSIDE
AN ENGAGED BOARD Marla J. Bobowick, Bobowick Consulting
Intensive Workshop | Wed., Sept. 2 @ 8:30 – 11:45 AM Competency: Planning for the Future | ConcentraHon: Thought Leadership
1
Session Learning Outcomes • Distinguish between a culture
of decision and a culture of inquiry
• Examine the dynamics and behaviors that shape CEO/board interactions
• Share peals of wisdom and common pitfalls about board performance, practices, and structures
Today’s Agenda 8:30 Engaged Boards &
Consequential Governance 9:30 Leading While Governed:
Introduction 10:00 Break 10:15 Leading While Governed:
Discussion Groups 11:00 Deeper Dives
• Strategic Board Recruitment
• Board Meeting Makeovers
• Constructive Partnerships 11:45 Adjourn
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MOWAA Leadership Academy 2015: Leading While Governed
8/18/15
Marla J. Bobowick, Bobowick ConsulHng 2
Conversation Starter
Do you want an engaged board?
If yes, what do you mean by engagement?
If no, why not?
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Consequential Governance
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MOWAA Leadership Academy 2015: Leading While Governed
MOWAA Leadership Academy 2015: Leading While Governed
8/18/15
Marla J. Bobowick, Bobowick ConsulHng 4
The opportunity to influence generative work declines as issues are framed and converted into plans, strategies, and problems.
Opp
ortu
nity
for
Gen
erat
ive
Wor
k
Time
Plans, Tactics, Execution
Problem-framing, Sense-making
Strategy
Culture of Inquiry
The Generative Curve
What problem are we solving? (Generative Mode)
Should we support remote training? (Strategic Mode)
Buy the technology (Fiduciary Mode)
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Am
ount
Time
Typical Board Involvement Curve
Generative Curve
The Generative Curve
The Promise Generative work creates with the board creates: • Insights into problems and
opportunities • Institutional identity The Dilemma In practice, board involvement is lowest where generative opportunity is greatest; board involvement increases as generative opportunity declines.
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MOWAA Leadership Academy 2015: Leading While Governed
8/18/15
Marla J. Bobowick, Bobowick ConsulHng 5
Inquiry vs. Decision
Identify a major issue that was brought to the board recently. Think about when and how was it presented. Where on the curve was the board brought in?
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Governing Profiles
Governance by Fiat
• CEO displaced by board • “Micromanagement”
Governance as Leadership
• CEO and board collaborate • “Constructive partnership”
Governance by Default
• CEO and board disengage • “Go through the motions”
Leadership as Governance
• CEO displaces board • “Rubber stamp”
Executive Engagement
Boa
rd E
ngag
emen
t
Low
High
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MOWAA Leadership Academy 2015: Leading While Governed
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Leading While Governed
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Leading While Governed
A Common Dynamic CEO Mindset • Defensive • Vested • Anxious • Vigilant • Nauseous
MOWAA Leadership Academy 2015: Leading While Governed
8/18/15
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Leading While Governed: Framework
Change the board
Change the conditions
Change yourself
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Leading While Governed
Challenges & Responses
You get what you ask for.
What are you (really) recruiting for? Change the
board
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MOWAA Leadership Academy 2015: Leading While Governed
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Leading While Governed
Challenges & Responses
The invisible director
There are never “just people” …
but people in a system.
Change the conditions
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Leading While Governed
Challenges & Responses
Impression Management Dreaded &
Desired Images
Competing Commitments
Change yourself
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MOWAA Leadership Academy 2015: Leading While Governed
8/18/15
Marla J. Bobowick, Bobowick ConsulHng 9
1. What could you start doing? 2. What could you stop doing?
Group 1: Change the
board
Group 2: Change the conditions
Group 3: Change yourself
Leading While Governed Practices & Behaviors
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Break
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MOWAA Leadership Academy 2015: Leading While Governed
8/18/15
Marla J. Bobowick, Bobowick ConsulHng 10
1. What could you start doing? 2. What could you stop doing?
Group 1: Change the
board
Group 2: Change the conditions
Group 3: Change yourself
Leading While Governed Practices & Behaviors
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Leading While Governed
Practices & Behaviors
1. What could you start doing? 2. What could you stop doing?
Promising Practices q Ongoing and strategic board
recruitment q Board orientation (or re-
orientation) with feeling q Board assessment Change the
board
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MOWAA Leadership Academy 2015: Leading While Governed
8/18/15
Marla J. Bobowick, Bobowick ConsulHng 11
A Deeper Dive Strategic Board Recruitment
1. Peer into the future • What strategic issues will your
organization face in the next 3 – 5 years? • What skills, knowledge, perspective, and
connections, do you need on board to address those issues?
2. Inventory your current board (Board Composition Matrix) • What do you have? • What's missing?
3. Articulate what’s expected (Statement of Board Responsibilities and Expectations of Board Members) • What is the work of the board? • What is expected of individual board
members? 4. Recruit year-round
(Active Governance Committee)
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A Deeper Dive Strategic Board Recruitment
Conversation Starters The Dream Team Q: Who are our top three draft picks? (Specify
individuals by name and/or job title) Sourcing Board Members Q: Where should we look for board members? Q: How do we network with these “sources” of
board candidates? Q: How can we connect to individual
prospects?
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MOWAA Leadership Academy 2015: Leading While Governed
8/18/15
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1. What could you start doing? 2. What could you stop doing? Promising Practices q Board meeting makeover
2. Meeting Agendas • Together, chair and chief executive set agenda • Committee chairs submit high-impact issues for discussion • Give all board members a role to play • Include time for mission-driven, strategic discussions • Allot time for board learning and relationship building
3. Nature of the Discussion • Pairs, triads, small groups • Loyal opposition, devil’s advocates • Foster boards’ ability to seek more information, question
assumptions, and challenge conclusions • Multiple sources of information and perspectives • All voices are heard
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MOWAA Leadership Academy 2015: Leading While Governed
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New & Improved Board Meeting Agenda Everyone’s Good Nonprofit: Board Meeting Agenda
4:00 Call to Order • Welcome & Overview of Agenda • Consent Agenda (Decision – Attachment A)
4:05 Generative or Strategic Thinking (Discussion – Attachment B) Sample Agenda Items q What will it mean to govern differently with a new chief executive? q What do we need – from board and staff – given our new emphasis on advocacy? q How can we better use partnerships and collaborations to fulfill our mission?
5:00 Committee Actions A. Finance Committee: New investment policy (Decide – Attachment C) B. Governance Committee: Characteristics of new board members? (Discuss –
Practices & Behaviors 1. What could you start doing? 2. What could you stop doing?
Promising Practices q Seek more informal feedback q Reach out to board members
individually q Executive and/or board
coaching Change yourself
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MOWAA Leadership Academy 2015: Leading While Governed
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A Deeper Dive Sharing Leadership
Board takes the lead when it… • Establishes policies and makes decisions that
support the mission • Hires, supports, and evaluates ED • Opens doors in community for fundraising • Monitors financial performance, approves budget,
ensures an audit • Selects, recruits, and orients
new board members
ED takes the lead when s/he… • Develops and proposes policy questions for board
consideration • Develops and manages programs • Hires, supervises, and motivates staff
Board and ED share leadership when they… • Develop a strategic plan • Create a fundraising plan and strategies • Prepare for board meetings • Initiate and implement evaluations
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Responsible Boards
• Delegate operations to CEO
• Evaluate CEO annually
• Ensure fair and competitive compensation
• Develop a job description with and for the CEO
The Source of Power
• Trust, candor, and respect
• Sharing good and bad news
• Communication in and between meetings
• Open and honest CEO
• Insightful tools and information
Exceptional Boards
• Face and resolve problems early
• Attract more qualified CEOs
• Retain talented CEOs longer
• Change executive leadership at the right time
CONSTRUCTIVE PARTNERSHIP1 Exceptional boards govern in constructive partnership with the chief executive, recognizing that the effectiveness of the board and chief executive are interdependent.
