What
- Developing policies, preparing for and adopting the coherent governance model
Why
- The board has decided to use the model to improve how it does board business
Who
- Board members and their CEO
When
- Usually at special board meetings or workshops.
- Implementation can take place over a series of meetings of one day or less duration, or in a ‘policy blitz’ over several days
Where
- Usually at a retreat site, where the board-CEO team can deliberate and work without interruption
How
- Development of MEANS policies from a set of generic templates, which the board tailors to its needs. The sequence may begin with the board’s governance culture policies (how the board acts), then board/CEO relationship policies (how board and CEO interact), then operational expectations policies (guiding the CEO’s options in deciding means).
- Development of RESULTS (what good, for whom, at what cost or priority) often begins from scratch, first developing a Global Result statement that describes why the organization exists, then defining in progressively increasing detail those outcomes the organization is expected to achieve. Ends are developed so that the CEO, exercising reasonable interpretation of the board’s words, can focus organizational efforts (the means) to achieve results.
- When RESULTS development is complete, all policies are in place and the board is ready to adopt.
- Adoption of the model should be a public event, so that all involved (board, staff, ‘owners’, and the public) are aware that a new method of operating is expected.
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