Transformational Governance E-Book

Beth Gazley

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Serie: ASAE/Jossey-Bass Series
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 333

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

There has never been so much pressure on nonprofit boards of directors to achieve a level of accountability that meets public and stakeholder expectations. Member-serving association boards may be especially challenged by their more complex affiliate structures and a greater emphasis on representative governance. But what does the journey to good governance look like? Markedly different from existing board development books, this modern approach focuses less on the behaviors and qualities of "high-performing boards" and more on the stages and processes that directors and their staff used to transform their boards. Based on research funded by the ASAE Foundation, the book fills a gap in the governance literature by emphasizing diagnosis and problem solving, using the actual tools and activities implemented by 85 transformed associations. Combining the credibility of scholarly research with lively and compelling stories, tools, and teachable moments, this book is designed to help associations and other nonprofit organizations achieve the entire journey to good governance, from first to last steps.

Leseprobe

CONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Introduction and Study Design

Why Another Book on Governance?

Study Design

Organization of This Book

Terminology Used in This Book

Chapter 1: Where Does Board Change Begin?

Concepts and Application

Understanding the Nature of Change

Types of Change

Change Models

Change and Life-Cycle Theories

Summary

Chapter 2: Change and People

Concepts and Application

Using Organizational Culture to Support Recipients of Change

Using Emotional Intelligence to Support Recipients of Change

Habitualizing Change

Summary

Chapter 3: Catalysts and Watersheds

Concepts and Application

Summary

Chapter 4: Implementing Change

Concepts and Application

Dealing with Obstacles

Summary

Chapter 5: Leading Sideways: Influencing Change within the Board

Concepts and Application

Summary

Chapter 6: Leading Up: The CEO’s Opportunity

Concepts and Application

Summary

Chapter 7: Leading Forward: The Board Chair's Opportunity

Concepts and Application

Summary

Chapter 8: Working with External Consultants

Concepts and Application

Summary

Chapter 9: Getting the Most from Assessment and Evaluation

Concepts and Application

Summary

Conclusion: Strategies and Resources for Success

Summary

Appendix: Tools and Resources

Tools

Team Ground Rules

Sample Communications Guidelines

Board Member Agreement

Board Orientation

Board of Directors' Meeting Evaluation Form

Resources

References

About the Authors

Index

End User License Agreement

List of Tables

Table 1.1

Table 2.1

Table 3.1

Table 3.2

Table 3.3

Table 4.1

Table 4.2

Table 4.3

List of Illustrations

Figure 1.1

Figure 1.2

Figure 2.1

Figure 5.1

Figure 5.2

Figure 5.3

Figure 5.4

Figure 5.5

Figure 6.1

Figure I.1

Figure I.2

Guide

Cover

Table of Contents

Begin Reading

Chapter 1

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Transformational Governance

How Boards Achieve Extraordinary Change

Beth Gazley and Katha Kissman

Cover design: Wiley

Copyright © 2015 by The American Society of Association Executives. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

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Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Gazley, Beth, 1961–

Transformational Governance: how boards achieve extraordinary change/Beth Gazley and Katha Kissman.

Pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-118-97672-2 (hardback); ISBN 978-1-118-97674-6 (ebk);

ISBN 978-1-118-97673-9 (ebk)

1. Boards of directors. 2. Nonprofit organizations—Management. 3. Organizational change. 4. Corporate governance. I. Kissman, Katha. II. Title.

HD2745.G39 2015

658.4′22—dc23

2015005241

Foreword

In my work with BoardSource, I often interact with individuals who are skeptical about the role that boards can play in advancing an organization's mission. Experiences with underperforming or dysfunctional boards have left them unconvinced about the positive value and potential for boards. They cite ineffective meetings, toxic interpersonal dynamics, and other all-too-common board frustrations; and they challenge the idea that investing in building an exceptional board is worth it, or even possible.

In our work, we aim to overcome this pessimism about the potential for boards and provide support to boards that are committed to strengthening their own impact. And each and every day we see boards that are making impressive and important leaps forward as they work to build their leadership potential and serve their missions better.

But the unfortunate fact remains that truly exceptional board leadership is not the norm—a reality documented in BoardSource's report, Leading with Intent: A National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices 2015. Leading with Intent found that, overall, boards received a performance rating average of B minus. This underwhelming review of board performance helps explain the uphill battle that we face when challenging boards to aspire for truly exceptional leadership. More nonprofit leaders—board and staff alike—have experienced poor or mediocre board performance than have seen the transformational potential of a truly exceptional board.

That is why the stories of transformative change outlined in Transformational Governance: How Boards Achieve Extraordinary Change are so powerful. They are proof positive that investing the time and energy that it takes to build a strong and effective board is not only possible, but worth it. The organizations profiled are on the other side of that hard work and can point to stronger financial results, more engaged membership communities, and more satisfied executive leadership as a result of the investment that they have made in thoughtful and intentional board change.

Transformational Governance is not, however, about defining a desired outcome and mapping the path to get there. Instead, it is a study of the path itself.

It paints a picture of what the process of transformative change can look like for a nonprofit board. Carefully documented case studies are presented against a backdrop of quantitative research on high-performing association boards and useful frameworks for understanding change and human behavior.

It shares how boards have been able to move past “the way things have always been” to find a new way of leading their organizations into the future. And it offers practical guidance and first-person advice about how to identify, build the case for, and implement change at the board level.

The insights and practical guidance that Transformational Governance provides enable each nonprofit leader to gather their own observations and ideas for creating board change, and offer tangible suggestions about how to anticipate and overcome potential road blocks. Drawing heavily from established frameworks for leading change, the book connects readers with a broader community of change leaders, and builds confidence that positive, mission-focused, and results-oriented change is possible.

The heroes in the book are the board and staff leaders who share—with tremendous vulnerability and candor—what it took for their boards to transform themselves. As you read their stories, you are invited into the challenges, frustrations, and eventual successes of their change processes. They share what worked and what to watch out for, what they wish they had known and what they might have done differently. The experience of reading their stories leaves you with the feeling that you've received trusted counsel from a friend or colleague.

They also share why their investment in board change was worth it, how it positioned them to serve their missions and their members better, how it enabled them to embrace new opportunities or address longstanding issues, and in many cases, why they wish they had started their change process sooner.

As a result of their transformative changes, many of the nonprofit leaders profiled also reported a new orientation to change itself. Instead of viewing themselves as being at the end of a change process, they had embraced change as a way of being. They described a new culture of openness and dynamism, a commitment to flexible and adaptive leadership, and an awareness that truly exceptional board leadership means never being done growing and changing.

That is the challenge to each of us as readers. Transformational Governance is a hopeful and optimistic statement about the power of nonprofit board leadership. And it is a gentle but powerful call to action to nonprofit leaders. Strong board leadership is not only possible; it is worth the effort. And it's what our missions deserve.

Anne Wallestad

President and CEO

BoardSource

Acknowledgments

This book came about due to the vision and stewardship of the ASAE Foundation and John Wiley & Sons, Inc. In particular, the authors would like to thank Keith Skillman, CAE, vice president, publications, ASAE; Sharon Moss, PhD, CRA, CAE, chief research officer, and Chelsea Killam, director, research, both of the ASAE Foundation, along with the members of the ASAE Research Foundation Research Committee; and also Alison Hankey, former executive editor, Business Management, John Wiley & Sons, and Matthew Davis, senior editor, Wiley Business.