Our Board Governance Services
Ensuring Effective Leadership and Direction
At The Governance Group, we empower Boards to govern with clarity and confidence. Our highly interactive workshops and collaborative support help Boards establish and refine governance best practices. Because we understand that each Board is at a different stage of maturity and effectiveness, we partner with you to assess your Board’s current state and guide its development in a supportive and structured manner. Our personalized approach addresses your Board’s unique needs, ensuring your team is equipped to govern with conviction and effectiveness.
Workshops Offered
Introduction to Board Governance
This four- to five-hour facilitated training session is perfect for new Board member orientation and serves as an excellent refresher for existing members familiar with best practices in Board governance. This dynamic workshop aligns all participants with the essential work required for an effective Board, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
- Topics covered in this training workshop include:
- Introducing the topic of governance through the Board Governance Game
- Orienting participants to the Governing Effectively training booklet (provided to each participant)
- Reviewing and discussing the Governing Principles for Board Directors
- Providing an overview of the Six Elements of Governing
- Clarifying the roles and responsibilities of Boards, Board Directors, the Board Chair, Officers and the Executive Director
- Reviewing fiduciary duties and conflict of interest guidelines
- Considering key factors when creating committees and task forces
- Reviewing the governing infrastructure required for successful organizations
- Applying agenda development, policy development, planning processes, terms of reference documents and reporting/monitoring practices
Advancing Leadership and Board Culture
This four- to five-hour workshop emphasizes two key elements of successful Boards: cultivating an effective Board culture and developing an annual work plan. Through a pre-workshop survey and group discussions, we gain valuable insights into each Director’s communication style and its impact on group success. In interactive breakout sessions, we collaboratively define the desired Board culture and affirm commitment from each Director toward the ongoing governance process.
- Key components of this workshop include:
- Conducting a pre-workshop communication style survey
- Reviewing fiduciary, strategic and generative modes of governance
- Discussing the desired attributes of highly effective Boards
- Establishing the cultural norms of the most effective Boards
- Mapping out important events and processes in the upcoming annual Board calendar
- Setting governance objectives for the Board to consider for the upcoming year
Governing Policy Development
A key responsibility of Boards is developing governance policy. While many Boards have policies, few effectively use them to enhance governance. Often, policies become forgotten or relegated to a dusty manual in the Chief Executive’s office. High-functioning Boards, however, recognize policy as a vital tool for guiding their governance responsibilities and decision-making. In this four- to five-hour workshop, participants will gain a clear understanding of governing policy, explore our development approach and learn how to apply it effectively in their governance work.
Key components of this workshop include:
- Defining governing policy (especially versus operational policies/procedures)
- Reviewing the three categories of governing policy – Board Operations, Executive Director Relationship and Organizational (staff, volunteers, partners, contractors)
- Exploring a simple process for policy development
- Understanding the roles of committees, Board Directors and Executive Directors in policy development
Governance Consulting
Whether your Board needs help with smaller, specific items related to governing policy and process or requires a full governance review and modernization process, we have the expertise, tools and methods to support you effectively.
Specific areas of support include:
- Governance practices assessment
- Board meeting assessment
- Board governance manual development
- Governing policy development
- Governance committee development
- Board work plan development
- Board effectiveness assessment
“Governance Best Practices” Defined
The Governance Best Practices approach draws on insights from highly effective non-profit Boards across North America. At its core, this approach emphasizes that a critical role of the Board and senior staff is to provide leadership for the organization. For the Board and its Directors, this means ‘steering’ rather than ‘rowing’ – leading by setting a clear direction and defining the organization’s goals.
This approach also involves establishing standards of organizational conduct, creating guidelines to direct the work of Board Directors, staff and volunteers, and overseeing the organization’s performance. It includes protecting the organization’s interests, ensuring its financial sustainability and supporting effective communication while remaining attuned to stakeholder expectations, needs and interests.
Interested in improving your Board’s governance practices? Contact us for a free consultation.
A Governance Best Practices approach provides the Board with a comprehensive framework for governing.
This framework consists of six key elements:
- Providing guidance and direction for the organization
- Establishing standards of organizational conduct through policy development
- Overseeing and monitoring organizational performance
- Ensuring the organization’s financial health and sustainability
- Protecting the interests of the organization
- Promoting knowledge of stakeholder expectations, needs, concerns and interests, and building effective relationships
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