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Creating an Exceptional Governing Board

Maher Budeir

Balanced Leadership Institute

Certified Boardsource® Governance Trainer

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Resources

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Our Goal – Exceptional Board

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Plans, Anticipates, Sees opportunities

Exceptional

Strategic, Plans, Fiscal

Responsible

No real consequence

Functional

Conflict

Disengaged

Dysfunctional

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AGENDA

  • What is Governance?
  • Board Responsibilities
  • Partnership of the Board and Principal
  • The Board role in Fund Raising
  • Board Building Cycle
  • Special Topics:
    • Decision Making
    • Board Structure
    • Board Meetings
    • Board Assessment and Board Performance
    • Getting the Board members engaged

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Section 1: What is Governance?

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Management

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Organizational Components

  • Services
    • Programs
      • Events

$$$

Governance - Boundary – Policy – Direction – Long term Planning - Oversight

Governance - Boundary – Policy – Direction – Long term Planning - Oversight

Systems

Systems

Governance

Governance

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Organizational Lifecycle

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Concept

Startup

Growth

Maturity

Decline

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Organizational Development

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Development Stage

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Startup

Growth

Maturity

Decline

Programs

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Governance

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Management

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Resources

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Administrative Systems

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Components

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SECTION 2: Board Responsibilities

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The 10 Basic Board Responsibilities

  1. Develop Vision, Mission and Purpose.
  2. Ensure proper strategic planning
  3. Select the Principal
  4. Ensure Necessary Financial Resources
  5. Build a competent Board
  6. Enhance the school standing
  7. Strengthen programs and services
  8. Protect assets
  9. Ensure legal and ethical integrity
  10. Support the Principal

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Governance vs. Management

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Strategic

Operational/Tactical

Long Term

Short Term

Central Organizing Statement

Day to day Actions

What and How

How

Doing the right thing

Doing things right

Concept

Tools for Implementation

Considers Compound, indirect, and cumulative effect.

Considers immediate results.

Defines philosophy and values

Comply/adhere to philosophy and values

Overall Direction

Specific methods and tools

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Board role and responsibilities

  • Exercise

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Building an Exceptional Board

Break!

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SECTION 3: Creating a Board-Principal Partnership.

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Shared Responsibilities

  • Board Engagement vs. Principal Engagement (Flip Chart)

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OBSERVATION

LEADERSHIP

ATTENDANCE

MICROMANAGEMENT

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Shared Responsibilities

  • Levels of Responsibility
    • A – Principal Should check with Board prior to doing.
    • B – Principal Should notify the board but can proceed.
    • C – Principal can proceed, it is a sole responsibility and precedent was set.

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Shared Leadership

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School Administration

Religious Affairs

Board

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Board/Imam/ED Partnership

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Constructive Partnership

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Communication between the Principal and Board is open and honest.

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There is effective collaboration between the Principal and Board on major decisions.

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The Principal actively involves the Board in leading the organization.

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The Board openly discusses and challenges recommendations made by the Principal.

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I can share and discuss my mistakes with the board without fear they will hold them against me.

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Board members help develop each other’s strengths.

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Section 4: The Board Role in Fund Raising

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Board Role in Fund Raising

  • Strategic Revenue and Financial Planning:
    • Identifying the different revenue streams.
    • Purposely determining which streams to pursue.
    • Determine what portion of the revenue will each stream provide.

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Board Role in Fund Raising

  • Major Steps in Fund Raising:
    • Identify
    • Cultivate
    • Solicit (the ASK)
    • Steward
  • Different Board members are more comfortable participating in doing soliciting. But every Board member must participate in the other three steps: identify potential donors, cultivate potential donors, and steward donors after their participation to help them become frequent donors.

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Section 5: building a competent Board.

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Board Building Cycle

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1. Identify and 2. Cultivate

  • Identify individuals with needed skills and characteristics
  • Connect them to the organization
  • Get them interested in the organization.

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3. Recruit

  • Describe What is needed and why they could be a good fit.
  • Explain responsibilities
  • Explain Expectations
  • Keep diversity in mind while recruiting (all types of diversity)

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4. Orient

  • Organization
    • History
    • Programs
    • Pressing Issues
    • Finances
    • Facilities
    • Org. Structure
  • Board:
    • Board members
    • Committee structure
    • List of key staff
    • Bylaws
    • Policies
    • Recent minutes

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5. Involve

  • Discover their interests and availability
  • Involve them in committees and task forces
  • Assign them a Board mentor
  • Hold everyone accountable
  • Express appreciation

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6.Educate

  • Mission related matters
  • Explore issues facing the organization
  • Encourage board development activities
  • Don’t hide difficulties or challenges.

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7. Evaluate

  • Both individual and collective board assessment
  • Offer opportunities for self assessment
  • Examine how Board members and Principal collaborate.

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8. Rotate, 9. Celebrate

  • Establish term limit
  • Develop new leaders
  • Recognize victories and progress
  • Celebrate accomplishments
  • Appreciate individual contributions.

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Board Building Cycle

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Building an Exceptional Board

Break!

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SECTION 6: Special Topics

Decision Making

Board Structure

Board Meetings

Board Performance and Assessment

Getting Board Members Engaged

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Decision Making

  • What decision making process is followed?
  • Whose decision is it?
  • Consistency is essential
  • Setting the tone for the organization
  • Inclusiveness and genuine consultation is a sign of strength not weakness.

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Board Structure

  • Board Officers:
    • Chair
    • Secretary
    • Treasurer
    • Vice Chair?
  • Board Committees
    • Governance Committee/ Election Committee
    • Business/Finance Committee
    • Executive Committee
  • Q&A on Board Structure

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Board Meetings

  • Frequency and length of meetings of a well-functioning school Board.
  • How to build the Board Agenda
  • Who is responsible for developing the Board agenda
  • How to conduct a successful meeting.
  • What are the Board member responsibilities before, during and after a Board meeting.
  • Should Board meetings be open to all?
  • When is it OK to have an Executive (closed) Meeting?
  • Q&A on Board Meetings

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Board Performance and Board Assessment

  • Who is the Board accountable for?
  • How do we make sure the Board is held accountable?
  • How is the Board assessment conducted.
  • Sample Board self-assessment
  • Refer to the 10 Basic Board responsibilities
  • Discussion
  • Q&A on Board Assessment

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Board Member Engagement

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Indicators of Board engagements

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Board members listen attentively to each other

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Each Board member contributes unique prospective on issues under consideration

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At Board meetings, different individuals take the lead on topics or issues.

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The majority of the Board members are active in overseeing and governing the organization.

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Generally, the majority of the board members participate in the discussion rather than a few individuals.

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Board members help develop each other’s strengths.

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Q&A

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Resources

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