Question #1 – Is Your Board Fully Prepared to Carry Out its Responsibilities?

Rick Maloney

(49 Questions to Ask Your Board)

“Be Prepared. That’s the motto…When someone has an accident, you are prepared because of your first aid instruction. Because of lifesaving practice, you might be able to save a non-swimmer who has fallen into deep water… [You should be prepared] to become productive citizens and to give happiness to other people…to be ready in mind and body for any struggles, and to meet with a strong heart whatever challenges might lie ahead. Be prepared ‘for life’- to live happily and without regret, knowing that you have done your best.“

– Scouts BSA1

Preparing to govern as a school board is a never-ending responsibility with a necessary and ongoing regimen of self-assessment, study, professional development, and practice. Boards must be ready, as the scout handbook suggests, “in mind and body.” Experienced advice for school boards mirrors this sentiment:

“On readiness for the job, experienced board members have often cited as one of the hardest lessons to learn: ‘Realizing that no matter what you think you know about board service when you first come on board, you still have a lot to learn.'”

– NSBA2

Board Readiness to govern is a board responsibility that sets the stage for carrying out its more observable responsibilities in three areas: Strategic Voice [giving voice to the community’s values and vision – both an outward (advocacy) voice and an inward (policy) voice]; Operational Guidance [providing policy guidance for the superintendent’s management role, the board’s governance role, and individual board members’ boardsmanship role];  and Accountability [assuring on behalf of the community that the district, the board itself, and its individual board members are held accountable for fulfilling their responsibilities.]

framework governance juggler domains Board Readiness Strategic Voice Operational Guidance Accountability

A Metaphor for Readiness: Getting set to ‘juggle’ board priorities and perform the board’s governance functions

Think of the board’s responsibility for Board Readiness as if the board is a juggler who must first get a stable footing, prepared to keep its other major responsibilities ‘in the air’ and operating simultaneously.

Board Readiness assures that the board is able to answer questions about the board’s purpose.

Before carrying out its major governance responsibilities, a board should be ready to do the job. It should know with clarity what its job is. It should define its board role and orient itself (and all others in the district) to that role. Everyone in the organization should understand the unique nature of a board whose purpose is to “stand in” for the community, serving as trustee for community members, fully ready to serve on their behalf. If it adopts the right mindset the board increases its chances of success, for the board and all those whom it governs, ultimately impacting students. If it takes the time to develop a sound approach to the job it is unlikely to get distracted from its purpose or fall into board dysfunction. A dysfunctional board, in turn, fails to contribute to the district’s desired student outcomes because it gives undue influence to adult interests that get in the way of student learning.

A common saying is that every time a new board member is sworn in a new board is formed. If so, ensuring board readiness is an ongoing responsibility that bears renewal every time the board takes in a new member. Board readiness, therefore, is not a one-time event, to be checked off as an item on a checklist and then forgotten. It is essential that everyone in the organization fully understand the board’s role and appreciate the responsibility, authority, and accountability inherent in that role, and the responsibility, authority, and accountability of every role throughout the organization. Even when there is no turnover in its individual members, boards should routinely set aside time to review its own performance, reflect on progress, refresh its motivation, and reset its bearings. This is the most important reason to schedule regular board retreats, during which the board can renew its overall readiness by refreshing its governance mindset and reset its intended strategic approach.

The two primary components of Board Readiness are Governance Mindset and Strategic Approach.

Governance Mindset means having a clear understanding of the purpose of the governance function and appreciating the strong connection of the governance role with organizational success. Campbell and Fuller advocate that the school board create and maintain a governance mindset that includes “focusing on children, watching the budget, keeping a long-term perspective, preserving a positive organizational culture, assuring accountability, and informing constituents.”3 Crabill advocates for a board mindset that believes “student outcomes won’t change until my behaviors change” and cautions that without it “…nothing else – none of the knowledge, none of the skills…”4 will enable you to achieve the outcomes you seek for students. Underlying all of these is a willingness to fully embrace the board’s responsibility.

Strategic Approach is defined as the systemic and systematic way in which an effective board goes about its business, systemic because it governs a system in which any change in one part of the system can be expected to impact other parts of the system, so careful consideration of possible unintended consequences is important in governing decisions, and the board goes about its job in a systematic fashion, taking one step at a time and following a process that the board has decided to follow. A board goes about its business by creating and then maintaining a long-term, strategic level vision with measurable outcomes and clear performance expectations, following through with monitoring to assure desired outcomes are achieved (at least assuring reasonable progress toward those desired outcomes) and expectations are met about how those outcomes are pursued, and taking constructive action in response to monitoring, adjusting and making corrections in order to assure future success.

NOTE: The opinions expressed in these blog entries are informed by references cited herein, and the experiences of the author. Your comments are welcome additions to the conversation.

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NEXT: #2 – Does Your Board Have a Governance Mindset?