Governing Effectively via a Framework for School Governance
Dealing with the Board’s Limitations Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. – Leo Tolstoy Recently I described some limitations that can get in the way of board effectiveness, and offered ideas about: Board voice – Unless we “speak” as a board and in writing, what we say as board members has little impact. We should use the power of our “board voice” by putting it in writing; The board – Respect “the board” Read More …
What’s Wrong With (Too Many) Boards? 8 Lessons for Improving Board Performance “A [board’s] got to know [its] limitations.” – Dirty Harry Ok, so Harry wasn’t a board member. He didn’t go in for collective action – he acted alone, one man standing against ‘system’. Maybe Harry never uttered these exact words, but if he were advising a board, he might have. If a board is to govern effectively, it must understand its own limitations and develop a strategy for Read More …
“ἐπὶ δηλήσει δὲ καὶ ἀδικίῃ εἴρξειν (Do no harm)” – Hippocratic oath The first action a public board member takes upon being elected or appointed is to swear (or affirm) an oath of office, as prescribed in law, that promises among other things to support the constitution. Even private boards have a ceremony in which the new member is encouraged to dedicate their efforts to the best interests of the whole enterprise. We tend to think in terms of what Read More …