Who is in Charge in Government?

A city councilor in the United States recently asked me how she could increase her interaction with the residents of the city so she better understood their hopes and needs without stepping on the toes of the mayor who was elected by the public as the senior full-time staff person. This reminded me of [...]

Board Chair’s Authority

I have recently observed diverse practices in the fulfilling of the board chair’s role, from exercising too little authority, to appropriate authority, to too much authority. In most cases the intent of the board chair is to serve, not to exert personal control. However, a clear understanding of who is to be served [...]

Managing Board Change

“We’ll appoint a committee to handle the changes in our governance structure so all the board members don’t have to invest so much time in the process”, suggest the boards of many organizations who are planning governance overhauls or mergers. While a committee can increase the board’s efficiency by researching options, collecting feedback from [...]

Beyond the Boardroom

“What the board members do outside the boardroom is even more important than what they do in the boardroom” a seasoned board member recently commented to me. There is a lot of truth in this statement. It is only during a board meeting that board members have authority to make decisions for the [...]