By Judith A. Hale, PhD, CPT, CACP, CDT, ibstpi Fellow An accreditation is a credential, a mark of excellence, that is given to organizations, programs, and products that meet standards. For comparison, certifications are given to people who can demonstrate they know or can do something to standard. In both cases, the standards must…
Accreditation: What It Means By Judith A. Hale, PhD, CPT, CACP, CDT, ibstpi Fellow An accreditation is a credential, a mark of excellence, that is given to organizations, programs, and products that meet standards. For comparison, certifications are given to people who can demonstrate they know or can do something to standard. In…
By Bill Pawlucy, CAE and BJ Colvin A high functioning, strategic board requires the ability for it to be introspective and capable of self-reflecting on its overall performance. It is by no means an easy task to accomplish regardless of the board’s size or composition. Let’s consider the difficulty staff often encounter when conducting self-evaluations…
By Bob Harris, CAE “Committees begin the year with enthusiasm. They receive assignments from the board and authority from the bylaws. An orientation and policies point them in the right direction. Volunteer groups supplement the work of the board, vet ideas, engage members, and develop future leaders. They can tackle tough issues, create new programs…
By Bob Harris, CAE “In a regional webinar on good governance the chief elected president said, ‘Bob taught us these practices years ago. We adopted them and now have a more efficient board.’ When meeting with boards I ask how the governance routines came about. The common answer, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’…
By Bob Harris, CAE “An association or chamber needs a dedicated group of leaders working together to advance a cause or mission. Nonprofit organizations have served the USA for more than 150 years. With 1.5 million nonprofit, exempt organizations, the common traits are the purpose of advancing a mission and volunteer leadership team. Good governance…
Two board members walk out of the association’s planning session. One of them says, “Great session but who’s going to do the work?” The other board member offers, “I don’t really know but those cookies were amazing!” Too often there is no good understanding and closure around the roles of governance and management after a…
By Bob Harris, CAE “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” is a phrase used to promote a positive attitude during adversity. The lemons represent the sourness or difficulties. Making lemonade is turning them into something positive or desirable. Many executives are making lasting improvements during the pandemic adversity. A discussion I recently had with…
I am following up on the article that was published here in March 2019 about Managing Your Board’s Expectations and Your Staff’s Workload During Strategic Planning. I will be writing from experience as to why I have left a few boards because the demand on my time was interfering with my professional and personal life.…
By Bob Harris, CAE The directors griped, “We start the meeting with the first order of business being approval of the previous minutes. An hour is wasted talking about what we did at the last meeting and whether the information is accurate.” Losing the first hour of a board meeting is deflating. The directors arrive…
