I Believe In Fairness, Fun, And Sharing What I’ve Learned With The People Who Make This Planet A Great Place To Live |
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Issue 119, January 2021
Hello and Happy New Year!
"You're on Mute" -- Quote from 2020
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I'm in good company being disappointed by altered Christmas plans, and in having found ways to make the best of it. I can visit family in Ontario (and across town, for that matter) another time. The solitude -- most of it anyway -- has been good for me, and my December included plenty of cool, happy things.
The last board meetings of 2020 were completed, and staff and volunteers are getting a well-deserved break. Various groups held on-line holiday socials, to varying degrees of success. Let's face it, eating together via Zoom isn't as good an idea as it first seemed. Kind of gross, actually. But sharing a beverage? Now that's a good use of the technology!
In our lockdowns, it has become even more important to support local businesses. While we can't go in person, curbside pickup and delivery are now the norm instead of the exception. It all helps, even if it doesn't meet our "social" needs. Many organizations turned to on-line auctions for the fundraisers and I helped where I could.
I accessed an on-line baking session with Chef Anna Olsen and the Hot Chocolate Nanaimo Bars were delicious. The cookies and bread I baked on my own were less successful, but not disgraceful. I also attended the year-end wind up hosted by Speakers Spotlight and was thoroughly entertained and engaged from my own home. I now see that organizations need not delay their conferences and events. There is a way to do it, and do it well.
Having been so impressed with what Speakers Spotlight did, I bought a ticket to see Gordon Lightfoot live from the El Mocambo. It was so worth it. If not for virtual concerts, I would miss out entirely ...and there is no need to miss out on music.
I am not from the "Baby Beluga" generation, but I caught a CBC interview with Raffi. He seems like a good citizen of the world and I'll pay closer attention from now on.
See next column
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I participated in 2 advent calendars featuring craft beer. I had awesome partners and brews ranging from mind-blowingly-delicious to, well, the opposite of that. There were only a handful I'd tasted before, and that speaks to vibrancy of this emerging and creative industry. Oh, and I built a sweet blanket fort in the living room!
December was also good for professional development, and I attended some great webinars. One was on skills for having civil and kind conversations (Crucial Conversations). I had several take-aways from this and I'll share two.
- Unlike in face-to-face interactions where you are in the moment and need to respond, on social media you have time to think before you push SEND. Use the time.
- As soon as you post on social media, it is an open invitation for others to disagree with you. This a rule of social media. If you are not interested in debate, find another outlet.
No exaggeration -- my life got more peaceful just recognizing these two things. How can you find more peace and civility in your interactions?
/lmwe
“And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.” -
- Rainer Maria Rilke
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December 21, 2020 marked the winter solstice and our entry into the Age of Aquarius. More than just a great song from a ground-breaking musical ( HAIR) , this is said to bring a positive shift in the world; more "we", less "me."
I wont get all woo-woo with you. I just like to welcome new beginnings as often as they are offered, not just on January 01. What hopes do you have for yourself in 2021?
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Identifying and Fixing Dysfunctional Boards |
In Spotting and Fixing Dysfunctional Nonprofit Boards (Stanford Social Innovation Review, October 05/20), Alex Counts draws on a life that is parallel to mine -- 3-decades of personal experience with boards, living the same board stuff at the same time. Our conclusions are the same, but let's hear from him. Counts says there are 3 kinds of unsuccessful governing bodies:
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Rubber Stamp Board: Board is a cheerleader and approves whatever management puts forward.
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Micromanaging Board: Board takes on management roles as well as governs, resulting in disempowered management.
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Balkanized Board: Board consists of people who are concerned about only one part of the organization.
Counts notes that hybrids of these exist and can do reasonably well, but in crisis a board's effectiveness is hampered. Counts also talks a bit about the problems of homogeneous boards and the benefits of diversifying directors. I am with him on all these observations.
In addressing the three problem boards, Counts says, "Once a board becomes dysfunctional, turning it around requires immense effort and patience. The usual remedies -- self-evaluation, external review, a retreat, term limits, and recruitment of new directors -- are often ineffectual or lead to improvements that are difficult to sustain. It takes far more to get a rubber stamp board to assert itself, to persuade a micromanaging board to back off, or to inspire all members of a Balkanized board to care about the entire organization." He recommends looking for these red flags and dealing with them ASAP.
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Misplaced Loyalty. A director's loyalty must be to the organization and its mission, but it's not unusual to see loyalty to the CEO, the founder, or a program. Counts suggests (and I agree) that once a board member is informed enough to have defensible positions on organizational matters, there is an obligation to advocate for those views on the nonprofit's best interests, no matter who might be offended.
See next column
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Usurping Management Functions. "Board members who are used to being decision-makers and leaders in their regular jobs are especially prone to acting is if they are or should be in charge." When board members work with staff, they are volunteers who happen to be board members. They help, advise, learn -- not supervise or direct.
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Unexamined Performance. "Undiscussed differences in opinion between board members can gestate into deep resentments that trigger a crisis or drive people away." The board can and should have a group that addresses each director's performance and provides feedback.
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Stifled Dissent. "Passionate debate and non-unanimous votes are a signal of a strong, not weak, governing body." I wish more board Chairs understood this! Critical thinking and constructive debate should be encouraged.
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Tolerating Misbehaviour. You don't need Counts or me to give examples of this. You've seen it. Counts says, "Confronting these situations is challenging, but turning a blind eye only normalizes and reinforces unprofessional actions." I say, "Deal with it."
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Accepting Balkanization. "Serving on a governing body demands the embrace of all parts of an organization...otherwise the board will devolve into competing camps that disrupt cohesion." Counts suggests directors argue against their favoured programs if they no longer make strategic sense (and I agree).
There is much to unpack in this article and in our own experiences. I hope you find something helpful here that will contribute to improving your board's performance.
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Some People Who Made My Life Better in December |
Leslie Arnott, David Cheoros, Brian Edwards, Leo Ezerins, Flummunity, Liz Garratt, Russ Heppell, Dave Hughes, Brad Kane, Kim Hunter Lee, Lynn & Don MacAskill, Sherrill Mcgilvray, Jenny/Adesh/Aliya Narine, Lori Schmidt, Sheila Steger, Ralph Suppa, Lindy Tuppen, Elana & Jason West, Gerry West, Chris Wood & Bobby Fitzgerald, Jill Wood & William Hutt, Peter & Helga Wood, Rob/Ginny/Emily Wood, Santa
"What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult to each other?" -- George Eliot
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7 Rules of Zoom Meeting Etiquette
This article by Betsy Morris in the Wall Street Journal provides some timely reminders. Here's a summary and here's the article:
- Don't be late
- Turn on the camera
- Sit still
- No eating
- Get good at interrupting
- Close the office door
- Don't multitask
It take's discipline, that's for sure. There are areas where I certainly have room for improvement. How about you?
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Some Quotes I Like
"Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow; The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false,
ring in the true." -- Alfred Tennyson
"There's nothing else I would rather do, unless there was a profession that involved cuddling bunny rabbits and kittens all day for money." -- Kat Dennings
"'Love is sharing your popcorn." -- Charles M. Schulz
"It is a great mistake for men to give up paying compliments, for when they give up saying what is charming, they give up thinking what is charming." -- Oscar Wilde
"Failures are infinitely more instructive than successes."
-- George Clooney
"Just knowing you don't have the answers is a recipe for humility, openness, acceptance, forgiveness, and an eagerness to learn -- and those are all good things." -- Dick Van Dyke
"The fact that you can only do a little is no excuse
for doing nothing." -- John Le Carre
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"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called opportunity and
its first chapter is New Year's Day." -- Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Step into 2021 with love, hope, and kindness.
Linda & LUE-42 Enterprises #BeKind
(As ever, with fond acknowledge to Douglas Adams &
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy)
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Linda Wood Edwards
P.O. Box 11021, Station Main,
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3K3
780.918.4200
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