In my last post I asserted that effective governing boards are ones that keep their primary focus upon ends rather than means. Job one for a board’s ends orientation is the responsibility to prayerfully establish, regularly revisit, and consistently apply the institution’s mission statement to gauging institutional priorities and possibilities.
Allocating a board’s attention
Good boards are also mindful of the need to balance the allocation of their time and attention between matters of more immediate and rather narrow concern and those of longer and broader concern. One conceptual framework I find can really help boards to think about and plan for such balance is proposed by Chait, Ryan and Taylor in their 2004 book, Governance as Leadership. Boards that lead, rather than simply manage, consciously allocate time and attention across the following domains:
— Ralph Enlow | 4thoughtleaders Blog