General Steps for Implementing Policy Governance®

Provided by Out of the Woods Consulting

1.  Provide a thorough Policy Governance® orientation to your entire board and key staff members.

2.  Hold a board discussion and take formal action to adopt Policy Governance and proceed with policy development.

3.  Hold a retreat(s) for board and key staff members to:

a.  Personalize initial policies

i.  Board-President Delegation Quadrant

ii. Executive Limitations Quadrant

iii.  Governance Process Quadrant

b.  Build initial annual board agenda and transition completion plan

i.  Policy monitoring cycle

ii. Ownership linkage input strategy

iii.  Ends policy development and completion strategy

iv.  Committee refocusing (as necessary)

4.  Complete a legal check and cross check against existing board policies.

5.  Set a date(s) to activate new policies.

6.  Determine board’s 1 year agenda for developing formal Ends Policies including:

a.  planning meetings

b.  Input meetings with ownership, experts, and staff to develop policies.

7.  Engage in private coaching for president, the board chairperson, the board as a whole, and with new board committees to assure a successful transition.

The consultant’s role is to manage entire governance process transition:

·  Thoroughly orient board to the Policy Governance® model.

·  Plan and facilitate policy development retreat(s). Follow-though on policy refinement process with key staff and board.

·  Assist board to gather owner and expert input in order to develop their comprehensive Ends (“desired College results”) policies.

·  Assist board to develop their comprehensive annual work calendar.

·  Work with President and senior management on monitoring report development until competent and confident.

·  Work with board chair to develop new leadership skills and behaviors (about 4 months).

·  Observe and coach board meetings to enforce new governing behaviors (at least 3 meetings).

·  Work with chairs of any newly formed board-level committees to establish agendas.

More about Policy Governance®

Reading list:

Getting Started with Policy Governance Bringing Purpose, Integrity, and Efficiency to Your Board by Caroline Oliver

On Board Leadership by John Carver

The Board Member’s Playbook by Miriam Carver & Bill Charney

Boards that Make a Difference (second edition) by John Carver

Carver Guides Published by Jossey-Bass and written by John Carver

Reinventing Your Board by John Carver & Miriam Mayhew Carver

Corporate Boards That Create Value by John Carver with Caroline Oliver

On the web:

www.outofthewoodsconsulting.com

Check on upcoming seminars, speaking engagements or contact for services.

www.policygovernanceassociation.org

A place to make connections with other organizations realizing the many benefits of governing with excellence.

www.ourboardroom.com

Our Boardroom Inc. designs and develops internet-based tools for boards of directors in both the corporate and not-for-profit marketplace to manage their governance responsibilities.

www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Policy_Governance

For those curious as to how Policy Governance came into existence.