What is it about September and non-profits? I get that we want to give volunteers the summer off and don't want to waste time getting back in the groove. But in the 4-day week that followed Labour Day, for example, I had 3 Board meetings, 1 joint Board facilitation, 1 Board orientation/training, and 1 Board social. So as a favour to those of us who serve (or serve on) multiple boards, feel free to use other days in September to get your people back on track. This has been a public service announcement on behalf of people who can't say NO.
     I hope your September was sane and happy. Now onto October. I love that October has designated a "count your buttons" day. I used to pretend that buttons were money. This probably came from me wanting something and my mom saying, "And how will I pay for it? With buttons?!"
    I used to love playing in the button tin (an old coffee can). I'd sort them by colour for different monetary denominations and then play store, or top up the bank in the Monopoly game. I still have a small bottle that contains five green velvet buttons that came off my mom's favourite dress. In my world, each of those was worth A THOUSAND DOLLARS!
     These days I don't go out of my way to collect buttons like some friends do, but I enjoy having mason jars full of them in my office because to me they signify bounty and abundance. Plus they're really pretty to look at. So guess what I'll be doing on October 21st?

     September saw me continuing my three year quest to clear out my "stuff." I am pleased to say that, with help, I tackled my storage locker, the garage, and the shed. It is glorious to see how much space I have and how light I feel having rid myself of so many things that no longer serve me. Next up: my supply cabinet!

     And speaking of cabinet, things are finally opening up following the review of Alberta's agencies, boards, and commissions. I am all for Alberta's ABCs reflecting the diversity in our province; however, I hope those making the appointments understand that not everyone understands governance, and I really hope this doesn't end up as tokenism. If you are in Alberta and interested in serving on an ABC check out the new website www.alberta.ca/alberta-boards.aspx

     As I mentioned last month, I set a goal for myself to run the Insane Inflatable 5k. If you know me at all, you know I haven't run since 1997 in the Yukon (I wasn't in a hurry back then!). I knew it would take something awesome to make me run again, and awesome arrived in the form of a dozen inflatable obstacles. Hey, if running (or walking) 5k is what it takes to be able to play in bouncy castles, then I'm gonna do the 5k! Click Here. A special shout out to my trainer Carrie Habinski who made sure I achieved my goals of a) completing; b) having fun; and c) not dying. By the way, I still don't really like running. So I am going to walk into October at a sensible pace and take time to look at the beautiful autumn leaves. I hope you can do that, too.            
    

/lmwe 

Spoiler alert: I love this idea! It comes from BoardSource, an organization with terrific resources for the NFP sector.

Are your board committee structures cumbersome? Stale? A zero-based committee structure forces your board to constantly reevaluate its work. Here's how:

1. The board starts each year (or every two years) with a clean slate of NO committees.

2. At the beginning of the year, the board determines its organizational strategy and priorities.
3. Then the board establishes committees/task forces based on current needs.
4. Each group understandings it will disband once its objective is met or when the board decides.

Obviously, under some legislation (e.g., professions) certain committees are required. But other than that, there's nothing (besides a tweak to your bylaws) stopping you from trying something new.

Are your board committees working well? BoardSource suggests asking these questions to find out:

 

1. Do board members feel their participation in committees gives them a way to contribute that board meetings don't provide?

2. Does every board member have a chance to be involved in committee work?

3. Do board committees foster (or hinder) board-staff cooperation? Deepen the board's understanding of the issues?

4. Do all work groups have an objective? A life span?

5. Are board members confused about committees' roles?

6. Are committees duplicating another committee's work? Staff's work?

7. Has a committee completed its objective and taken on work that may not have been sanctioned by the board?

8. Are board members being stretched thin by so many committees?

9. Are some committees too large/small to be effective?

10. Can some standing committees be turned into task forces with a specific objective and time frame?

11. Are board committees focused on policy and strategic

work? Or operations (i.e., staff's work)?

12. If you have an executive committee, are all board members

comfortable with the role it is playing? Does anyone feel the

committee is acting in place of the board?

BoardSource further advises to KEEP IT SIMPLE:

• Limit the number of committees/task forces;
• Make sure each committee has a significant job to do (or disband it);
• Make sure they relate to the mission, strategy, and priorities; have a reporting structure; have no liability issues;
• Make sure the work cannot be handled by one board member working with staff;
• Give each work group an objective (and have the board agree on that objective);
• Keep the committee structure out of the bylaws (just a provision the the board may establish and disband committees as needed to support its work);
• Lay some ground rules, especially about communication with the board.

Let me know if you are doing anything interesting with your committees. Good luck!

/lmwe  

     A piece by Stuart R. Levine appeared in Forbes (August 28, 2016) about being prepared for board meetings. Levine's focus is on corporate boards, but as usual, there are some take-aways for the non-profit sector. Levine says, "Last year (ref: 2015-2016 NACD Public Company Survey report), directors spent an average of 248 hours on board-related matters - or approximately one full month a year." Gone are the times we'd spend one day a year on strategy. Now boards must make strategy an ongoing agenda item "in order to identify new opportunities and to manage risk."

     Participating in a board room setting with nine or so people is an "intimate collaborative experience, requiring mutual trust and the sharing of ideas in an open and non-threatening manner." As such, it is obvious when someone is not prepared.
     N ot being prepared is reputational risk (and bad for the organization, of course). Boards and organizations are looking for people who are willing to do the work and contribute to shareholder/member value. So preparation and strategic thinking - not only reading the agenda package and showing up - are your responsibility. Participating in strategic conversations is the definition of board service.
     The bottom line is serving on boards, is not just showing up. It requires a commitment of intellect, time, and the capacity to continuously learn. Here's the article Click Here

     I read an interesting article on the results of an Ipsos Read study by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Apparently, we (Canadians) don't really understand the impact of the proposed changes to the Canada Pension Plan. For that matter, we don't really understand how the CPP works now. Here are some highlights from the survey:

* Almost 40% of the respondents think the government pays for part of CPP (only one in four know it's not true).

* Only 25% know it will take about 40 years before the full increase in (the proposed) benefits is available.

* More than 70% of Canadians don't realize that current retirees get nothing from CPP expansion.

* Over 25% of those already retired believe they will see bigger CPP cheques as a result of the deal.

     This seems like something that's important to understand. Here's the entire article from Plant magazine (for Canada's manufacturing sector): Click Here