TOOL 11 – Monthly Dashboard Report

What Are Your CEO’s Top-5 Goals This Year?

Peter Drucker warned, “If you have more than five goals, you have none.”

Michael Hyatt’s book on goals, Your Best Year Ever, cautions about sloppy goal-setting:

“Goals poorly formulated
are goals easily forgotten.”

Gary Keller, author of The ONE Thing, notes: “Individuals who wrote their goals and sent progress reports to friends were 76.7 percent more likely to achieve them.”


So…when it comes to goal-setting in your ministry, does your CEO embrace “S.M.A.R.T.” goals—and what accountability is in place for reporting progress on goals? This tool will help!

TOOL #11: MONTHLY DASHBOARD REPORT
Use this tool to update the board and senior team on the CEO’s Top-5 Annual S.M.A.R.T. Goals. (Send updates at least monthly.)

Tool #11 in the new resource, ECFA Tools and Templates for Effective Board Governance, is one of three tools in Part 3, “Reporting to the Board,” in this jam-packed 271-page resource. The tool also helps answer the question for board members, “What should we be praying about?”

Imagine the impact and clarity about CEO priorities—if on the 15th of every month, your CEO emailed a one-page progress report to the board with color-coded updates on the board-approved “Top-5 S.M.A.R.T. Goals for the CEO.”
   • Green (On Target!)
   • Yellow (Caution!)
   • Red (Alert!)

S.M.A.R.T. Goals are:
   • Specific
   • Measurable
   • Achievable
   • Realistic
   • Time-related

We’ve all grimaced in boardrooms over many “Not-So-SMART Goals,” such as:
1) Plan the best annual meeting event on the planet!
2) Increase the number of donors giving $5 billion or more.
3) Conduct a client satisfaction survey by Sept. 30, 2020.
4) Launch the XYZ Program as soon as possible in numerous cities.
5) To raise $50,000, ask every donor to give an extra $10 this month.

Tool #11, “Monthly Dashboard Report,” includes color commentary, a convicting true story by Peter Drucker, examples of S.M.A.R.T. goals, a one-page color-coded template, six questions (and quotes) for the board on goal-setting, and two factoids on CEO goals from a recent ECFA governance survey.

Order the tools book from Amazon by clicking on this title: ECFA Tools and Templates for Effective Board Governance: Time-Saving Solutions for Your Board, by Dan Busby and John Pearson. The book gives you full access to all 22 tools and templates—formatted as Word documents so you can customize the tools for your board’s unique uses.

BOARD DISCUSSION: Ruth Haley Barton has the audacity to write, “Just because something is strategic does not necessarily mean it is God’s will for us right now.” Have we used a spiritual discernment process to discern our goals for the year?

MORE RESOURCES: David Schmidt weighs in on “Don’t Stretch Credulity With BHAGs and Stretch Goals,” and notes this: “Always—we must test motives and drivers when setting goals. Pride and fear can easily disguise themselves as bold leadership.” Click here to read Schmidt’s guest blog on chapter 37 in Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom: 40 Insights for Better Board Meetings, by Dan Busby and John Pearson.

TOOL 10 – The 5/15 Monthly Report to the Board

Eliminate Hallway Whining!

In the hallways of boardrooms, perhaps the most constant whine is, “We don’t hear from our CEO in between board meetings. How can I steward this ministry, if I’m not in the loop?”

True or False?
• Informative reports to the board from our CEO are received regularly.
• As a board member, I’m sometimes the last to hear both good and bad news.
• I receive way too many emails from our CEO—and I can’t discern what’s really important and what’s really just an FYI.
• I faithfully respond to every email or phone call from our CEO within 24 hours.
• Our Board Policies Manual establishes the type and frequency of reports from our CEO. 

TOOL #10: THE 5/15 MONTHLY REPORT TO THE BOARD
Use this tool to keep the board informed and inspired between meetings. Once formatted, it takes just 15 minutes to write and 5 minutes to read.

Tool #10 in the new resource, ECFA Tools and Templates for Effective Board Governance, is one of three tools in Part 3, “Reporting to the Board,” in this jam-packed 271-page resource. While all 22 tools will help most boards, if I had to pick the most highly-appreciated tool, it would be The 5/15 Monthly Report to the Board.

Once formatted by a key staff member, the 5/15 Report can be reviewed and enriched by the CEO in about 15 minutes. Emailed monthly on the same date (perhaps the 15th), board members will be kept in the loop on good news, bad news, and routine news. The tool can be customized for your unique needs, but most 5/15 Reports will likely include:
   • Next board meeting date
   • Monthly Dashboard Report and progress on the CEO’s three to five SMART goals (see Tool #11)
   • Committee highlights (bullet points only—and only if there is new information)
   • Board Nominating Committee “Pipeline Report” (see Tools #1, 2, and 3)
   • Monthly Financial Report Summary
   • Major Program Notes (bullet points)

Many CEOs also include a brief ministry story, key events on the organization’s calendar, the CEO’s travel schedule, prayer requests, and the board-approved Schedule of Board Meetings (with key agenda topics) for the next 12 to 24 months. You’ll find that the 5/15 Report will be an exceptional communication tool. 

Order the tools book from Amazon by clicking on this title: ECFA Tools and Templates for Effective Board Governance: Time-Saving Solutions for Your Board, by Dan Busby and John Pearson. The book gives you full access to all 22 tools and templates—formatted as Word documents so you can customize the tools for your board’s unique uses.

BOARD DISCUSSION (after receiving the first draft of The CEO’s 5/15 Monthly Report to the board): What was helpful and informative? What was unnecessary? What prompted you to pray? What encouraged or inspired you? What would you add or edit? Will you commit to responding within 24 hours monthly—with a quick email (“Got it!” or “Praying for you!”)?

MORE RESOURCES: When I began serving as CEO of Christian Management Association (now CLA), Pat Clements was the board chair and introduced me to the 5/15 report. I used this simple communication tool monthly for 11 years! (Thanks, Pat!) Read Clements’ guest blog on Lessons 6, “Eliminate Hallway Whining,” in Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom: 40 Insights for Better Board Meetings, by Dan Busby and John Pearson.