In my last blog I asked, “Is there a difference between how a ‘secular’ board governs and how a ‘Christ-centered’ board governs?”
In my opinion: absolutely! Here are just two thoughts on this:
#1. Governance Decision-making. Secular governance literature has numerous ideas for effective decision-making—most of them excellent. But for the Christ-follower, decision-making without a spiritual discernment component is empty and often misguided. For more on this, read my review of Ruth Haley Barton’s latest book, Pursuing God’s Will Together.
#2. Conflict Resolution. When two or more people serve together, it’s not if you’ll have conflict, but when. Secular models of conflict resolution are helpful, yet for the Christ-follower, Matthew 18 is the gold standard. Check out the Christ-centered resources at Peacemaker Ministries (an ECFA accredited organization), including “The Slippery Slope of Conflict.”
According to Peacemaker Ministries, “The key to changing the way we deal with conflict is the gospel—the good news that God made peace with us and between us by sending his Son to die for our sins and give us new life through his resurrection (Col. 1:19-20; Eph. 2:14-16).”
QUESTION: What are other factors that clearly indicate the difference between how a “secular” board governs and how a “Christ-centered” board governs?
Is there a difference between how a “secular” board governs and how a “Christ-centered” board governs?
The ECFA 2012 Governance Survey asked that question and the results are just in today.
CEO Responses:
--Yes: 91.5%
--No: 3.1%
--I don’t know: 5.4%
Board Chair Responses:
--Yes: 64.3%
--No: 7.1%
--I don’t know: 28.6%
Board Member Responses:
--Yes: 66.0%
--No: 6.3%
--I don’t know: 27.7%
One thing is clear—34 to 35 percent of ECFA board chairs and board members said either “no” or “I don’t know,” while only 8.5 percent of CEOs checked those boxes.
In my next blog, I’ll weigh in on this subject (it’s important!)—but what do you think? By the way, the Executive Summary of ECFA’s 2012 survey will be available in October. Participants included the CEOs, board chairs and board members of ECFA accredited organizations. Almost 1,600 CEOs and board members participated in this survey, the second year of the survey.
QUESTIONS: Is there a difference between how a “secular” board governs and how a “Christ-centered” board governs? Is there a significant gap between what you believe and what others believe? Why?
If we are to spiritually discern God’s direction, as board members, how important is it that we really know each other?
If your board meets four times a year, and a new member just joined the board—how long should it take before you know what makes her tick? How does she make decisions? Like a Driver (“Any decision is better than no decision!”)? Or like an Analytical (“No decision is better than the wrong decision!”)?
Last month we talked about Ruth Haley Barton’s new book, Pursuing God’s Will Together: A Discernment Practice for Leadership Groups. Is it possible that we can pursue God’s will together—if we really don’t know each other?
Here’s an idea, one of seven, from a recent online article, “Creating a Great Board of Directors,” by David K. Rehr, Adjunct Professor at George Washington University. His suggestion:
“Alternate board seating arrangements so directors are constantly developing new relationships. We often think that all directors know each other and are familiar. But, in reality, their busy professional and personal lives often make it difficult for them to really get to know to each other. Mixing where people sit allows the board to get to know each other better.”
Picture your last four board meetings. Hank sits there. Jane sits there, and don’t even try to separate Julio and Hans! This fix doesn’t need 12 steps: just two:
#1. Admit that we are powerless to change our seating routine on our own.
#2. Ask your board chair to intentionally move board name cards around the table—so at each meeting you’re sitting next to a different board member.
And…no extra charge…here’s an idea that I picked up from Mark Holbrook, current board chair of the ECFA Board of Directors. At ECCU (where he serves as president and CEO), team member bring their name cards to every meeting. Each name card lists that person’s Top-5 Strengths from the Gallup Organization’s StrengthsFinder assessment.
Imagine how that simple tool would help your board members learn a little more about Jane—and what makes her tick!
QUESTION: Would a “musical chairs” exercise help your board members develop more meaningful and deeper relationships with each other? Would that help all of you, in turn, get on the same page as you spiritually discern God’s direction for your organization?
One of my favorite devotional books is John Baillie’s remarkable one-million-copy bestseller, A Diary of Private Prayer. The format is surprisingly simple: 31 morning prayers and 31 evening prayers, each just one short page.
On the 19th of last month, I was reflecting on the governance challenges of Christ-centered organizations and…wham! A portion of that morning’s prayer got my attention:
“O Lord of the vineyard, I beg Thy blessing upon all who truly desire to serve Thee by being diligent and faithful in their several callings, bearing their due share of the world’s burden, and going about their daily tasks in all simplicity and uprightness of heart.”
I have never heard a ministry CEO, or senior pastor, or board chair or board member ask or pray about this profound question. “As we consider our calling and the mission God has led us to, what exactly is our fair share of the task?”
I have observed ego-driven over-achievers bite off too much. I have watched many board members shrink back from opportunity (and risk) when maybe God was calling them to exercise faith muscles. I have seen many board members become overwhelmed and exhausted. (Hardly God-honoring.)
How many of us really get it right—a holy balance in bearing our due share of the world’s burden?
QUESTION: Has your board ever had this discussion? Good policy starts with prayer and God-directed thinking.
Ruth Haley Barton has the audacity to suggest, “Just because something is strategic does not necessarily mean it is God’s will for us right now.”
In her new book, Pursuing God’s Will Together: A Discernment Practice for Leadership Groups (read my review here), she says that while most boards practice decision-making, God calls church and ministry boards to practice discernment.
If your board meetings are book-ended by prayer, but the big middle feels more corporate than Christian, this would be a soul-stretching book to discuss at your next board meeting or annual board retreat.
Barton says that every board needs a designated “discernmentarian” and a wise sage. And before a group of Christ-followers can practice spiritual discernment together—that discipline must be resident in each individual’s walk with God. (Memo to the Nominating Committee!)
Practice “holy indifference,” counsels Barton. “At the beginning of any leadership discernment process, it is good to be reminded to ask for the grace to be indifferent to matters of ego, prestige, organizational politics, personal opinion, personal advantage or even ownership of a pet project.”
This might be the most important book you will read this year.
QUESTION: When we’re facing a fork-in-the-road decision, do we have the spiritual tools at hand to truly hear from God and practice “indifference” to our own personal views?
At your next board meeting, break into groups of two or three and start the clock on this five-minute exercise:
“In five minutes, make a list of the reasons why an annual board member self-assessment process might help us become better board members.”
I can think of about 20 reasons, but here are just five:
1) An annual board member self-assessment process communicates to the CEO that we’re serious about effectiveness, faithfulness and God-honoring fruitfulness.
2) When the board is open to frank feedback per Ephesians 4:15, “speak the truth in love,” it creates an environment for the CEO to do the same.
3) When the CEO is open to frank feedback, it creates an environment for the senior team (and their direct reports) to do the same.
4) As Max De Pree said, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.” An annual board self-assessment (if done with God-honoring integrity) will help us discuss the elephants-in-the-room, clear the air, and define reality.
5) Sometimes, it will cause an under-performing or not-engaged board member to self-assess and then spiritually discern the next obvious step: “Maybe it’s time I should exit from the board."
QUESTIONS: Does your board conduct an annual self-assessment process? If not, should you add it to the agenda of your next board meeting? Will you also assess the spiritual condition of your board and your ministry? What devotional focus at your next board meeting might lay the groundwork for creating a self-assessment environment?
CEOs and board chairs frequently ask me, “We’re preparing for our annual (or every-other-year) board retreat. What’s a good book for board members to read in advance?”
I usually suggest one of five books, including Owning Up: The 14 Questions Every Board Member Needs to Ask, by Ram Charan. (Read my review.)
If you’re not planning a retreat, you can also leverage the wisdom in this book by addressing one or two questions per board meeting over the next year or more. The book can also be read topically, based on your current hot issues. When I first read this excellent resource, I started with Question 13: How Do We Stop From Micromanaging?
Here’s a question (not in this book) for Christ-centered organizations: When does a board’s micromanagement cross the line from ineffective governance to blatant sin? If you explore the driving forces of micromanagement, from a biblical perspective, you might uncover some ugliness/sin: lack of trust, ego, pride, perfectionism, lack of faith, lack of grace and much more.
But enough preaching—and more on this book. All 14 questions have zinger qualities to them. My favorites, based on my board consulting work, include:
--Question 11: How Can Executive Sessions Help the Board Own Up?
--Question 12: How Can Our Board Self-Evaluation Improve Our Functioning and Our Output?
--Question 2: Are We Addressing the Risks That Could Send Our Company Over the Cliff?
--Question 4: Are We Well Prepared to Name Our Next CEO?
--Question 5: Does Our Board Really Own the [Organization’s] Strategy?
The best practices for the strategy question are both brilliant and practical—but the CEO will need to dramatically increase face time with board members. But the pay-off could be huge. He notes, “Strategy should always be in the back of directors’ minds. It helps to have the strategy brief or a two-page sheet of bullet points in the binder for every meeting.”
Then Charan cautions us, “If the board and the CEO have lasting substantive differences, they have a choice: stay with the strategy or replace the CEO. Consider that management has a shelf life too, just like the strategy.” (Yikes! If you’re the CEO, maybe you’ll delete this book from your list—or use it as a tool to raise the bar in your own God-honoring leadership.)
Engagement Method. Pick the most relevant six or eight chapters and pre-assign to board members. At the retreat, ask each board member to share a 10-minute chapter review (five minutes of content and five minutes of Q&A). You’ll be amazed at the level of preparation—and the insights—when you engage your board members.
QUESTION: If you gave a Pop Quiz at your next board meeting, how many board members would be able to intelligently articulate your organization’s strategy?
