Effective governance – the structures and processes for decision-making – plays a critical role in the success of every organization and this is the reason to keep focus on board assessment and board development, enhancing board and staff relationships, fostering communication between stakeholders, and ensuring that the system of governance, the parts and the whole, is working optimally—providing clear and cohesive decisions to advance business and mission objectives.
Modes of governance vary considerably from industry to industry and this is why the development of individual leaders and their teams are inextricably linked, and have a critical impact on their organizations. A strong leader defines a team’s purpose, establishes their working norms, and strongly influences how they perform. In order to successfully build a team, a leader must have the skills and knowledge to effectively guide and support the team. Without the leader’s direct participation, team-building efforts will wane and ultimately fail.
The top focus while consulting is to ensure communication and collaboration throughout the process with all team members while providing coaching for leaders and their teams. Each team member strengthens the other: the team as a whole develops greater capacity to create results, while the individual leaders enhance their agility and effectiveness.
When consulting I develop the set of coaching engagements for critical organizational themes, including blind spots and opportunities, enhancing the effectiveness of coaching and strengthening the organization with new data. Equally important is the thoughtful engagement of decision-makers and others with influence in the exploration of strategic options, allowing for those most knowledgeable about the organization to anticipate points where the strategic “plot” is unrealistic, and to find connections between the emerging strategy and different parts of the business. This comprehensive engagement increases the likelihood of effective implementation.
When coaching leaders and their teams, I guide them to craft implementation plans with clear goals, expected outcomes, accountabilities and timelines to help their organizations execute, monitor progress, learn from experience, and adapt as needed along the way. This process appreciates an organization’s history, mission, culture and legacy, while orienting toward a future that will demand change and adaptation.
