Many boards want their CEO to lead the strategic thinking process. It makes logical sense but it is often impractical. [...]
|
|
|
“When is your next board retreat?” is a question that solicits a variety of answers. For instance, “Everything is going well.” “We had one last year.” “Board retreats are a waste of time.” “They never produce anything worthwhile.” “We never do that.” “We don’t have time.” “No one would come.” [...] How do you know if the board meetings are effective? The ultimate measure is the success of the parochial school. When the students are growing and changing, enrollment is increasing, donors are more generous, and the year-end report shows a modest surplus, it is easy to conclude that the board is effective. Is there a way to evaluate effectiveness between annual reports? [...] Leaders must think strategically. However, we seldom train them to do what we demand. Many who serve on a nonprofit board are serving on a board for the first time. Their employment requires operational thinking. As a result, they think about details first, the big picture second, and strategy is a problem solving tool rather than a planning tool. [...] One can connect the passion of the donor to the mission. The strategic plan is the connection. The strategic plan must be concrete, creditable, and have an emotional element. [...] A strategic plan will produce sustainability. The symptoms or key elements of sustainability are strong community support, donor passion, motivated employees and volunteers, an effective board, active and committed referral sources, and clients referring others. [...] The most significant hurdle to creating a strategic plan is having the time and skills. It takes time to plan and there always seems to be something urgent that delays the planning process. [...] Many nonprofits of all sizes struggle with strategic planning. Many individuals argue that strategic planning is a waste of effort. Technology changes often and rapidly. How can you develop a strategy in a rapidly changing environment? [...] At its best strategic planning solves an important problem. What is a counter example? Let us consider the board’s strategic planning retreat to create this year’s budget. [...] |
|
Copyright © 2012 Nonprofit Boards and Leadership - All Rights Reserved |