Keynote Speeches

Better Governance in Three Stories

So much has been written about building effective nonprofit Boards. Where does one begin to make a good Board better? This keynote uses engaging, timeless stories to illustrate three foundational governance practices that will make your Board better: 1) getting the right people on the Board, 2) minding the interpersonal dynamics among board members and between Board and Staff, and 3) achieving alignment around mission and values. After each story participants have the opportunity to apply that practice to their own organization, and then compare their ideas with peers.

The audience gets stories not Powerpoint, application to their own organization, and discussion with peers. They leave with memorable stories and tangible take-aways for their Board.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify foundational governance practices that will improve their Board’s effectiveness.
• Apply lessons in board recruiting, minding board dynamics, and aligning Board and Staff around mission and values to their organization.
• Share stories that illustrate these governance practices.

Trust in the Boardroom

Board dynamics have greater impact on board performance than do most aspects of board structure.* Trust or its absence can be the difference between a high functioning or a dysfunctional board. We are each aware of those we trust and those that we don’t. Yet trust seems as slippery as mercury; hard to define, hard to analyze.

Highly interactive, the keynote uses case studies to illustrate the skills of identifying and addressing trust issues.

Learning objectives:

• The importance of trust to productive boards
• Defining trust and its components
• Identifying issues of trust among board members and Board and Staff
• Building trust in the organization

* 2013 ASAE Governance Study, published in What Makes High Performing Boards.