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The Brimeyer Group, Inc. <br />EXiCLTM St.^RCH CONSULTANTS <br />904 Main Street, Suite 205 <br />Hopkins, MM 55343 <br />voice: (612) 945-0246 <br />fax: (612) 945-0102 <br />e-mail: brimgroup®aol.com <br />o> <br />Summer Issue <br />June 1996 <br />Vol. 4, Issue 3 <br />Effective <br />Governing Boards <br />By Janies Brimeyer—President <br />This is the first in a series of articles <br />rd;;;arJin^ the effectiveness of ^overnin^ <br />public and non-profit boards. Information <br />and concepts contained in this series of <br />articles are based on t^ie book, Boards That <br />Make /I Difference, by John Carver. <br />Watch for upcoming articles in future <br />Brim Report newsletters <br />From a governance perspective, the <br />relevant factor that sets most non ­ <br />profit and public organizations apart <br />from profit organizations is not in the <br />essence of management but the lack of <br />a process to evaluate a product, ser­ <br />vice and cost Public and on-profit <br />organizations all suffer from the lack <br />of a rigorous market test by consumers <br />to decide if the cost of a product is <br />worth the cost of its production. This <br />leads public and non-profit organiza ­ <br />tions to operate in a "muted market." <br />Some of the flaws of governance for <br />public boards are: Spending time on <br />the trivial, short-term biases; taking a <br />reactive stance; reviewing and rehash ­ <br />ing; leaky accountability; and the <br />diffusion of authority. Carver creates a <br />model for a new governance, encom ­ <br />passing the following concepts: <br />1. Cradle vision: Systematic encour ­ <br />agement to think the unthinkable and <br />dream. <br />2 Address fundamental values: <br />Ensure that the board focuses on values <br />3. External focus: More concern with <br />the needs and markets than with <br />internal issues. <br />4. Outcome-driven organizing <br />systems: Establish a mission in out ­ <br />come terms. Enforce the mission as a <br />central organizing focus. <br />5. Separate large issues from small: <br />The ability to discern is a big item. <br />6. Force forward thinking: Strategic <br />leadership demands the long-term <br />view'point. <br />7. Enable proactivity: Press towards <br />leading, not towards reacting. <br />8. Facilitate diversity and unity: <br />Optimize the richness of diversity in <br />board composition and opinion. <br />9. Relationships to relevant constitu ­ <br />encies: Define where the constituen ­ <br />cies fit into the scheme <br />10. A common basis for discipline: <br />Provide a rational basis for the disci­ <br />pline a board enforces upon itself. <br />11. Delineate the board's role in <br />common topics: Enable the articula ­ <br />tion of roles without isolation. <br />12. Information: Introduce precise <br />distinctions about the nature of the <br />information needed to govern. <br />13 Over-control vs. under-contiol: <br />Verify those aspects of management <br />that need tight vs. loose control. <br />14. Use board time efficiently: Enable <br />the board to use the precious gift of <br />time more productively. <br />Utilizing these concepts and prin ­ <br />ciples, governing boards should be <br />asking themselves the question, "What <br />are vve providing, for whom, at w'hat <br />cost?" The results are an outcome- <br />based approach to governance. <br />Brimeyer Available for <br />Consulting and Training <br />The Brimey^er Group recently pro ­ <br />vided consulting work for Wright <br />County and the cities of Becker, <br />Chanhassen and Robbinsdale. James <br />Brimeyer chaired the "Goal Setting <br />and Strategic Planning for Small <br />Cities" panel at the League of Minne­ <br />sota Cities conference in June. Later in <br />Juno he is scheduled to speak on the <br />topic of "How ’ to be an Effective <br />Board Member" for the Minnesota <br />Municipal Utilities Association.