Generative Thinking

1. Generative Thinking Maureen Thompson Director of Leadership Services

2. The Governance Triangle I. FiduciaryII. Strategic III. Generative Governance as Leadership

3. Modes of Governance • Fiduciary:Act as stewards of tangible assets; deploy resources wisely; ensure legal and financial integrity • Strategic:Scan internal and external environments; set organization’s priorities; deploy resources; and design and modify strategic plans • Generative:Probe assumptions; identify underlying values; Frame and confront challenges rooted in values, traditions, and beliefs; engage in sense-making, meaning-making, and problem framing

4. Fiduciary • Problems are to be spotted: • Is anything contrary to established policies, procedures, or precedents? • Is the organization compliant with certifications, accreditations, state and federal rules and regulations? • The organization “behaves” as a bureaucracy and leadership is typically hierarchical • Meetings are dominated by voluminous reports and adhere strictly to parliamentary procedure with little or no board education • Focus is on compliance and on reaching resolution

5. Strategic • Problems are to be solved: • Do we have the money the money, space and personnel necessary to execute the plan? • Is the timeline feasible? • Have we included benchmarks and milestones? • The organization is viewed as an open organization susceptible to internal and external forces • Meetings are strategy-driven with fewer and future-focused reports and time allotted for discussion • Focus is on performance and reaching consensus

6. Generative • Problems are to be framed: • What is the question? • What does this mean? • What do we do? • The organization is not viewed as a completely rational bureaucracy • Leadership enables the board to confront value-laden questions without easy answers • Meetings engage the board intellectually by having them frame higher-order issues; parliamentary procedure is not followed • Focus is on discerning, questioning, deliberating and framing the question

7. Generative Thinking Should Come FIRST

8. Generative Landmarks • Ambiguity • Saliency • Stakes • Strife • Irreversibility

9. Problem Finding Before Problem Solving “If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.” - Albert Einstein

10. Powerful Questions “The usefulness of the knowledge we acquire and the effectiveness of the actions we take depend on the quality of the questions we ask.” - Vogt, Brown, and Isaacs

11. A Powerful Question….. • Stimulates a deeper level conversation • Provokes thoughtful exploration • Evokes creative thinking • Surfaces underlying assumptions • Generates energy and forward movement • Evokes more questions

12. Generative Thinking Applied to Fiduciary Governance

13. Generative Thinking Applied to Strategic Governance

14. Generative Thinking Applied to Strategic Governance

15. Applying Generative Thinking to Governance Exercise • Think of your organization • Generate and write down all of the questions that you have about the organization or its work that you feel need answers. • Share with your table.

16. Generative, Strategic, and Fiduciary Issues The Boston Museum of Fine Arts decided to loan 21 Monet masterpieces to the Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas • Generative: What will we (the museum) do (or not do) if the price is right? Should we loan art to the highest bidder? Do masterpieces “belong” in neon-light, pop-culture, for-profit venues? • Strategic: Will the absence of the masterpieces affect the museum’s patronage? How will the museum’s association with the casino affect the museum’s image and reputation? What can the museum do with the income from the casino? • Fiduciary: Are the paintings travel-worthy? What are the insurance and security arrangements? How much will the casino pay? How and where will the Museum’s name appear? How long of a loan period?

17. Deliberating Differently • Analytic Questions: What is the biggest gap between the case we make for support and our actual accomplishments and actions? What does this say about our organizations? • Retrospective Thinking: What are our organization’s successes or setbacks? How and why did they happen? What does this mean for the future? • Role Play: Ask a subset of the board to assume the perspective of different constituent groups likely to be affected by the decision at hand. • Future-Perfect History: It’s the year 2025 and we have achieved desired recognition!!! The achievement could not have happened if the board of directors had not____________. • Dominant Narratives: How do you trace the organization’s past trajectory? What does it mean? What does it suggest about what to do next?

18. Scenario: Safe and Appropriate Nurse Staffing • Refer to the handout

19. Starter Kit for Robust Discussions • Silent Starts: Prior to the start of a discussion, set aside 2 minutes for each board member to write the most important question relevant to the issue that should be considered • One Minute Memos: Following a discussion, reserve 2-3 minutes for each board member to write down what they would have said next if there had been time to continue the discussion • Counterpoints: Designate 2-3 board members to make the most powerful counter-argument to a recommendation. • Breakouts: Small group discussions (30 minutes max) raise important considerations, put reticent participants at ease, and counter group think

20. Governance as Leadership – The Payoff • Empowers the board to do meaningful work • Encourages robust discourse rather than quick consensus • Enriches the board’s work • Enhances the board’s value