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Governance as a Spiritual Practice

Governance as a Spiritual Practice. North Texas Association of Unitarian Universalist Societies June 1, 2013. Definition of Governance.

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Governance as a Spiritual Practice

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  1. Governance as a Spiritual Practice North Texas Association of Unitarian Universalist Societies June 1, 2013

  2. Definition of Governance • A shared ministry of the board and staff with processes and structures implemented by the board to enable the achievement of the congregation’s visionJim Key • Seeing to it that the organization achieves what it should and avoids unacceptable situations Carver Jim Key

  3. Benefits of Good Governance • Provides continuity through hard times • Maintains a framework to ensure all members will be represented • Offers stimulation for member participation • Creates methods for urgent action that can foster responsiveness • Builds methods of review to avoid unproductive reactivity among members Jim Key

  4. Benefits of Good Governance • Allows leadership to be transferred with continuity • Fosters community • Integrates new members into the community • Provides transparency in decision making • Protects leaders • Produces gains in democracy Jim Key

  5. As a Spiritual Practice • What are the spiritual dimensions you see in governance? Jim Key

  6. Board Effectiveness • “Effective governance by a board…is a relatively rare and unnatural act…(and) are often little more than high-powered, well-intentioned people engaged in low level activities.” Chait, Holland, and Taylor, 1996) • “Boards tend to be…incompetent groups of competent individuals.” John and Miriam Carver, 2001 Jim Key

  7. Six Primary Functions of the Board • Visioning • Policy making • Stewardship • Sponsorship • Advocacy • Consultancy Jim Key

  8. Visioning and policy-making Should be at the forefront of the board’s work, in collaboration with the congregation’s professional staff. Jim Key

  9. As stewards … Board holds the congregation’s assets in trust, including moral and other intangible assets. Jim Key

  10. As sponsors … Board should collectively be among the most generous supporters of the congregation with both time and money Jim Key

  11. As advocates … Board represents interests of the congregation as an institution both to its own members and, even more importantly, to the wider community. Jim Key

  12. As consultants … Board members are available to the staff – at the staff’s invitation – to provide counsel and encouragement from their particular areas of expertise Jim Key

  13. Some Best Practices • Leadership development replacing nominating committees • Annual board retreat to update long-range plan • Continuing education • Fund leadership development Jim Key

  14. Governance as Leadership Type 2: Strategic Type 1: Fiduciary Type 3: Generative Jim Key

  15. Models vs. Modes Richard Chait and his colleagues argue that we should shift emphasize to modes over models in seeking to govern well. Richard Chait, William Ryan and Barbara Taylor, Governance As Leadership: Reframing the Work of Nonprofit Boards (Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2005) Jim Key

  16. Type I: Fiduciary Governance Jim Key

  17. Type I: Fiduciary Governance Jim Key

  18. Type II: Strategic Governance Jim Key

  19. Type II: Strategic Governance Jim Key

  20. Type III: Generative Governance Jim Key

  21. Type III: Generative Governance Jim Key

  22. Going from Good to Transformational Jim Key

  23. Fiduciary Role of Boards Considerations

  24. Fiduciary Considerations • Advocate for stewardship and development • Obtain professional audits • Annually for most congregations • Change in Treasurer • Set term limits of Treasurer • Separate duties of receiving, disbursing, reconciling, recording Jim Key

  25. Fiduciary Considerations • Review financials monthly • Balance sheet, income and expense, budget YTD and outlook, reconciliations • Disclose periodically • Report to the congregation at least quarterly • Make available on members' section of website monthly Jim Key

  26. Fiduciary Considerations • Establish covenants (board, staff, congregation, meeting) • Educate congregation on giving, estate planning • Provide board training on financial competence • Understand resources available in District and at the Association Jim Key

  27. Fiduciary Considerations • Manage child-safety policies • Establish property use and rental policies • Establish charges to committees • Establish policies for small-group ministries Jim Key

  28. Strategic Role of Boards Considerations

  29. Benefits of Strategic Thinking • Precipitates theological thinking • Stimulates creative thinking • Creates opportunities for conversations within the congregation and the community • Aligns leadership and the congregation with future plans • Positions the congregation for growth and change Jim Key

  30. Benefits of Strategic Planning • Creates congregational connections • Assigns ownership of activities • Establishes blueprint for change • Sets milestones to measure and report • Drives understanding of external factors Jim Key

  31. Strategic Considerations • Confirm sources of authority and accountability • Assess sources needs • Reaffirm values • Assess the mission • Create a vision • Perform a gap analysis Jim Key

  32. Strategic Considerations • Determine strategic goals vs. near-term objectives • Identify risks/threats/inhibitors • Establish milestones and metrics • Name owners • Develop a monitoring and communications plan • Acknowledge capacity of congregation Jim Key

  33. Sources of Authority and Accountability • Members • Current and future generations of Unitarian Universalists • The heritage, traditions, and ideals of Unitarian Universalism • The vision of Beloved Community • The Spirit of life, love, and the holy Jim Key

  34. Generative Role of Boards Considerations

  35. What is Generative Thinking? A cognitive process for deciding what to pay attention to, what it means, and what to do about it. Jim Key

  36. UUA Shared Vision (draft) • A healthy community of Unitarian Universalists, alive with transforming power, moving our communities and the world towards more love, justice, and peace, in a manner which assures sustainability. Jim Key

  37. Generative Thinking • Train boards in generative thinking • Practice it • Board retreats • Meeting agenda item Jim Key

  38. Implications for the Board • Scale governance model to the size of the congregation • Consider annual board retreat • Acquire governance training periodically • Consider voices not at the table • Acquire cultural competency Jim Key

  39. Implications for the Board • Acknowledge ownership of the governance process by the board • Acknowledge the power and authority granted to board via representative democracy • Require a rigorous process observation report for each meeting Jim Key

  40. Closing Reading Take courage, friends. The way is often hard, the path is never clear, and the stakes are very high. Take courage, for deep down there is another truth: You are not alone. Wayne B. Arnason Jim Key

  41. Governance as a Spiritual Practice Jim Key jckey@hargray.com 843.812.6647

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