Principled Innovation LLC

Better vision from governance

May 7th, 2006

The May-June issue of Harvard Magazine includes a fascinating roundtable discussion of the university’s approach to governance. In the article, there is an excellent quote from Harvard Graduate School of Education professor Richard Chait about the proper role of boards:

When boards operate at their very best, they are able to spot
institutional blind spots. They’re able to see what management has
either chosen to neglect or simply doesn’t have the acuity to see.

When challenged by other roundtable participants on whether boards actually operate in this way, Chait offers an alternative formulation of his original idea:

Let’s change from blind spots to exactly the opposite—that
boards have to identify what’s so obvious that nobody sees it.

No matter whether it is blind spots or challenges hidden in plain sight, Chait’s perspectives are a breath of fresh air. Too many association boards are so deeply involved in the machinery of governance that they often fail at what is clearly their primary role: to develop a sharp and comprehensive vision of the world in which the organization operates–for better or for worse–so they can make more intelligent strategic choices. If association boards are willing to do this job, the future of their organizations, as well as the professions, industries and fields they serve, should look much brighter.

In contrast, it is not the role of boards to comfort the intransigent with false assurances that their organizations can avoid the harsh realities of profound, accelerating and intensifying disruption and discontinuity. Nor is it the role of boards to placate vocal complainers who mistakenly believe that politically-motivated decision-making is nothing more than respect for tradition or common sense. Today more than ever, associations cannot tolerate myopic board leadership in any form, lest this insidious brand of short-sightedness pervade every part of the organization.

Instead, association boards and CEOs must challenge each other to see what they are unable or unwilling to see. Boards and CEOs must work together to reduce their blind spots and enhance their shared capacity to perceive subtle yet important shifts in the strategic landscape. Boards and CEOs also must acknowledge the blindingly obvious forces that are already reshaping our society, and embrace the need for fresh and creative thinking and action around them.

Can association boards fulfill these responsibilities? To be honest, I have my doubts, not because I question the intentions of today’s volunteer board members, but because I am concerned they lack the requisite time, energy and attention resources to engage in the kind of active and energetic governance described here. I am also concerned that this issue is not the subject of enough discussion in our community, and so I will be posting on it during The Ten Days of Blog.

Entry Filed under: Principled Innovation Blog, Innovation, Associations, Extreme Makeover