All Things Governance: The Overview, Part 1

In business, we have a lot of big umbrella words that don’t mean a lot on their own. And “organizational assessment” is one of those. Sure, you take your organization and you run some tests ... but what really does that really consist of?  

What are you actually doing?  

There are 3 main categories that everything falls under - bylaws, financial governance, and board composition.    

But aren’t those just 3 more vague umbrella names? Yes. So let’s break them down a bit.  

Bylaws, Finances, Board  

• Bylaws are just the rules of the organization that everyone has established. Think of it as if your organization is a mini country, the bylaws are its constitution. The rules of the society and how it’s conducted.  

• Financial Governance is the recording of the finances themselves and the rules surrounding the finances. It's so you can keep track of where the finances are coming and going. And make sure they are being used in the ways you want them to.  

• Board Composition is looking at who makes up the board and why. Your board has to align with what you’re trying to do and where you’re trying to do it. The members should consist of people who can provide valuable insights on decision-making.  

The organizational assessment is taking a look at each puzzle piece and making sure it all fits together in the way that it was intended. Just like building a puzzle, you break it down into different sections to make it easier to see how it all connects.   

Take Action  

In September, I’m launching a course on how to increase your board’s engagement and how all of the parts that go into an organizational assessment play a role. We’ll dive deeper into: What board engagement really means; Building culture and expectations; Igniting purpose and ownership; Creating accountability that works; Tools, templates, and techniques to sustain momentum.  

Learn more and sign up for The Board Engagement Accelerator here!