To frame the governance conversation, to separate the many component elements that contribute to an organization's governance, we used the quadrants structure learned from the
Generating Transformational Change (GTC) course in which Cheryl, Julie, Elisa and Andy are enrolled. Andy provided the content for the presentation using the Community Foundation of the New River Valley as an example to give some real time content to an otherwise abstract concept.
The quadrants (Attitudes; Behaviors; Culture; and Structure) provide an integrated way of holding and organizing the multitude elements that contribute to the character of an organization's governance. Andy presented the information using a
sticky sheet storyboard (described elsewhere in this blog)The content was not intended to be prescriptive, but rather descriptive of one organization's governance life. The quadrants are interactive. Each element is simple and doable. Change may be initiated at any point, in any quadrant, through a single, doable step, one step at a time.
Rigo Reyes and Ina Cesena provided vital insights and perspective, affording the board an opportunity that several members later noted could beneficially be a regular part of future board meetings. Another border was crossed and lessons learned, insights gained, and mutual respect and appreciation enhanced.
Julie Bowen and Cheryl Sesnon facilitated the planning, providing support for the Los Ninos board to set benchmarks for the next quarter. The board is undertaking its own development as a vital step in leading Los Ninos' continued growth. Julie and Cheryl's skillful facilitation brought the meeting to a successful close, achieving the results the board had hoped for. The board developed, prioritized, and assigned its own next steps. The Los Ninos trustees did so after immersing themselves in a careful, appreciative examination of how the organization had arrived at its present situation. The trustees served as the bridge between the past and the future, crossing borders of history, culture, values and perspective to achieve a remarkable stepping forward into an emerging future.
