These are
books and audio recordings I have found inspirational and helpful in the past
several years. There are Amazon.com links for those items available
through Amazon.com. Please let me know of your favorites and new
discoveries that are not listed.
The
Will to Govern Well: Knowledge, Trust and Nimbleness
By Glenn H. Tecker, Jean S. Frankel
& Paul D. Meyer, CAE
Published by the American
Society of Association Executives
ASAE’s summary:
Today's associations face a
climate of constant change. The ability to adapt quickly is a must for
successful organizations. This new book, supported by the ASAE Foundation,
examines the key characteristics of those associations that react to change
positively and quickly. Learn the importance of developing governance systems
controlled by tomorrow's challenges, not yesterday's conversations. Take an
in-depth look at what it means to be a forward-thinking organization and what it
takes to become one.
Janet McCallen
If I could only pick one book
out of this list that I’d ask each association board member to read, this would
be the one. It’s very practical and very helpful. I’ve excerpted a few
quotes below.
Ø
An association must
always maintain a fundamental sense among the volunteer workforce that the
membership is meaningfully involved in the organization’s work. The
heart of the association lies in people doing things together that they could
not do alone. Indeed, what distinguishes any association from other
enterprises is the active involvement of members in its work.
Ø
Key competitive
advantages associations have in the 21st century: the
aggregate intellectual capital of their memberships, their energy as
communities with common purpose, and their credibility as voluntary
institutions.
Ø
Governance desires a
higher level of partnership and shared accountability with staff, so clearly
defined roles are less valued. Boards increasingly want staff to provide
information and insight and to participate with member leaders in decision
making about desired outcomes and potential strategy. The traditional
walls between governance and management are becoming porous, with strategy as
the common ground.
Ø
The will to govern well
is fundamentally about two things: (1) what governance chooses to focus
its attention on; and (2) how governance chooses to get its work done.
Ø
Choices must be made
continually and on a case-by-case basis to promote (a) the knowledge necessary
for strategic thoughtfulness, (b) a common commitment to earning the trust
necessary for others to agree to follow, and (c) a disciplined flexibility
consistent with nimbleness.
Ø
The act of developing
informed intuition as a group experience makes a board meeting not unlike a
Petri dish for the growth of trust. Establishing and sustaining trust in
governances involves not just what is done but how it is done. And the
will to govern well means making a commitment to process, behavior, and
culture that nourishes and sustains trust.
Available from
www.asaenet.org
