Which kind of board is yours?

Here’s a new contest for you:  what board does the most and worst damage?  The contestants are Rip Van Winkle, Eager Beaver, Ostrich, the Monkey threesome, and Elpis, the Goddess of Hope.  The competition is tough, the outcome up for grabs.  Only one fact is known for sure:  all do damage.  Unknown is the extent of that damage.

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Recent events, some public, some not, have me, once again, wringing my hands over the lack of performance of nonprofit boards.  Take Sweet Briar College Read more

April 17th, 2015 2 Comments

Oversight vs. Harassment

What is the difference between oversight and harassment?  This is a question that many executives wrestle with as their boards of directors “step up” and “do their jobs.”

Boards have nothing on Rip Van Winkle; most simply don’t slumber that long.  Nevertheless, too many do slumber for some periods of time and then suddenly wake up!  The wake-up can be due to a variety of reasons but are generally variations on one of two themes:  someone on the board gets a bee in her/his bonnet about Read more

August 15th, 2013 2 Comments