Governing for Greatness- Dr. James Goenner, National Charter Schools Institute (Texas Charter School Conference 12/2013)

GOVERNING FOR
GREATNESS
TEXAS CHARTER SCHOOLS CONFERENCE

DR. JAMES N. GOENNER | DECEMBER 11, 2013

RELATIONSHIPS
“People don’t care how much
you know until they know
how much you care.”

WWW.CHARTERINSTITUTE.ORG

Goals for Today
1

2

Discuss Principles for Governing

3

Inspire Hearts & Minds

4

Answer Questions

5


Share a Framework for Greatness

Have Fun!

THIS SLIDE DECK IS ACCESSIBLE AT:



What is Greatness?
Superior Performance
Distinctive Impact

Lasting Endurance


Collins’ Good to Great Framework
INPUT PRINCIPLES
STAGE 1: DISCIPLINED PEOPLE
Level 5 Leadership
First Who, Then What

STAGE 2: DISCIPLINED THOUGHT
Confront the Brutal Facts
The Hedgehog Concept

STAGE 3: DISCIPLINED ACTION
Culture of Discipline
The Flywheel
STAGE 4: BUILDING GREATNESS TO LAST
Clock Building, not Time Telling
Preserve Core, Stimulate Progress


OUTPUT RESULTS
DELIVERS SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE
RELATIVE TO ITS MISSION

MAKES A DISTINCTIVE IMPACT
ON THE COMMUNITIES IT TOUCHES

ACHIEVES LASTING ENDURANCE
BEYOND ANY LEADER, IDEA OR SETBACK

“Greatness…is largely
a matter of conscious
choice and discipline.”
Jim Collins


“Good is the
Enemy of Great.”
Jim Collins


The Flywheel


Achieving
Breakthrough


Purpose of Governance

“To ensure, usually on behalf of others, that
an organization achieves what it should
achieve while avoiding those behaviors and
situations that should be avoided.”
Dr. John Carver
Boards that Make a Difference


Framing the Problem

“There is one thing all boards have in
common, regardless of their legal position
… they do not function.”
Peter Drucker


Framing the Problem

“ Trustees are often little more than
high-powered, well-intentioned people
engaged in low-level activities.”
Chait, Holland and Taylor


Three Key Board Challenges
1

Dysfunctional Group Dynamics

2

Disengaged Board Members

3

Uncertainty about Roles and
Responsibilities

Source: Problem Boards or Board Problems?
The Nonprofit Quarterly, Summer 2003


Typical Prescription for
Fixing Board Challenges
=
Information & Training

Question
Will more information
& training cure board
problems?


The First Thing the Board Governs is Itself

Would a Level 5 Leader
Want to Work for
Your Board?


“Know Thyself”

Would You Join or Work for a Board that:
•
•
•
•
•

Knows its purpose and why
it exists
Understands it is the
highest authority in the
organization
Knows who it works for
Is disciplined in its role and
behaviors and those of its
individual members
Is trustworthy and
predictable


•
•
•
•
•

Uses its authority to
empower, not strangle
Ensures the organization is
effective and efficient
Measures performance and
holds people accountable
Is unafraid to judge, but
does so fairly
Continuously earns
credibility

How Boards Earn Credibility
•
•
•
•
•
•

“They practice what they preach.”
“They walk the talk.”
“Their actions are consistent with their words.”
“They put their money where their mouth is.”
“They follow through on their promises.”
“They do what they say they will do.”
The Leadership Challenge


Level 5
Leadership
Pyramid


Collins’ Level 5 Leader
• Ambitious first and foremost for the cause, the
organization, the work – not themselves.
• Displays a paradoxical blend of personal
humility and professional will.


Collins’ Level 3 Leader
Organizes people and resources

toward the effective and efficient pursuit
of predetermined objectives.


The Most Consistently Admired
Characteristics of Leaders
Honest
Forward-Looking
Competent
Inspiring


5 Practices of Exemplary Leaders
1

2

Inspire a Shared Vision

3

Challenge the Process

4

Enable Others to Act

5


Model the Way

Encourage the Heart

Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
1
2

Begin with the End in Mind

3

Put First Things First

4

Think Win-Win

5

Seek First to Understand,
Then to be Understood

6

Synergize

7


Be Proactive

Sharpen the Saw

Covey: Begin with the End in Mind

Vision

What is the organization really trying to accomplish?
Is it compelling? Will it make a significant difference?

Mission

How will the organization proceed with making this
vision a reality?

Values

What are the core things the organization will use to
guide and evaluate all of its actions and behaviors?


The Power of Clarifying Values
Teamwork
• We recognize that no one of us is as good as all of us.
• We will put the team goals before our own.
• We will collaborate.
• We can be relied upon to fulfill commitments.
• We are accountable for ourselves and to each other.

• We will celebrate our successes and have fun.


The Power of Values
Forward-Looking
• We dare to be different.
• We are willing to take risks.
• We are not limited by others.
• We strive to exceed expectations.
• We inspire growth in ourselves and others.
Commitment
• We are persistent.
• We lead with passion.


The Power of Clarifying Values
Integrity
• We will tell the truth.
• We will be open to feedback.
• We trust each other to speak our minds.
• We will always strive to do the right things for the right
reasons.
Respect
• We communicate with candor and tact.
• We will be tough on the issue, not on the person.
• We value people for who they are and what they bring.


“Doing everything keeps us so
busy, we don’t have time to
think about what is really
important to us.”


“We believe boards that govern for
greatness ask wise questions and
measure things that really matter.”


WHAT REALLY MATTERS

Ensuring all students
are prepared for success in
college, work and life.


Wise Questions
HOW WELL IS OUR SCHOOL…
Preparing Students for College, Work and Life

Leveraging Resources

Fulfilling its Obligations


ACT:
A Respected Standard for
Measuring College Readiness


Backwards Mapping
From The Act:
Beginning With The End In Mind

Grade 12

Kindergarten


BOARD MEETINGS MADE EASY
SCHOOL BOARD

SCHOOL BOARD

SCHOOL

AUTHORIZER

COMPILE
& SHARE
PROPOSED
MINUTES

PUBLIC

DEVELOP

AGENDA

ASSEMBLE

CONDUCT
MEETING

PACKET

REVIEW
PACKET


SCHOOL

MANAGEMENT

DISTRIBUTE

PACKET

• Agenda (30/30/30)
• Prior Meeting Minutes
• Financial Data
• Academic Data
• Board Materials
• Reports
o
o
o

•

School Leader
Management Co.
Authorizer
Formal Resolutions

Compliance Requirements Detail


Where do you
spend your
time?

First Things First


Governing Wisely

“ Wisdom is the beneficial use of
knowledge; wisdom is information
and knowledge impregnated with
higher purposes and principles.”
Dr. Stephen Covey
The 8th Habit


The Five
Temptations
of a CEO


“Set the standards higher
for yourself than others
would set them for you.”
- John Maxwell


Four Disciplines of a
Healthy
Organization


1: Build a Cohesive Leadership Team
Cohesive teams build trust, eliminate
politics, and increase efficiency by…
• Knowing one another’s unique strengths
and weaknesses.
• Openly engaging in constructive,
ideological conflict.
• Holding one another accountable for
behaviors and actions.
• Committing to group decisions.


2: Create Clarity
Healthy organizations minimize the
potential for confusion by clarifying…
•
•
•
•
•
•


Why do we exist?
How do we behave?
What do we do?
How will we succeed?
What is most important – right now?
Who must do what?

3: Over-Communicate Clarity
Healthy organizations align their employees around
organizational clarity by communicating key
messages through…
• Repetition: Don’t be afraid to repeat the same
message again and again.
• Simplicity: The more complicated the message,
the more potential for confusion and inconsistency.
• Multiple Mediums: People react to information in
many ways; use a variety of mediums.
• Cascading Messages: Leaders communicate key
messages to direct reports; the cycle repeats itself
until the message is heard by all.


4: Reinforce Clarity
Organizations sustain their health
by ensuring consistency in…
•
•
•
•


Hiring
Managing performance
Rewards and recognition
Employee dismissal

Stephen Covey


Shifting the Paradigm

“The call and need of a new era
is for greatness. It’s for fulfillment,
passionate execution and significant
contribution..”
Dr. Stephen Covey
The 8th Habit


THANK YOU!

VIEW THIS SLIDE DECK ONLINE AT WWW.CHARTERINSTITUTE.ORG

NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOLS INSTITUTE | 711 WEST PICKARD STREET | MOUNT PLEASANT, MI 48858

Governing for Greatness- Dr. James Goenner, National Charter Schools Institute (Texas Charter School Conference 12/2013)

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