Good Governance is a Choice

Good Governance is a Choice is a book about, and for, boards of public and non-profit organizations. Its central focus is on public school boards, but the governing model it introduces, Coherent Governance , is applicable to any board of any type. The model offers a process for boards to control operational decisions without making them, allowing them to spend the dominant part of their time on what matters.

This book comes with a promise: after reading it, you will never again think of board work the same as before. Good Governance is a Choice is a book about, and for, boards of public and non-profit organizations. Its central focus is on public school boards and the special challenges they face, but the governing model it introduces, Coherent Governance , is applicable to any board of any type. Coherent Governance is a policy-based governing model that features a fail-proof means for creating absolute role clarity for boards and their CEOs. The model offers a process for boards to control operational decisions without making them, allowing them to spend the dominant part of their time on what matters_whether the organization is delivering the goods for the clients it serves. The authors challenge readers to consider themselves to be the very first board elected or appointed to serve their organization and to thoughtfully craft a governance role and board processes to allow them to best do their work_unencumbered by past practice and tradition. They draw from their combined 60-plus years of experience in working with public and non-profit boards as they present their state-of-the-art governing model.

Chapter 1: Why Don't Boards Perform Better?
Chapter 2: What Does a "High Performing Board" Look Like?
Chapter 3: Governing Coherently, or Incoherently?
Chapter 4: Constructing the Board's Own Governing Culture
Chapter 5: The Board's Relationship With its CEO
Chapter 6: Controlling Operational Decisions Without Helping the CEO Manage
Chapter 7: Demanding and Achieving Results
Chapter 8: The Board's Relationship With its CEO—Continued
Chapter 9: Monitoring—Everything!
Chapter 10: Systemic Application and Alignment
Chapter 11: Governing Coherently: How Can a Board Transform Itself?
Chapter 12 Appendix A Board Self Assessment
Chapter 13 Appendix B Operational Expectation Monitoring Report
Chapter 14 Appendix C Results Monitoring Report