Problem: Board does not use existing policies
1.10.2024
Some boards claim to be governing boards but spend most of their time making decisions and advising the organizational leader. Their decisions are captured in the minutes instead of being translated into board policies. Some boards have a written policy manual and but never refer to it when meeting. Before deciding on any issue, every governing board should first see if an existing policy covers the situation. If not, then they should write a policy to cover it. If the issue is an operational matter, the board may also hand the decision back to the organizational leader to make. For example, a piece of equipment may need a costly repair that brings up the question of buying a new one rather than repairing it. The board may not have a policy about replacing equipment. This decision is clearly an operational matter, but one that would easily drag a governing board into management decisions. For a managing board, this is the kind of decision they are supposed to make. But a managing board may also delegate the decision back to the organizational leader.
