John’s board experiences in the nonprofit sector have run the gamut from exhilarating to frustrating. He has served on several boards, some of the traditional, management variety, others with a governance model. One of his current boards is a poster child for the well-functioning governance board. Another is going through an uncomfortable transition from a management to governance model. His adverse experience on that board led him to participate in a peer learning circle (PLC) on board governance, facilitated by the Institute for Nonprofit Studies at Mt. Royal College in Calgary. He felt there had to be a better way to run a board.

“Many governance boards are confused about their role when it comes to policy and governance,” observes John. Complicated bylaws are only partly to blame. On the board transitioning to a governance model, many of John’s fellow governors want to abide by rules rather than explore possibilities for improving the performance of the board. The effective board, on the other hand, is so open to improving its functioning that it has a monitor who attends its board meetings and provides a regular report card on its performance.

The instigator behind the PLC process is Keith Seel, Ph.D. Seel is familiar with the confusion and frustration that accompany a changeover from management board to governance model. Having facilitated a variety of PLCs, he is convinced of their power and also cognizant that any number of factors can undermine their success. Factors at play include the attitudes of individual governors and the dynamic on any given board.

“What PLCs do is help board members go deep inside and ask themselves what it means to be a governor,” Seel says, underscoring the notion of ‘being’. “Being is important because it frames how we think about our roles. For example, what does it mean to be a parent? Is it simply feeding and clothing your children or is it that and much more?”

Trying to help board members get to that deeper level of understanding is what led Seel to develop peer learning circles. But can a PLC work in any organization with a governance model? Some organizations seem more resistant to the discovery process at the heart of a PLC. To be successful, there has to be a willingness to take risks and share in an atmosphere of trust.

The institute recently conducted a PLC with faith-based board members to ascertain the effectiveness of the process in this kind of nonprofit setting. Seel was surprised by the findings:

1. Faith-based governance boards tended to be more hierarchical, with God as the ultimate authority. On some boards, for instance, a member might experience a revelation regarding an issue under discussion, and this vision or prophecy would override due process because it was believed to be the voice of God present in the room.
2. Belief was a source of unity and division. Two people with different perspectives (or revelations) could create conflict that was divisive for the board.
3. Conflicts arose between the secular world of politics (and due process) and the sacred world represented by faith or belief.

Seel is still exploring the impact for an organization using a governance model in this kind of environment. John’s experience in the institute’s faith-based PLC was entirely positive. He appreciated the opportunity to discuss challenges with people from other faith-based boards. PLC participants shared a series of ‘aha’ moments as they grappled with the effects of belief and hierarchy on the performance of their boards. John plans to use what he learned to educate his own board members in understanding their role as governors.

Another big question arising from the institute’s work is: why do some boards fail to capitalize on the governance model, while others embrace it? Several reasons appear to account for this.

• The implications of the governance model are ill explained and understood by the board.
• There is no ongoing training for governors in the use of the new model. One short orientation per year is insufficient.
• The board falls back into its old ways of doing things, with beliefs about governance tending to be reproduced from one generation of board members to another.
• The board’s organization conspires against taking risks and exploring alternate ways of delivering on its mandate.

Hierarchy can be an impediment to successful board functioning, especially if it shuts down opportunities for board members to share candidly. Effective boards of governors work in a collegial manner, making the most of diverse talents and perspectives. Hierarchical boards expect deference from board members, especially more junior ones. Abiding by the rules kills any exploration of possibilities.

Peer learning is a collaborative undertaking; participants reflect on past performance and experience, discuss what happened, and explore what might be. Expert facilitation from the institute’s staff ensured the success of the faith-based PLC, in spite of differences in belief between participants, and the fact most came from organizations where hierarchy is commonplace. Agencies intending to use the PLC tool would be wise to find experienced, external facilitators to conduct their sessions.

External facilitation can assist with another problem: the board member in a PLC who is deeply cynical about the process, and resistant to honouring the agreement into which other participants have entered. That agreement establishes ground rules for participation, including a commitment to confidentiality. Candour is a hallmark of a successful PLC, and can be threatening to some people; they may be reluctant to reflect on their own mistakes, or share honestly with fellow members of the board. This is where facilitation can make or break the group’s encounters. Hiring an experienced facilitator, or two, is a wise investment.

As Seel points out, a PLC can’t fix a “broken” board of governance, and becoming an effective governor is anything but a linear process. The beauty of the PLC process is that it gets at hidden or tacit knowledge that individual governors possess, and then invites them to share that knowledge with their peers. Because everyone’s experiences are different, participants can learn from each other’s past history of community service.

John remains upbeat about the PLC process. He’d like to meet once again with the other participants in his group, to find out how their governance experience has changed as a result of the PLC they attended. The institute carefully tracks the success of each group. PLC scores speak for themselves; peer learning has been valuable for improving the capacity of governors, and affirming support for their organizations.

If you’re serving with a governance board that would benefit from using a discovery model like the PLC, contact the Institute for Nonprofit Studies for more information: www.mtroyal.ab.ca/nonprofitinstitute; Tel. 403-440-7739.

Andrée Iffrig is passionate about improving communication in organizations. She is the author of “Find Your Voice at Work: The Power of Storytelling in the Workplace”, and co-author with Keith Seel, Ph.D., of “BEING A Governor: A Process for Board Development”. Visit www.find-your-voice.ca for more information.