By Lisa Hochgraf
Boards need to do fiduciary (operational) and strategic thinking--then go beyond and think about issues and problems in a whole new light. Taking this third step is what Michael Daigneault referred to as doing "generative" thinking. Daigneault led the CUES Director Development Seminar held last week in Vancouver, British Columbia.
"If the roof is leaking, just deal with it," explained Daigneault, senior governance consultant with BoardSource, Washington, D.C., and a member of the steering committee for CUES' new Center for Credit Union Board Excellence. "But when you have a major issue--such as are we going to merge or should we offer a new line of services--then have some discussion and make sure you get into all three ways of thinking."
Daigneault described an example of a board that contributed greatly to a decision. Some time ago the Jewish Community Center of Minneapolis was considering being open on Saturday, which of course is the Sabbath--the day of rest--in the Jewish tradition.
From a fiduciary perspective, opening on Saturday made a lot of sense. People like to work out on Saturday, so the potential from greater income was clear. Strategically it could broaden the center's reach into the non-Jewish segment of the marketplace that it served.
But key generative thinking began when a board member asked the question, "Are we the Jewish Community Center or are we the Jewish Community Center?" Daigneault said.
The discussion explored whether opening on Saturday was in fact a violation of many, many years of tradition--whether it breached a fundamental covenant with God. Maybe opening at 1 p.m., after services were over, would be a reasonable compromise?
"It was a value-laden discussion," Daigneault said. "Their passions were raised."
In addition to raising generative discussion, the JCC board also asked key questions of staff. "What did the rabbi say about this?" and "What are the thoughts of the 40 orthodox members who built the building?" and "How have the Jewish Community Centers in Detroit and Cleveland handled this issue?"
Board members and staff worked together to gather this additional data. The rabbi surprised them by saying he was in favor of opening on Satuday. He wanted a strong community center and thought people who were going to go to service on Saturday would still go. The 40 founders were concerned, but when the center did start opening on Saturday, none of them left. The JCC in Detroit had started opening on Saturdays the year before with great success. All great information.
Ultimately, the JCC in Minneapolis started by opening at 1 p.m. on Saturdays. The next month the board voted to open at 8 a.m. on Saturday.
"The board contributed mightily to the information coming to the table," Daigneault noted. In the end, all involved felt good about the direction the organization had taken. "They had a full download of the information. They felt satisfied that they had gone through an appropriately thorough process and could support the decision."
Lisa Hochgraf is a CUES editor.
Also read "Some Conflict is Unavoidable--and Good" and "Recommended Resources for Directors"--more coverage from CUES Director Development Seminar.
