Governing for Growth: Using 7 Measures of Success to Strengthen Board Dialogue and Decision Making

Now is not a time to simply weather the storm of economic turbulence, growing scrutiny from regulators, and increased competition. Associations that fail to invest in strategies that build short- and long-term organizational sustainability will lose steam, influence, and possibly members. The best leaders need to learn to navigate on two fronts: managing the immediate, day-to-day challenges and readying themselves and their organizations for what will arise in the future. To build an organizational culture that can successfully hold these two goals in mind simultaneously requires inclusion, adaptability, innovation, sustainability, and resilience, which only a board that is engaged, strategic, and effective can engender.

This book draws from the research for 7 Measures of Success: What Remarkable Associations Do That Others Don t (ASAE, 2006), which, in turn, was informed by Jim Collins s research for Good to Great (he even advised the research team for 7 Measures of Success). Governing for Growth teases out the policy and strategy implications of the seven measures and presents them to association leaders who want to take their organizations to new levels of effectiveness, influence, and adaptability. The seven measures are

A customer service culture

Alignment of products and services with mission

Data-driven strategies

Dialogue and engagement

CEO as a broker of ideas

Organizational adaptability

Alliance building.

The book presents ideas for presenting the seven measures to boards, discussing and adopting them, and bridging the gap between theory and practice, thereby serving as a guide to developing and enhancing the ability of boards to inspire and lead great organizational performance. It includes a companion facilitator s guide.

Nancy R. Axelrod is a governance consultant who provides services to nonprofit organizations in board education, development, self-assessment, and leadership transitions. She has served on, consulted with, and advised numerous associations, foundations, and similar membership organizations. She is the founding president of the National Center for Nonprofit Boards (now known as BoardSource). She is the author of Culture of Inquiry: Healthy Debate in the Boardroom; Chief Executive Succession Planning: The Board s Role in Securing Your Organization s Future; and Advisory Councils. She has also contributed to The Jossey-Bass Handbook of Nonprofit Leadership and Management and written numerous articles and op-ed pieces.

ASAE is a membership organization of more than 22,000 association executives and industry partners representing more than 11,000 organizations. ASAE members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies and voluntary organizations across the United States and in nearly 50 countries around the world. ASAE is the preeminent source of knowledge, learning, community, and advocacy for the field of association management. ASAE s publishing imprint, Association Management Press, reflects the ASAE mission by publishing relevant, reliable content focusing on helping professionals tackle their organizational leadership and management challenges.