By Mark Athitakis Boards have become more attentive to strategy since the onset of COVID-19. Two governance experts share suggestions for keeping that momentum. Governance is governance, as Target founder Ken Dayton famously put it. But governance in the pandemic era is a bit different. Shifting strategy discussions to Zoom, combined with heightened focus on social justice issues in the past two years, have prompted association leaders to collaborate differently and pay more attention to strategic matters, especially around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). During the first year of COVID, according to the software company OnBoard, boards reported that they were “more effective, more collaborative, and are spending more time on vital strategic issues than prior to the pandemic.” But the increased (remote) face time that has often come with online board work shouldn’t let associations be complacent. That’s something I explored in a recent Associations Now Deep Dive piece on whether associations should overhaul their strategic plans due to the pandemic. Short answer: probably not, if that plan is well thought through and aligned with your overall organizational goals. But it’s a good time to double-check the processes you use for strategic discussions and the pipeline you have in place for the next group of leaders. Glenn Tecker, co-CEO of Tecker International, is skeptical that online governance gives association decision-making the necessary gravitas. “While there is intellectual commitment to the decision, there tends to be less emotional commitment, less trust and satisfaction, less of a feeling of engagement,” he says. To counter that, Tecker recommends that board agendas be crystal clear on brass-tacks matters: that they include time to drill down into a specific issue A Post-Pandemic Strategy for Strategic Planning 24 Montana Funeral Directors Association
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