3 Ways to Incorporate Governance Training in an Enjoyable Fashion
The general concept of governance is that of achieving the formation of effective leaders, with the ability to define the mission of the organization, and make the sometimes difficult, but necessary, decisions to keep the focus on achieving that specified mission.
The challenge of practical governance training is going beyond just understanding protocols and policies but creating a fervor that involves all board members of varied education, competencies, and experiences.
The Basics of Governance Training
Dennis C. Miller, President of Dennis C. Miller Associates, Inc., with 35 years of experience working with CEOs and nonprofit boards, formed and was the Executive Director of the Excellence in Leadership, Governance, and Philanthropy at Fairleigh Dickenson University in New Jersey from 2012 through 2016.
Mr. Dennis Miller’s extensive knowledge and experience as both CEO and nonprofit board leader have brought him to three ‘best practice’ ways to incorporate governance training in the most gratifying manner.
- Identify — the skills and core competencies of the individual board members.
- Clarify — the objective mission of the organization, as well as the personal responsibility of each of the board members.
- Develop — the goals established by the team into definite actions.
Because knowledge is power, take advantage of two online courses developed and delivered by Dennis C. Miller himself. While governance training may foster mixed results due to time restraints, costs, and general interest – there are ways to incorporate it in an enjoyable manner. As people are more visual, we don’t respond well to hours and hours of one-sided lecturing. For this reason, we need to make the experience more dynamic.
3 Ways to Incorporate Governance Training in an Enjoyable Fashion
Make it a retreat
There’s something nice about leaving your everyday surroundings. If the goal is to improve current conditions, you’ll want to give board members a chance to look at the bigger picture. This is difficult to accomplish when you’re still in the thick of your everyday routine. Without the daily distractions, members may be more open-minded and willing to take on additional training.
Make it multi-sensory
Beyond using the readily provided materials, try to incorporate a more dynamic delivery with the use of props, storytelling, or incorporating music. Adding any of these elements could complement the basics, reinforcing the information through its repetition in various forms.
Open the floor to feedback
As adults, we’re seldom interested in acquiring new knowledge and direction without being able to ask questions and offer feedback. Break up into small groups and have each group undergo select sections of the training. Once every section has been taught, have each group deliver the information they obtained to the other remaining groups. Because teaching materials is the number one way of absorbing it, this will ensure the information has not only been heard but also internalized.
Running a non-profit board comes with its challenges, but Dennis C. Miller can help bring the focus back to the mission at hand. Discover his online courses today exclusively for nonprofit board members and executive leadership teams. Available on his website!
