FREE Strategy and Policy Toolkit

Most not-for-profit organisations are small-to-medium in size, and have limited resources to do the strategy and policy work they would like to. So simple and effective tools for the job are much sought after, and can be immensely valuable to the staff and volunteers who need them. The DIY toolkit published by Nesta is therefore… Continue reading FREE Strategy and Policy Toolkit

Sustainability finally going mainstream

The landmark speech on Climate Change and the Economy (12 March) by Guy Debelle, Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank, and the APRA climate change survey (20 March) of 38 large entities, across all regulated industries, signal mainstream acceptance of the reality that climate change obliges all of us to take preventive measures and prepare… Continue reading Sustainability finally going mainstream

Magnetic forces in board decision making

The recent Hayne Royal Commission generated much commentary on the behaviour of banks and other financial institutions, and their preoccupation with profits over compliance (‘performance’ over ‘conformance’) has been a dominant theme. Risk managers in many of these large organisations have been treated as blockers of growth, and consulted late (if at all) when new… Continue reading Magnetic forces in board decision making

The Strategic Cube: improving strategy execution

Non-profit boards sometimes have difficulty seeing their strategic plan reflected in their ongoing regular meeting agendas and interactions with management. Organisations that have integrated their strategic thinking into their structures and operations rarely suffer the problem of forgetting what their strategic goals are. The ‘strategic cube’ illustrated above is one way of conceptualising the influence… Continue reading The Strategic Cube: improving strategy execution

Behind the governance ‘dashboard’

The ‘dashboard‘ metaphor is often used to discuss the role of a board in monitoring key metrics in the performance and conformance of both corporate and not-for-profit organisations. However, this metaphor is only one part of a larger ‘vehicle‘ metaphor, which sees the board ‘steering‘ the organisation towards a destination set via its core purpose… Continue reading Behind the governance ‘dashboard’