Curious about Curiosity I have been wondering about curiosity lately. This strangely circular activity feels a little like the sensation you experience when you step between opposing mirrors and see an infinite array of reflections bouncing off each other. I have used the mirror metaphor when advocating reflective governance practices before, acknowledging that it has… Continue reading The curious director
Tag: reflective practice
How effective is your board? – Part 4
Reflective Governance Directors of most non-profit boards are volunteers who are time-poor. In my experience, some are reluctant to have their work evaluated, partly because they feel insulted that their honorary work is being opened to critical review (as they see it) as if they were remunerated. And yet, when given the opportunity to identify… Continue reading How effective is your board? – Part 4
Regret: your improvement catalyst
In my work with nonprofit organisations, and with mentees across a wide range of commercial and nonprofit settings, I see regret quite often as a drag on innovation, productivity, and improvement. One of the key steps involved in moving my clients forward, therefore, is to help them shift from feeling somewhat stuck in regret, to… Continue reading Regret: your improvement catalyst
X marks the spot for reflexive practice
Reflective and Reflexive Practice According to Plato, Socrates said “The unexamined life is not worth living” as he faced trial for alleged “impiety and corrupting youth”. Subsequently used to promote the virtues of philosophy, the quote may also be seen as a precursor to more recent encouragements for leaders and professionals to engage in reflective… Continue reading X marks the spot for reflexive practice
Validity and Validation in your non-profit
We all seek validation Most of us are very familiar with the kind of validation offered when others like or share our social media posts. This emotional validation involves processes of uncovering, accepting, approving, and hopefully understanding, the emotional experience of another person. Organisations also seek a similar form of validation when they monitor engagement… Continue reading Validity and Validation in your non-profit
Foolosophy in the boardroom
Archetype lenses In systems thinking, we often use mental models, of which the archetype is one variety, to provide us with a lens that helps to simplify the ‘story’ of what’s happening in our work and social environment. Archetypes come in many shapes and sizes. At the macro level, system archetypes decompose the elements and… Continue reading Foolosophy in the boardroom
Measuring NFP Measures
Arguably, next to your non-profit board’s responsibility for setting directions for your organisation, the monitoring and evaluation of performance and conformance are the two next most significant board roles and activities. Central to these monitoring and evaluation activities is the use of metrics and indicators (see Locus Focus Vs Hocus Pocus for distinctions between these… Continue reading Measuring NFP Measures
Thinking about ‘Thinking Hats’
Thank you to the reader who responded to my post on ‘The 7th and 8th Thinking Hats‘ by asking: “Is there a 9th Thinking Hat? If so can you please tell me?” While I was originally going to reply to this query in the comments below the article, as I started drafting that reply, it… Continue reading Thinking about ‘Thinking Hats’
Reflective Governance: The MELD Model
The MELD Model is a blend, or ‘melding’, of the COBIT5 EDM Governance Model and the Triple-Loop Learning Model, which has its origins in the work of Profs Chris Argyris and Donald Schon. MELD stands for Measure, Evaluate, Learn, and Direct. See the header image above. This contrivance is simply an elaboration of the Evaluate,… Continue reading Reflective Governance: The MELD Model
Helping
The non-profit / for-purpose sector is all about helping. Each NFP organisation serves a cause and seeks to provide benefits to its clients and the broader community. Each seeks to be pro-social and ethical in its own way. Some may focus on the welfare of individuals or groups, while others serve a defined group like… Continue reading Helping