Asking the right questions in the right way One of the shorthand ways of explaining what governance focuses on is to say it’s about ‘Doing the right things in the right way’. This post offers a reflection on one essential aspect of governance, that is used by every director at every meeting. Skillful questioning is… Continue reading A question of skillful questioning
Tag: values
Integrity – greater than the sum of its aspects
Integrity – Part 1 Integrity can be thought of as a ‘cluster’ concept, which, when taking into account all its subtle variations, is greater than the sum of its aspects. It is not so much a ‘slippery’ concept as one which reveals its many facets through the words it is paired with. Some common pairings… Continue reading Integrity – greater than the sum of its aspects
With ‘respect’ …
Organisational Culture – Part 7 Respect is a value espoused by many non-profit organisations – as one would expect. I suggested reflection on how respect is expressed within your organisation in a recent blog post, partly because it is so often at the core of workplace conflicts. Under different circumstances and at different times, we… Continue reading With ‘respect’ …
Organisational ‘Health & Wellbeing’
Organisational Culture – Part 6 Organisational dis-eases and mood disorders In recent posts, various metaphors for organisational culture have been noted, with the ‘garden ecosystem’ and ‘human personality’ being relied upon to reflect the nature of the organisation as a complex adaptive system. The human metaphor for an organisation can be extended to think about… Continue reading Organisational ‘Health & Wellbeing’
Ways of knowing and being in organisational culture
Organisation culture – Part 5 When we hold directors and managers accountable for a problem with organisational culture, we affirm that culture is a product of choices made and actions taken (or neglected). Consequently, it cannot be fixed and immutable. While it may be consistent (and sometimes even seems ossified), it is amenable to reshaping.… Continue reading Ways of knowing and being in organisational culture
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
Filters and Factors in Deliberation
Deliberation – where strategic and personal perspectives meet. We directors and executives all like to think that we are rational beings, engaged in objective decision making processes to achieve governance and management goals. All of our best practice models describe linear and logical steps we take (or aspire to) to optimise performance and meet our… Continue reading Filters and Factors in Deliberation
Organisational mindfulness
It may be stretching a metaphor to suggest that an organisation has a ‘mind’, but it is nonetheless a useful way to think about how collective behaviour within an entity reflects a shared worldview, and certain habits of thought. This is what we are talking about when we refer to the ‘cultural iceberg‘, where what… Continue reading Organisational mindfulness
Golden means or ends?
The desirability of ethical behaviour is universally acknowledged, and this has been particularly evident as we review the findings of recent Royal Commissions in this country. Unethical decisions made by senior personnel holding ‘positions of trust’ appear to have been one of the consistent themes. Politicians, pundits and the media tend to characterise these behaviours… Continue reading Golden means or ends?