Where are we?

The idea of this document is to get the leadership thinking about your association in the larger scheme of things.  Where are you now? Where do you want to be? How can you get there?

There is no grade, no pass or fail.  It’s point system is designed to give you, and your management staff, a tool to evaluate your role in the present and begin to create the Visioning Process, or enhance what you have already begun.   

How to Score: On a scale of 1-5, (‘5’ being “VERY IMPORTANT” and ‘1’ being “NOT IMPORTANT”) please rate each comment as you feel it relates to your Board, as a whole, in importance and AS CURRENTLY PRACTICED .  

WITHIN THE BOARD

1.       _____  Do your members put aside personal motives and grievances and honor their    fiduciary duty?
2.       _____  Are the members more concerned about unanimity than being right?
3.       _____  Do the individual board members participate as a member  - rather than as Lone Rangers?
4.       _____  Does politeness have more emphasis than rightness?
5.       _____  Is listening to all comments first a priority?
6.       _____  Can the Board delineate management tasks from policy development?
7.       _____  Do Board members support final Board decisions regardless of the vote?
8.       _____  Does the Board respect and utilize the efforts and reports from task forces and     committees?
9.       _____  Does the Board regularly, publicly recognize volunteers and committee members for their efforts?
10.    _____  Does the Board present awards to recognize specific achievements?
11.    _____  Within the Board, is recognition of problems accompanied by respective solutions?
12.    _____  Does the Board work to shape the community based on measuring community input?
13.    _____  Do the Board members serve out of a personal mission to serve others?
14.    _____  Is the Board’s  thinking is inclusive?
15.    _____  Do they regard organizational power as a temporary stewardship?
16.    _____  Does the Board emphasize the empowerment of others?
17.    _____  Do they seek resolution as opposed to conflict?
18.    _____  Do the Board members understand their role as change agents?
19.    _____  Do the individual members hold to the belief that no one person’s concept will survive in its original form?

Possible Score: 95

MANAGEMENT

20.    _____  Does the Board establish an annual guidance program for management?
21.    _____  Is staff protocol established and followed?
22.    _____  Is a trust for management developed based on the best interests of the association?
23.    _____  Does the Board rely on management and staff to implement the Board's decisions and policies?

Possible Score: 20

MEETINGS

24.    _____  Do members respectfully inquire rather then demand?
25.    _____  Do members study and ask questions on materials provided by staff in advance of meetings?
26.    _____   Does the Board follow basic parliamentary procedures to enhance meeting effectiveness?
27.    _____  Do they conduct business on the basis of what is best for the entire community?
28.    _____  Do the Board members address inquiries to staff and volunteers in a positive and polite manner?
29.    _____  Is the Board time-efficiency conscience and come prepared to meetings?
30.    _____  Does the Board offer developmental feedback in private?

Possible Score: 35

BIG PICTURE

31.    _____  Does the Board understand the power of vision?
32.    _____  Does the Board emphasize people, community and leadership over maintenance, finances and enforcement?
33.    _____  Does the Board reach out to, and collaborate with, other organizations?
34.    _____  Does the Board engage in a community visioning process?
35.    _____  Is reasonableness emphasized over strict enforcement?
36.    _____  Does the Board assume the current reality represents all the community can be?

Possible Score: 30     

Total Possible Score: 190