Equality and Equity: Our Generation’s Legacy Growing up in Illinois, “the Land of Lincoln” I took a special interest in our sixteenth president and his efforts to create a nation where “all men are created equal” and that we are a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” I was born a year after the Civil Rights Act … Continue reading “Equality and Equity: Our Generation’s Legacy” Growing up in Illinois, “the Land of Lincoln” I took a special interest in our sixteenth president and his efforts to create a nation where “all men are created equal” and that we are a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” I was born a year after the Civil Rights Act was passed and two years after Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have A Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, commemorating 100 years since the Emancipation Proclamation. In a legal sense, I never experienced my country’s segregation. But as I started public elementary school, these core tenets of equality (as I understood them) didn’t seem to line up with how things were done. This experience raised my awareness of equality and equity. Equality is being treated the same. Equal opportunity, equal access to success. But when there are roadblocks to this success, equity comes into play. Equal access doesn’t mean equal outcome. For example, even though I am allowed to apply for college using the same application process as a male in the name of equal access, this doesn’t mean we arrived at that college application investing the same level of effort or will have an equitable experience let alone the same level of success. Difference can be correlated to inequality or diversity. How do we value the difference between one another? How do we value diversity? Equity is a way that we can arrive at a place where we can value that difference. “Leveling the playing field” is a term used to create equity. Example: On the track, when running 400 meters, instead of placing runners at the starting line, the runners are placed in a staggered start to create equity. Register for the Leadership and Equity webinar on January 28, 2014. These concepts of equality and equity are important because in our generation, discrimination is often unintentional or less overt when compared to the era of Martin Luther King, Jr. But just because discrimination is unintentional does not mean it won’t have a lasting negative impact. When we unintentionally surround ourselves with people just like ourselves we don’t have awareness of the roadblocks or challenges that some may face to achieve that same status. Whether we are at a board meeting or a cocktail party, if everyone is the same race, class, gender or sexual orientation, we can’t benefit from the wisdom that comes from sharing diverse perspectives. Yes I am of the post-Civil Rights Act generation that did not witness segregation. There is awareness among my peers about equality. But there is less awareness and understanding of equity and why it is critical to a fair and just society. If you have interest in exploring this topic of equality and equity, please join me and my colleague, Cheryl D. Fields on March 25, 2014 at 1pm PST/4pm EST for a webinar entitled Leadership & Equity hosted by the Leadership Learning Community. Register for the webinar today! We will continue this dialogue and what role each one of us can play to move our world closer toward the vision shared by Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr.
What’s Goverance Got to Do with It? Over my twenty years in the nonprofit sector I have held different seats at the governance table. As a member of an all-volunteer organization, I’ve experienced serving on a board that worked essentially as the staff. As an Executive Director of a nonprofit, I experienced a relationship with the board as my boss. While serving … Continue reading “What’s Goverance Got to Do with It?” Over my twenty years in the nonprofit sector I have held different seats at the governance table. As a member of an all-volunteer organization, I’ve experienced serving on a board that worked essentially as the staff. As an Executive Director of a nonprofit, I experienced a relationship with the board as my boss. While serving as a board chair, I was the leader of the board. In my professional work as a consultant, I am brought in to support boards in reaching their greatest potential. What have I learned based on my experience in each of these roles? Your organization is only as healthy as your board. When boards and board members are working in coordination with staff, the organization has leveraged the talents, and resources of 10-20 more people…for free! When boards and board members are not working in coordination with staff, the organization stalls out. I have seen the latter dysfunctional situation often as both a board member and as a consultant. In these situations, staff start to work around or ignore the board, viewing the board as “a necessary evil.” Board members wonder why the Executive isn’t “doing as they say.” So what are the key elements to an effective board-executive partnership? Although it was originally written for the corporate sector, the work of David Nadler, Beverly Behan and Mark Nadler, published by the Harvard Business Review on Building Better Boards, is a timeless resource for building engaged boards. Key Elements of an Engaged Board 1. The Mind-Set: Board-building is an ongoing activity, continuous improvement means annual self-assessments. 2. The Role: The board needs to be an engaged partner with the chief executive and playing the correct role for each situation. Is it a fiduciary role, strategic role or generative role? This resource explores the role of Governance as Leadership. 3. The Work: Identify the areas where the board can add the greatest value and focus attention here. 4. The People: The right people are not merely based on technical expertise but other competencies related to programs, external environment, quality of input and style of interaction. 5. The Agenda: Agendas dictate the work of the board. “show and tells” kill board meetings and crowd out time for serious and important discussions. Boards need to find ways to engage with the organization outside of official meetings so “show and tells” during meetings can be limited. 6. The Information: Boards can be left in the dark by either too much information to digest or information malnutrition. I have seen board tomes of 300 pages! Don’t only be a “recipient” of information but seek it out. Board members should be encouraged to collect and share information that they have identified externally. 7. The Culture: Robert’s Rules of Order are great obstacles to an engaged board. Use them sparingly. Engaged board cultures are characterized by candor, willingness to challenge thinking (respectfully), camaraderie, and teamwork. Where is your board in getting it right? Take a look at some of the other great resources on nonprofit governance or contact me to discuss next steps in building an engaged board. Resources: BoardSource Blue Avocado Nonprofit Quarterly
