Governing by Principles

Book excerpt: There are lots of books and articles on governance in general. Many can be helpful, but few, maybe very few, actually show or explain a cohesive and comprehensive system of governance. Without a unified and encompassing system, boards will never be able to maximize their contribution to the organization and its purpose for existence. The purpose of this book is to make sure that they can.There is only one system that we have found which does address the above problem. That system is Policy Governance®.If you are on a Policy Governance board or any other type of board, this book will empower your governing.Based on input from multiple boards and ten's, and possibly more than a hundred, training sessions with boards we have determined that Policy Governance concepts make a positive change in a board's impact and that two specific insights can amplify that impact: 1.To understand and maximize the system's benefits, a board must deeply understand the principles of the system, the implications of those principles and their "1+1=5" synergy when used as a set.2.For a governing board to sustain this particular system, it needs to own it. The model must be truly owned by the board, using both ongoing study and diligence. It must become the board's culture, not just its governing system. This book will provide insight into the importance of the principles, their synergies as a whole, and, ultimately, amplifying the board's value and empowering the organization's purpose.