HOW CAN A CLUB
BOARD CHANGE TO
THE BPM STRUCTURE?
Boards genuinely want to
do their jobs well. Although
board members may have
highly successful careers in
other sectors beyond clubs,
many need coaching. There
are two keys to developing
better governance:
• Desire - Board members
truly must want to achieve
excellence. That requires
work, self-evaluation and the
commitment to continuous
improvement.
• Education - Many
governance and ethics
experts can provide guidance.
The key is to find those with
an understanding of the
nuances of club leadership.
frequency of their club visits,
their own roles in everyday
life, impacts on their own
families and club-sourced
impacts on their own financial
capabilities.
Peter Drucker, the esteemed
scholar of business practices,
identifies three essential
functions of every board
of directors: making and
sustaining sound and effective
strategy, trustworthy and
open financial plans and
planning, and executing
effective governance. For club
leaders, it is important to note
that Drucker does not include
management supervision,
leadership by committees or
personnel management.
Laughlin teaches that
excellence in club governance
is embodied in a board
policies manual (BPM).
He states, “The essential
principles of good governance
are that a) the roles of the
primary players (board
members, managers, and
committees) are clearly and
appropriately defined, b) the
board speaks with one voice
(and not through its various
factions), and c) the board
commits to excellence (in its
dealings, communications
and standards). The BPM
is the storehouse of these
principles.”
Applying such simple tactics
and the discipline that keeps
them simple is the great
challenge in an emotionally
charged setting. Board
members must understand
their emotional engagement
and limitation using tools that
minimise the negative impacts
from the emotion and
maximising the favourable
possibilities of inspired
leadership.
GGA Partner Henry DeLozier
and GGA Director Fred
Laughlin kindly share their
thoughts on Emotional
Ownership in Clubs. GGA
specialises in Governance,
Member Surveys and Strategic
Planning. Please contact Paul
Hinton (Director - Asia Pacific)
on 0415 222 607 or phinton@
globalgolfadvisors.com for
further information.
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