c o m m u n i t y c o l l e g e l e a g u e o f c a l i f o r n i a

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volume 9, no. 1 fall 2006 focus Preventing Micromanagement— Creating High Performance Boards Micromanagement prevents boards from governing well. It results in dysfunctional boards, public criticism, accreditation concerns, demoralized staff, and lack of respect for elected trustees. This Board Focus explores definitions and causes of micromanagement and proposes alternatives for governing boards.

Contents The “Right Stuff“ Defining Micromanagement The “Right Stuff” 1 of Governance by Cindra Smith, Ed. D., the League Defining Micromanagement 1 by William McGinnis, Trustee That’s micromanagement!” When trustee A High Performing Boards Butte-Glenn Community College District says that to trustee B, trustee A is reminding B Make & Monitor Policy 3 to stick to the board’s policy role and stay out of Why Micromanagement The real challenge for trustees is creating a Occurs & What to Do administration. But B says, “No, it’s not.” Now what? About It 5 high performing board. They do this through How do you determine the appropriate role for For CEOs: Communicating being willing and able to set standards of trustees? with Your Board 6 excellence for their colleges and themselves. Scenarios: Is the Trustee They develop and live by the “Right Stuff.” The line between policy and micromanagement Micromanaging? 7 They have: is not always clear. It can depend on board and Reframing Board Roles 9 • The Right Mind Set institutional culture and protocols, communication The Importance of • The Right Role style, intent and how the intent is expressed. Clear Delegation 10 • The Right Work The Importance of Trust 11 What is clear is that micromanagement is not a • The Right People good thing. Boards hire a chief executive officer • The Right Agenda to lead the institution. Micromanagement gets in • The Right Information the way of the CEO doing that work and prevents • The Right Culture the CEO from being as effective as he or she could continued on page 2 continued on page 3 Board Focus c o m m u n i t y c o l l e g e l e a g u e o f c a l i f o r n i a

The “Right Stuff” of Governance The Right Information. There are two equally continued from page 1 effective ways of keeping a board in the dark. One is to provide them with too little information The Right Stuff The Right Mind Set is accomplished through a and the other, ironically, is to provide too much. of a governing process of continuous improvement. Boards must The board must communicate its information keep coming back to the same questions about needs to the CEO. And the CEO must adjust board means purpose, resources, and effectiveness. It means the information load by trustee. Boards primarily doing what is keeping the board’s focus on the vision and mission rely on retrospective data on the colleges’ in spite of all the noise from other college issues. performance and operations, and presentations by needed, executing Boards must focus on their districts’ future and the the administrators, and faculty, staff, and student goals in the strategic plan. leaders. The CEO is a key resource—his or her the strategy, articulation of the future and interpretation of The Right Role means establishing and sticking financial reports significantly shape boards’ views. and moving the to an overarching level of engagement that helps organization trustees set expectations and ground rules for their The Right Culture. Engaged cultures are roles relative to the president’s role. characterized by candor and a willingness to ahead. challenge. They reflect the social and work The Right Work is accomplished by focusing on dynamics of a high-performance team. Trust and “what” the district should accomplish, not “how” it respect between and among the trustees is critical is done, and not allowing the board’s focus to be to the successful development of an engaged diverted from the goals. Boards are accountable for culture, as are trust and respect between the board results (outcomes). Trustees fulfill this responsibility and the CEO. best not by dictating the details but rather, by asking questions about performance results and The Right Stuff of a governing board means doing their implications. Ask critical questions and insist what is needed, executing the strategy, and moving on clear answers. the organization ahead. High performing boards are committed to a strong working relationship The Right People. A board is only as good as its between the board and CEO, fostering healthy members. Trustee development and training are social dynamics of board interaction, and ensuring critical elements to building a strong board. Boards the competence, integrity, and constructive William McGinnis strengthen their members by providing mentoring, involvement of all trustees.  education, ground rules, and enforcing state and local laws and regulations, policies, and a code of ethics.

The Right Agenda. Agendas define what the board discusses and at what length. To control the agenda is to control the work of the board. Boards need to assure their agendas reflect the goals of the board. As an example, a board may devote one meeting a year to setting a limited number of priorities for the year—for example, strategic direction, capital allocation, enrollment management, and succession planning. The board must ensure that their regular meetings address these priorities.

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Defining Micromanagement suggestion has the effect of determining the continued from page 1 day-to-day decisions of staff members and how they allocate their time, it is most likely icromanage- be. As one trustee said, “We are paying a CEO micromanagement. The board has the right M to do the work, why should we do it instead?” to expect that people who work at the college ment sends Micromanagement sends a message of distrust, know how to do their jobs. Trustees have the abrogates the authority of the CEO and ignores the responsibility to honor the professionalism of a message of organizational structure, decision-making systems college staff by allowing them to perform their distrust, abrogates and procedures. duties. Micromanagement also violates the board’s fiduciary • It probably involves an individual trustee. If the the authority responsibility to ensure that time and resources of board as a whole makes a decision, it is less likely of the CEO and the institution are well spent. When a trustee directs to be micromanagement. Discussing an issue as staff to do something or requests information that a board usually provides the checks and balances ignores the requires a significant amount of time, the individual that help keep the board at a policy level. organizational trustee has determined how time and resources are • It is identified as micromanagement by fellow used, which may not be in the best interests of the trustees or college staff members. Even if there structure… entire institution. Given that colleges don’t have is no intent to direct or manage college staff, unlimited funds and personnel, priorities for time trustees may be perceived as micromanaging by and resources must be set by the board and college virtue of the power of their position. Trustees’ leadership working together. suggestions, opinions, and reactions are taken very seriously; trustees may find that what they Criteria for determining whether or not something meant as just ideas or thoughts are interpreted is micromanagement include: as directives. Therefore, trustees may need to • The action tells the CEO or a college employee monitor themselves carefully to ensure that how to do their job. If a request, directive or offering opinions is not construed as direction. 

High Performing Boards Make & Monitor Policy by Cindra Smith

Experienced trustees know they aren’t on the strategic plans, are reflected in the budget, and board to administer the institution—they know that frame the annual goals or priorities of the board is the chief executive’s job. Instead, they set policy, and CEO. delegate the responsibility for implementation to 2. Sets standards for acceptable practice, the CEO, and monitor that implementation. They particularly in the areas of educational planning define the information they need to perform those and programs, finance, facilities, and personnel.

jobs well. A test of whether or not something is a policy level Making Policy issue, and not micromanagement, is whether it fits Policy reflects and state what is valued by the into those two categories. Does it relate to the institution and community. It consists of brief, general goals, including who the college serves? general statements of purpose, principles or Does it reflect the values that guide operations, philosophy, which serve as guides for action. Policy: such as ethics, prudency, diversity, effectiveness, 1. Establishes the general goals of the institution. and quality? Does it address what the college does These are stated in institutional long-range and continued next page board focus 3 Board Focus c o m m u n i t y c o l l e g e l e a g u e o f c a l i f o r n i a

High Performing Boards Make & Monitor Policy When issues continued from page 3 arise, trustees and instead of how the college does it? CEOs consciously High performing boards and CEOs agree on identify the policy policy. They ensure that the board agenda items refer to board policy to clarify why the board is values inherent addressing the item and what decision is expected. in the issue and The background information provided for board decisions addresses policy-level concerns. When frame the board’s issues arise, trustees and CEOs consciously identify responses in policy, the policy values inherent in the issue and frame the boards’ responses in policy, not procedural, terms. not procedural, They ask: • Do we have a policy on this issue? Does it say terms. An Information Caveat what we want it to say? Boards need information to make policy and • What broad values and standards apply to this monitor the institution. An informed board ensures issue? Has the board stated those in policy? that colleges are meeting community needs and • Does the decision or action we are about doing everything they can to make sure students to take reinforce our policy role, or is it an succeed. Therefore it seems like asking for administrative decision? information is always a good thing. Monitoring However, injudicious and scattered requests for Boards must monitor that policy goals are being information can be micromanagement. Preparing accomplished and that the college is operating information for the board requires staff time, and in accordance with policy standards. They fulfill every request from the board or a trustee therefore this role when they receive and discuss reports on potentially “manages” the time of the staff. Boards, progress toward district goals.They also receive as part of their fiduciary responsibility, want staff and discuss reports that inform the board on how time to be devoted to accomplishing the goals of the college is complying with policy standards on the institution. A good board balances its legitimate college operations, such as fiscal audits, program need for information with the demands on staff reviews, and descriptions of hiring standards and time. practices. Clarity and communication are key. Boards carefully “Micromonitoring” can occur when the monitoring determine what information is needed to make system is vague or erratic and/or reports don’t policy, monitor the institution, and support the address policy goals or standards. Insufficient or “no surprises” rule. They make requests through poorly communicated information about the college the CEO’s office. Many boards have a policy or leads to trustees being more likely to question day- protocol that states that requests that require a to-day operations and inspect college programs. significant amount of staff time and resources to Therefore, effective board and CEO teams will produce the information must come from the board establish a monitoring system that provides the as a whole. The purpose isn’t to deny trustees the board with the information it needs to assure that information they need, but to ensure that staff time goals are being accomplished according to the and resources are used wisely, and in line with the board’s policy standards. needs of the entire board.  4 Fall 2006 Board Focus c o m m u n i t y c o l l e g e l e a g u e o f c a l i f o r n i a

Why Micromanagement Occurs & What to Do About It

by Cindra Smith New Board Members opinions—the only legitimate direction to the CEO New board members are eager to contribute their comes from the board as a whole. knowledge and ideas. Their enthusiasm in asking Leadership Voids questions and making suggestions may appear to or When CEOs don’t provide strong leadership, or there actually be attempts to direct staff and do the work of is a transition in the CEO position, boards may be the CEO. A good orientation to the board role and more likely to be involved in day-to-day decision- the need to work as a member of the board team help making. Competent leadership and clear delineation direct new energy into appropriate policy channels. of responsibilities during times of transition will clarify Delegating Up board roles. Boards that become more involved during Administrators, faculty leaders and others invite a transition can “let go” and provide support when they micromanagement when they ask for board approval are assured that the new CEO is taking charge. of college procedures or decisions that should be Change and Problems handled within the local decision-making processes of Change, whether good or bad, causes uncertainty, the college. Boards avoid this trap by holding the CEO and uncertainty creates an environment for accountable for decisions and appropriate participation micromanagement. Fiscal changes, community in local decision-making, and refusing to accept pressures, political shifts, enrollment increases or “upward delegation” from any college constituency. decreases, changes in leadership, and other significant Dysfunction events all contribute. If trustees perceive there When boards are divided or dysfunctional or when are ongoing problems, they will be more likely to the relationship between the board and CEO is scrutinize day-to-day operations. Preventing such rocky, boards send mixed messages to the staff. micromanagement requires being aware of the dynamics Administrators, faculty and staff work around or in involved in change, maintaining broad perspectives, and spite of the board; some staff members seek direction openly exploring problems and possible solutions. from different board factions and may play board Personal Agendas members off against each other and the CEO. Trustees with personal agendas or single interests may Micromanaging can be avoided by strengthening attempt to direct administrative decisions to benefit the sense of team on the board and the board/CEO themselves or others. Boards establish a framework for relationship, and clarifying that the board expects preventing this type of micromanagement by adopting strong leadership from the CEO for the institution. and upholding a board code of ethics. Catering to Individual Trustees Statutory Obligations There is a fine line between listening to and California has many laws and regulations requiring considering individual board member ideas and board approval and actions. Trustees may use these perspectives, and allowing them to overly influence obligations to justify or require trustee involvement in board and administrative decisions. It is possible to typically administrative tasks, such as those involved in cater too much to individual trustees in efforts to be personnel and purchasing. Thoughtful boards delegate respectful, politic, and accommodating. While civility administrative authority to the CEO, use consent is always important, individual trustee perspectives agendas to perform their statutory duties, and ensure are one of many contributors to the functioning of their time is spent in governing, not managing, the the institution. Board chairs and CEOs both should institution.  emphasize that individual trustees’ opinions are simply

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For CEOs: Communicating with Your Board

Micromanagement is more likely to occur when trustees immediately after being hired to lay the ground don’t feel they are informed and knowledgeable about what rules on how the CEO and board will cooperate, is happening in the colleges and have the opportunity make and respond to requests. to contribute and influence key decisions at appropriate Educate the board For our trustees to fulfill their times. CEOs play an important role in creating an open policy-making role, they need the big picture. relationship with their boards—one which keeps the board And to understand it, the CEO must assure that informed and involves trustees in appropriate decision-making. the board has enough information to make sound Communication is key. decisions. A highly-informed board is generally by Edward Hernandez, Ed. D., Chancellor one that can distinguish between its boundaries and Rancho Santiago Community College District those of the CEO.

Good and bad news CEOs need to be secure EO—those initials have a nice ring. But it’s a C enough to deliver both good and bad news. There short trip from sweet harmony to cacophony if are no secrets in organizations, so the wise CEO the chief executive officer doesn’t quickly master will not cover up negative issues. Information the art of communicating with the board. The cannot always be good, so it is inevitable that essential, yet challenging relationship with your we present problems. Lay the groundwork by board demands diligent communication. articulating the problems, what contributed to When you become a chief executive officer, you them, and providing solutions. Edward Hernandez are stepping into a politically charged domain. Brevity Board members have a right to ask Helping to focus trustees’ power, time, energy, and questions. The CEO should provide a simple attention in service of your organization’s mission and direct response. It is tempting to read too is essential. much into a question and consequently, provide To understand the board’s perspective, consider more information than a trustee wants or needs. your service on a chamber of commerce, hospital Answering a question should not be couched in a or other community board. In this civic role, we long-winded justification for our actions or current like to feel that our insights and recommendations conditions. If a trustee isn’t asking for reasons why are given respectful consideration. Our trustees situations are as they appear, then responses should have the same needs. Open, interactive and not be defensive. information-rich communication to develop Discussion and dissent Board members bring trust and understanding addresses that goal, a wealth of experience to the table, often from and prevents trustees from feeling the need to outside higher education. Harnessing that expertise micromanage the institution. through open discussion and dissent makes for Trust-Building Behaviors better decisions. Delineation of responsibility There is a fine line Communication between strategic and operational leadership. Right Establishing communication protocols among from the start, it is important to gain consensus on the CEO’s administrative team and sharing them where the CEO’s job ends and the board’s begins. with the board increases trustees’ comfort that The CEO candidate should research how the board they will receive information in a timely manner. has performed in the past. For its part, the board Informing the board is part of the administrative should consider role definition before a hiring team’s responsibility; requests for information are decision. The CEO should hold a board workshop delegated with appropriate follow-up. Establish

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a protocol that funnels responses through the Board packets Sending packets with sufficient CEO, unless an alternative approach is approved information before a board meeting helps the CEO beforehand. prepare the trustees for the public meeting. The ight from the CEO can set the tone for a controversial issue and R Weekly updates Once a week, send an update facilitate the public response. start, it is important of three or four main topics to keep your board apprised of current initiatives or significant issues. Board chair as ally The board chair is first among to gain consensus If you have a more lengthy issue to explain, provide equals, so it is prudent for the CEO to give this an executive summary. Trustees will appreciate relationship primacy. Use the board chair as a on where the CEO’s your effort at telling them what they need to know sounding board and ally in developing strategies to job ends and the to meet their responsibilities. If they want more move the organization forward. information, they can always ask. board’s begins. Board/CEO evaluations Annual evaluation of the Informal relationships Spend time with your board and the CEO are opportunities for becoming trustees. Pick up the phone—go to lunch—whatever a better team. Each side in the relationship needs it takes to forge the informal bond that improves to review its performance and how each is doing at the relationship. Like a marriage, it needs constant supporting achieving the goals of the institution.  attention.

Scenarios: Is the Trustee Micromanaging?

by Charles Meng & Cindra Smith removes the items on contracts and purchasing from Charles Meng, Trustee, Napa Valley CCD and Cindra the agenda, so that he can review the process for Smith, the League, presented these scenarios for discussion at a each item to ensure the staff did enough to get the session at an Annual Trustees Conference. They extend their best price. appreciation to the trustees and CEOs who helped shape the Individual trustees have the right to remove items from the responses. consent agenda and should do so if they need to discuss the item. However, the consent agenda is designed to quickly Lights Out deal with routine and required approvals so that time can be Charles Meng While walking to an evening board meeting, spent on discussion of strategic educational issues. Trustee A notices that some outside lights have burned out. She picks up her cell phone and calls Trustee B’s actions take up a great deal of time and reflect the evening administrator to let him know. a lack of trust in administrative decisions, and therefore If this is a one-time occurrence, many would say it’s not are micromanagement. The board should address the micromanagement and that the trustee is simply being reasons behind his actions. Is it a lack of clear policies and helpful. The trustee likely does not intend to direct staff procedures on contracts and spending, or a lack of support work. However, it fits the definition of micromanagement in for the policies? Do the procedures adequately ensure that that an individual trustee has called a staff member other purchasing processes are legal, fair, and that there are than the CEO and essentially told him or her what to do. adequate checkpoints? Are the dollar amounts that determine A better alternative is for the trustee to talk with the CEO whether a purchase or contract requires board approval (or established designee) when she gets to the board meeting. set at the right levels? Does Trustee B have a reason to distrust administration? Is he attempting to show that he is Cindra Smith Consent Agenda performing his fiduciary role? The board meeting always includes a consent agenda that covers personnel hiring and routine Possible solutions include revisiting the policies and auditing contract and purchase approvals. Trustee B regularly continued next page board focus 7 Board Focus c o m m u n i t y c o l l e g e l e a g u e o f c a l i f o r n i a

Scenarios: Is the Trustee Micromanaging? Responding to Community Complaints A student’s parent, who happens to be on the continued from page 7 t fits the college’s foundation board of directors, calls Trustee I F to complain about her daughter not getting into the procedures to assure Trustee B that the purchasing and definition of the nursing program. The trustee calls the CEO to contracting are fair, prudent, legal, and contain adequate find out why and asks the CEO to call the parent. checks, and that the administration can be trusted. Other micromanagement It is not micromanaging to ask the CEO to respond to trustees may talk with Trustee B about how his activities questions from community members. in that an are interfering with board time for other discussions. They individual trustee may help find other ways to exhibit their responsibility for At the next board meeting, Trustee F asks for a fiduciary oversight. report on how students are admitted into the has called a staff Nursing Program. After the meeting she tells a Planning Committee Member newspaper reporter that she is conducting an member…and Trustee C is a member of the college’s planning investigation into the admission process. committee. The chair of the committee, out of told him or her It is not micromanaging to ask for reports on college respect for the board member, always makes sure processes at board meetings; however, as stated earlier, what to do. to seek her opinion on the proposed revisions to expecting reports without considering the ramifications the college goals. The board member reports to the involved can lead to problems. board each month on committee activities. Including trustees on college planning committees provides a Trustee F crossed the line into micromanagement when trustee perspective and link to the board. The intentions are she announced an investigation to a reporter. She is now good, but the practice may be a step on the slippery slope. operating independently and is not participating effectively Trustees, by virtue of their positions, have much inherent as part of the board unit. authority and power. In this situation, the individual Cutting Programs trustee’s opinions may have too much influence and are After hearing a staff report at a board meeting thereby “micromanaging” the planning process. She should about proposed program cuts at outreach centers refrain from active participation on the committee. in the district due to budget constraints, the board Monitoring Student Success expresses concern that the students and enrollment Trustee E wants to know what the graduation rate in the outreach areas will be disproportionately of student athletes is and what kind of support is affected. The board asks the CEO to find a way to provided to ensure that they graduate. He doesn’t keep the centers operating fully. want to bother the CEO, so he calls the athletic The board has acted as a whole to direct the CEO to revisit director to find out that information. The athletic budget cutbacks. Whether or not the colleges provides director calls the director of research, who then service throughout the district and who the college serves are begins preparing the report. policy issues and appropriately the role of the board.  While it is laudable that Trustee E is interested in student outcomes and services, his request to the athletic director has the effect of directing staff time and is therefore micromanagement. Trustee E should contact the CEO, who can provide both background information and knows the implications of the request for staff time. If the CEO judges that the request would take substantial time, he or she can refer the request to the board as a whole for approval. The CEO also can ensure all trustees receive the same information.

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Reframing Board Roles: Works by Richard Chait

Richard P. Chait is a professor of higher education in  “Why Boards Go Bad” the Harvard School of Education and an expert in board Richard P. Chait, in Trusteeship, Association of Governing governance. A number of his recent publications have focused Boards, May/June 2006, and the February 17, 2006 on problems of micromanagement and reframing the work of issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education. boards, and are highlighted below. “Every time maverick trustees practice freelance governance or a board overvalues or undermines  Governance as Leadership the president, the odds tip a little more toward By Richard P. Chait, William P. Ryan, and Barbara E. calamity.” Two primary reasons for substandard Taylor. Published by Board Source and John Wiley governance are: and Sons, New Jersey, 2005. 198 pages. Most boards are orchestras of soloists. Governance as Leadership describes three important Individual trustees act alone or as part of a subset roles for boards: fiduciary, strategic, and generative. of the board. The power and benefit of a board Boards that operate in all three modes are macro- is the plurality of perspectives focused on the governing, not micromanaging. good of the college. Clear guidelines for how trustees communicate with, direct, and intercede The fiduciary role is familiar to most boards. It for constituencies and staff help prevent trustees addresses the stewardship of tangible assets such as from governing as individuals. Effective boards the budget, the facilities, and compliance with state have independent thinkers, not independent regulations. doers. The second mode, thinking strategically, starts to Many boards tend to either lionize or trivialize define high performing boards. In this mode, boards the president. Boards that do the former simply focus on the mission and the positive impact the review the plans and problems presented by the college has on the community. CEO, rather than engage in discussions to frame In the generative mode, boards provide leadership the crucial issues that the CEO should tackle. for the college. When boards engage in generative Boards that trivialize the president view CEOs thinking, they tap into their creativity and the not as educational leaders, but as civil servants to power of working as team. Generative thinking do the board’s bidding. High performing boards engages trustees, CEOs and college staff in do neither: they work in partnership with the questioning, exploring and generating ideas. This CEO. mode is not intended to abrogate the CEO role or Avoiding these pitfalls requires that trustees assume expertise; rather, it is designedto provide more input responsibility for being a high performing board into the process in order to reach better decisions. by regularly assessing board performance, holding The book includes examples and activities to help study sessions on key issues, and adopting and boards and CEOs strengthen their performance in enforcing expectations for board members. all three modes of governance. It is an outstanding  “How to Keep Trustees from Being resource to help trustees and the CEO review past micromanagers” successes and, through a deliberate approach and Richard P. Chait, Chronicle of Higher Education, May 6, 2005 thoughtful series of questions, explore what future they want for the board, the colleges, and the Most trustees prefer to be engaged in complex community. problems of substantial importance, not the day to day trivia of colleges. However, three factors can continued next page board focus 9 Board Focus c o m m u n i t y c o l l e g e l e a g u e o f c a l i f o r n i a

Reframing Board Rules Preventing micromanagement means engaging continued from page 10 boards in discussions that identify the questions Preventing to be asked about the institution’s future, which lead to micromanagement and should be avoided: capitalize on the wisdom and values of trustees. micromanagement • Boards are structured to micromanage when CEOs can foster macrogovernance by involving means engaging they consist of committees that replicate the boards sooner and more deeply in defining the administrative organizational chart. questions on issues essential to the vitality of the boards in • Trustees are invited to micromanage when they institution.  discussions that are asked to review details of plans, policies, and projects. identify the • Trustees are relegated to micromanagement when college presidents do not share the questions to be responsibility for the college’s mission, values, asked about the culture, and agenda. institution’s future.

The Importance of Clear Delegation

by Wade Koeninger Trustee, Mendocino-Lake Community College District Micromanaging has different causes. Some to the CEO has been clearly defined. If there is trustees may feel the CEO is too weak, or too ambiguity about the authority delegated to the strong, and that the trustee’s job is to protect CEO, there is also ambiguity as to what constitutes the institution by involving themselves in the micromanaging. For example, if it is unclear operations. Other trustees may not be concerned whether or not the CEO has been delegated the about the CEO, but have their own agenda, or feel responsibility for all personnel decisions, the board that the role of the trustee is to hunt for possible may feel it should be consulted before staffing problems. Trustees may also have a basic personal decisions are made. On the other hand, if the dislike or bias, which might be expressed as board has expressly delegated such authority to the badgering and hostile questioning. CEO, then any attempt by the board to dictate or even approve staffing decisions (except as may be Wade Koeninger The starting point, indeed the sine qua non, of good required by law) is definitely micromanaging. trusteeship is to recognize that the board (not a single trustee) has the legal right to give direction By maintaining both a healthy relationship with to only one employee, the CEO. If an individual the CEO, and a clear understanding of what trustee wants anything done in the college, even responsibilities have been delegated to the CEO, trivial matters, the trustee’s first thought should the governing board can prevent or minimize be to talk with the CEO. In most instances the micromanaging. exchange of information between the trustee and Thus, trustees can concentrate on broad policy and the CEO will lead to a resolution. their responsibility to regularly monitor in order to Defining micromanaging depends in large part on see that policy is adhered to, in fact and spirit.  the extent to which the delegation of responsibility

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The Importance of Trust by Gary Davis, Ph.D. Trust. It’s worth Dr. Davis consults regularly with community colleges boards and is a past executive director of the Illinois Community its weight in gold College Trustees Association. and it can be When working with boards, the questions I get common values, they will find that trust comes nurtured. What most often are “How can we build trust?” and “How more easily. Presidents and trustees can identify can we restore trust?” common interests. Usually the students’ success is has your board a commonly shared interest and trusting boards Mistrust in organizations is not uncommon. done this month to spend time reviewing the success of the college’s Robert F. Hurley, in an article in the September students. foster trust? Harvard Business Review, notes that “roughly half of all managers don’t trust their leaders,” which he Beneficial Actions. People can do nice things discovered when he surveyed 450 executives in for each other. Boards can extend support to a 30 companies around the globe. Hurley tells us president by demonstrating that the president’s what we already know about the effect of eroded and his or her family’s welfare is important to the trust. When we don’t trust our colleagues or our board. The wise board ensures that presidents don’t bosses, the cost of doing business increases sharply. overwork, take time for themselves, and engage in Efficiency falls off. Stress increases. professional development activities. The president can show an appreciation for the trustee as well, by Clearly trust is good for organizational health. demonstrating a concern for and accommodating Hurley uses the research of social psychologist trustees’ personal and professional lives. Morton Deutsch when he offers a model for trust. According to Deutsch and Hurley, the chances of Addressing Competency. When failures lead to my trusting another person increases to the degree a suspicion of incompetence, the wise board will Gary Davis that I: address the issue swiftly and surely. Unexpressed 1. am risk tolerant feelings about the other person’s incompetence 2. am well-adjusted destroys trust. Sometimes deficiencies can be 3. am similar to the other person, with common quickly remedied. Sometimes that is just not experiences and common values possible. Both boards and presidents should realize 4. share the same interests as the other person that removing a person (or persuading a person to 5. have been the beneficiary of the other leave a position for which he or she lacks requisite person’s concern skills) actually constitutes a favor to the person 6. feel that the other person is competent affected. 7. have observed the other person’s integrity No Surprises. Both boards and presidents should and predictability avoid erratic or unpredictable actions because 8. have open lines of communication with the erratic actions erode trust. The old rule of “no other person surprises” builds trust. The rule does not mean that I can’t do much about items 1) and 2) for as Popeye the board will know everything that’s going on at says, “I am what I am.” My organization and I can the college. Rather, it means that the board will work on items 3 through 8, however. not be jerked around by the erratic actions of the

president. In a similar way, trustees will not act Similarity and Shared Interests. Boards and erratically in their own role and in relation to the presidents could take time to get to know each president. other better. As they share experiences and find continued next page board focus 11 Community College League of California Non-Profit Org. 2017 O Street U.S. Postage Sacramento California 95814 PAID Permit #730

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and chief executives with with executives chief and

and the person making the criticism must be be must criticism the making person the and locally-elected trustees trustees locally-elected

Published to provide provide to Published questioned. First the criticism must be understood understood be must criticism the First questioned.

guard against defensiveness when their actions are are actions their when defensiveness against guard

build trust. Both the president and the trustees must must trustees the and president the Both trust. build

cards on the table. Open lines of communication communication of lines Open table. the on cards

least once a year—find a safe setting and put their their put and setting safe a year—find a once least

when the board and the president regularly—at regularly—at president the and board the when

Honest Communication. Honest Finally, trust grows grows trust Finally,

oard Focus oard B

a i n r fo i Cal of ue g ea L

continued from page 11 page from continued

e e g Colle y it Commun The Importance of Trust of Importance The