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Why is this topic important? Culture of Inquiry: What is it?
What is it not?
How can your Board create and sustain a Culture of
Inquiry?
Current issues that encourage a Culture of Inquiry.
What does a Culture of Inquiry mean to you?
What does it look like?
Different thinking: new ways of framing,
making sense, learning. More engaged boards. Greater board effectiveness.
Trust
Information Sharing
Teamwork
Dialogue
Building Blocks:
Culture of Inquiry
(Axelrod, 2007)
“We must resist the urge to assume that task and structure are the sum total of governance. We can more easily do this if we shift our thinking from “What is governing?” to “Toward what ends are we governing?”
(Trower, 2013)
DuBois-Wing + Associates 9
(Chait, Ryan & Taylor, 2005)
Set goals. Require preparation and thinking prior to the
meeting. Ensure the right amount of data: Highlights Executive summaries Dashboards
Engage in dialogue and debate: Stage a debate: 1/3 make case for; 1/3 make case
against; 1/3 listen – and reflect what they learned.
(Trower, 2015)
Allocate time for deliberations, separate from decisions.
Annual work plan for generative discussions.
Use small groups to take deep dives on consequential issues.
Distribute leadership. Invite various board members to lead discussions, etc. Rotate board members who summarize each month’s
meeting highlights.
(Trower, 2015)
Role play.
Highlight generative opportunities during routine fiduciary and strategic discussions.
Create future-perfect stories re: moving from
present to ideal, future state (vision).
Disrupt ‘routine, expected’ meetings: Meet in different places, spaces.
Ensure informal time to get to know one another.
Use visual cues: Mind maps Post-it notes on walls
Do a “temperature check” during meetings.
DuBois-Wing + Associates 15
Micro-managing. Meddling. Questioning every issue or
recommendation. Procrastinating. Indecision. Shifting inquiry to an extreme,
unproductive level.
No magic formulas: Agendas Questions Frameworks, etc.
Engaging the people at the table Board/CEO collaboration Productive, meaningful engagement
Sustainable culture, processes, values DNA of the organization Dynamic tension Culture of Inquiry
Your CEO brought forward a comprehensive briefing paper about End of Life Care programs in your CCAC. Because the funds are minimal, your CEO has suggested that the Board may want to ‘make this a case’ and go to the government regarding their expectations – and lack of funding.
As dialogue around the issue ensues, your Board
starts questioning whether this is the right step. Someone suggests that your Board “look fresh” at this issue and engage in a generative conversation.
What questions would you ask from a: Fiduciary perspective?
Strategic perspective?
Generative perspective?
What one step can you take to promote a culture of inquiry in your boardroom?
Individually?
Collectively?
Based on your experience: What has exemplified – or come closest to a culture
of inquiry within your boardroom?
What did that look like?
Who were the key players involved?
What helped?
What could have been done differently?
