Board Governance Solutions

Leadership and governance are about flexibility and change. Often times boards can lose sight of what is needed in order to focus on the future sustainability of the organization. Capacity-building in governance can be a matter of survival for an organization.

Partnering with a governance consultant to develop a curriculum that will redefine and improve the leadership/governance practiced by clients, AMR provides expanded support in the training of board members.

How Can AMR Help Your Board?

We believe the strength and success of an association is directly related to the strength and success of its governing body – the Board. Creating a leadership culture that allows for the ability to be a strong, governing board is key to your association’s strength. As a volunteer board member, the responsibility to help guide the mission and future direction of your association rests with you and your ability to lead. AMR has developed a custom curriculum to nurture this needed strength.

"Defining Our Governing Path"

As part of the annual Board orientation process, AMR works with Board leadership to customize a 3-4 hour presentation entitled “Defining our Governing Path”. Topics include individual board member responsibilities, fiduciary duties, hierarchy of documents, discussion on what is governance, role of the governing board, skills necessary to govern, behaviors that demonstrate accountability, recommended meeting agenda and creating a proactive future.

Working Board vs. Governing Board

Is your Board a working board (focuses on project management) or a governing board (focuses on sustainability and its future)? Do you have a plan to recruit qualified board members that have the skills and the knowledge to lead and sustain your organization into the future?

How board meetings are run (your Agenda!) and selecting future leaders (succession planning) are just two key elements needed to become a high-performing Board. AMR can help volunteer boards identify whether or not they are a governing board.

Board Succession Planning

Where will the leaders of tomorrow come from? Is the nominating committee finding it increasingly more difficult to recruit quality board members? Nominating committee results impact:

Sustainability for the organization
Following through on a strategic path
Strength and credibility of the organization, both internally and externally
Results that make a public statement about morale in your profession or industry

Both elected and appointed boards need to consider how to maintain quality board membership that will allow the organization to sustain a practice of good governance, which opens the door to operational innovation and functioning at high-performance levels. Traditional practice by a nominating committee sets short-term recruitment goals with little energy dedicated to the long term strategic leadership path of the organization.

In the 21st century, the association environment is calling for strategic solutions to developing board leadership. Through board succession planning, you will come to understand the importance and the “how to’s” of creating a pipeline of leadership that can be tapped for strategic nominations to the board.

"While serving as the President of the Michigan Society of Professional Surveyors, our Society had the opportunity to retain AMR for services including provision of an Executive Director, daily business operations, accounting, and coordination of a state-wide annual convention. It became apparent that our Society’s historical way of conducting Board of Directors meetings was quite inefficient and in need of an overhaul. Our Directors attended the board education workshop offered by AMR, and this opportunity opened the eyes of our leadership to a more efficient method of conducting business, coordinating efforts, structuring committees, and focusing strategic planning efforts.
Our Board is comprised of volunteers, and optimizing time spent attending Board and committee meetings is critical. The board training workshop offered ideas for capitalizing on time management and implementing strategic planning efforts. It helped refine committee tasks and structures. With effective time management and alternative meeting platforms, our goal is to involve more members with society efforts. AMR has provided a key role in assisting our Society with planning and implementation."

--Chris Lester, P.S.
Past President of the Michigan
Society of Professional Surveyors
Director of Surveying, Gourdie-Fraser, Inc.

"AMR has consistently invested in assuring its clients are exposed to tenets of good governance...not only better decision-making regarding financial management, but also strategic governance. This is key to the advancement of any association."

-- Susan S. Radwan, Leading Edge Mentoring

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Let's work together

AMR would be honored to have the opportunity to partner with your organization. We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Mailing Address:
37637 Five Mile Rd., #399
Livonia, MI 48154

2123 University Park Drive
Suite 100
Okemos, MI 48864

Phone: 734-677-2270