Karen Nowicki, Board Member

 

You’ve been hearing a lot about how we’re moving towards a leadership by policy governance structure and about this guy named Dan Hotchkiss; the names and acronyms have changed but are they REALLY different? In education we used to call multiple choice, true-false, and fill in the blank  “objective” questions because there was one right answer but now they want us to call them “selected response” for some reason. It hasn’t changed the fundamental nature of the question but someone I’m sure got paid a lot of money to come up with new lingo to explain the same thing. Is that what’s happening here at the board level? 

Emphatically I say no. Leadership by policy is not a rebranded Policy Governance structure that we’ve tried before. The words may sound the same but the intent is different. Policy Governance is more for a corporate structure where performance based outcomes are the ultimate measure of whether an organization is running smoothly, Leadership by Policy however is a systemic approach to create guardrails for humans to do the things that humans want to do without being beholden to a rigid set of rules or guided purely by deliverable results. Leadership by Policy helps to set the parameters by which individuals, teams, affinity groups, etc, can act but does not set out to micromanage the good work that the church members are doing. The board, in conjunction with our advisory committees, are working to set clear, concise policies that can outline who in the church has responsibility or authority over all of the different and wonderful activities that go on here. And the good news is that the bulk of this work is almost finished! The Governance Advisory Committee believes that the policy manual will be completed this church year! Thank you to current GAC members Barb Barnett-Stewart, Christine Denario, and Bill Hallowell as well as the foundational work of the original Policy Working Group when we started this journey with Reverend Margret. 

 

The policies have taken many discussions over the years but the joint work between the policy working group and now the Governance Advisory Committee has led us to strong policies that help focus the direction and energy of the board. For example, we recently approved the Food and Beverage policy to be added to the building use section that includes “Preparation, serving, and consumption of food and beverages indoors is limited to Fellowship Hall, the Commons, the kitchens adjoining Fellowship Hall and the Commons, the Horsch Room, classrooms/meeting rooms, staff offices, and the kitchenettes in the Resource Room and Hillside Building” basically most of the places you could ever want to eat food at UUCCH. For example, if the Social Hour team wanted to offer caffeinated beverages before service because it was right after the clocks change and everyone’s sleep is disrupted, they wouldn’t need board permission to use the kitchen off the commons for such an activity because the policy has clearly, at least to the board, delineated where food and beverages can be prepared and served. If another team wanted to host a meeting that was a potluck as a celebration for all their hard work and accomplishments during the year, they don’t need to ask for board approval as long as they want to host it in one of these completely normal places. 

 

We also recently approved a signs and displays policy that includes “In order to protect the Church’s nonprofit status under relevant state and federal laws, no sign or display may represent the Church as supporting or opposing a candidate for public office or a political party, nor may literature promoting a candidate for public office or a political party be distributed on Church grounds.”. With the recent election and our role as a polling station, there were a variety of questions about political activities and what the church can and cannot engage in so the board, with the Governance Advisory Committee, made sure the communication policy outlined some standards based on law as a way to make sure we don’t inadvertently put the church in danger of losing its nonprofit status. 

 

As trustees of the church it is the board’s job to protect the church and its members so in keeping with that purpose we must ensure that the we build the guidelines that protect and provide structure but also frees up members, teams, and groups from micromanagement so you can continue to do all the wonderful things you do.

 

The policies that the board writes with the advisory committees and subsequently approve at our regular meetings are meant to act like the lines on the road or barriers between traffic. They are there to create a set of rules and boundaries so everyone can do what they need or want to do without constantly asking for permission, direction, or potentially forgiveness. We are creating the guidelines so you can keep doing the amazing, exciting, and invigorating work without constantly worrying about needing board approval. These boundaries help empower you with the autonomy you deserve as caring and committed participants in this church while making sure the board is looking out for the church as a whole and in line with local, state, and federal laws, UUA values, and UUCCH’s mission, vision, and covenant. Use these policies as your guide and if you ever have questions you can always ask! Together, we’re creating a framework that supports the incredible, inspiring, and transformative work that you all do to bring about change in the world. Thank you!