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By Harold Tessendorf, Tessendorf Consulting – Certified Aligned Influence ConsultantDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the recurring questions that have surfaced in for-profit and nonprofit circles include, “How will organizations survive this pandemic?” “How many of them will shut their doors?”, and, “How many of them will be forced to merge with others?” National organizations which have af...
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Recently, I am having more and more discussions with governance and auditing professionals about the role of the corporate attorney in governance. As they have unfolded, I have begun to notice several recurring questions in these conversations that seem to weigh heavily on people’s minds. Most specifically, is legal compliance and governance the same thing? And, how do we position the role of the...
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Accreditation is a common process for educational institutions. Commonly there is a self-study aspect to school accreditation processes. Many of the aspects of accreditation are predictable and relate to the programmatic operation of the school; but they almost always include governance-related issues as well. If you are on the board of such a school, how would you assert that your board is functi...
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The current COVID-19 virus outbreak is proving to be an unimaginable challenge for our communities, our states, our country, and our world. It is probably proving to be a challenge for your organization as well. All of my clients have one thing in common: They all have the blessing and the burden of operating in the context of a board of directors. Boards add a layer of complication with which pri...
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Aligned Influence Consulting has just begun its 4th year as an approved provider of services for the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and its member schools. Christian schools are important part of the educational fabric in almost every community in America and in many countries around the world. Their mission is to provide an excellent private school academic experience in th...
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Your auto mechanic can affirm that your car will not operate effectively if the front wheels are not aligned effectively. Your chiropractor will agree that your body will not function as effectively as it could if it isn’t properly aligned. The coach of your local high school football team knows that if players do not clearly know their roles and how those roles align with the players next to them...
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Everything we need to know about governing the church is in the Bible, isn’t it? Unfortunately, I too often hear this idea from pastors and church leaders. It is often reinforced by seminaries where the education of future clergy is heavy on theology and light on leadership and management. So, what does the Bible say about church governance? The Bible clearly outlines roles for overseers (elders, ...
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Do we really need corporate governance in nonprofits? I hear this question often when talking with potential clients. What they really mean is, “We are not a corporation, so we don’t need corporate governance… do we?” The question really surfaces a few misunderstandings, all of which hinge on the fact that nonprofit board governance and responsibilities are just as nuanced as those for for-profits...
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As an organizational development consultant, I am often in the role of a coach. Earlier this week, I was invited to observe one of my client’s board meetings and give them some feedback. This particular organization has been a client for several years. As you can imagine, I have many hours invested in coaching their board members, their staff, and in particular their chairperson of the board and t...
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