Drawn from her research on other nonprofit organizations, strategic planning expert Christina Drouin suggests new shifts in governance for independent schools.

1. Old structures caused boards to focus more on what activities the organization should be engaged in; new structures cause boards to focus on the consumer results to be achieved. 

2. Old structures were about power; new structures are about performance.

3. Old structures were about decision-making through political influence; new structures support knowledge-based decision-making. 

4. Succession in old structures was about whom do we know? Succession in new structures is about what skills do we need? 

5. Old structures were about command; new structures are about collaboration. 

6. Old structures were about silos; new structures are about teams.

7. Old structures were about maintenance; new structures try to deliver sustainability through strategic thinking, planning, and implementation of knowledge-based decision-making.  

8. Old structures focused more on how money is being spent; new structures focus more on outcomes that result from time and effort. Clearly stated outcomes increase board effectiveness. 

9. Old structures focused on requirements, activities, and hierarchical accountabilities; new structures focus on purpose, core values, and outcomes.

10. Old structures focused on programs; new structures focus on building high-performance organizations.

Source: www.nais.org · Author: Christina Drouin is executive director for the Center for Strategic Planning in Boca Raton, FL (www.planonline.org) · Originally published at the 2002 NAIS Annual Conference. Reprinted with permission.