Management Minute: Foster Collaborative Governance through Communication
Natalie Williams: A mutual commitment to open and honest communication is cornerstone in building a strong relationship. Consider opportunities for cross-representation on the board, Tribal Council, and Policy Council to enhance information sharing between leadership.
Engage boards and Policy Council members in budget workshops as you build your grant application. This can encourage buy-in and create rich peer-to-peer conversations among members.
Communicating essential financial information is critical to the success of your organization. Providing timely and accurate data allows leadership to monitor progress toward goals and review the financial health of your organization.
In addition to presenting the financial statements, consider sharing financial information visually, in a dashboard, to highlight the most important items. Provide a narrative behind those numbers, be concise, and think about your end goal of enabling your board to make decisions to further your agency's mission.
CloseA Head Start chief financial officer explains how open and honest communication fosters collaborative governance. Learn more about consensus building and program planning in the iPD course Financial Essentials 2: Phases of Budget Development.