Governance FAQs

Why did the board switch to this “new model” of board governance?

Like most associations, GCSAA periodically conducts organizational audits to identify opportunities to improve organizational effectiveness in meeting member needs. The organizational audit conducted in Spring 2003 identified a number of challenges related to governance structure and systems, such as overlapping board and staff roles and accountabilities and a lack of true strategic discussion at all levels of the organization. These challenges have impaired the organization’s ability to meet the needs of members, and highlighted a need for some fundamental changes in governance. This new governance model directly addresses these challenges and:

1. Improves the performance and accountability of both the board and the CEO
2. Increases the board’s capacity to focus on needs of members
3. Improves the association’s ability to attract and develop future leaders by reducing the time commitment required for effective service

What is “results-based board governance”?

Results-based board governance uses a model of board governance and CEO accountability that:

1. Builds sustainable capacity of the board to identify GCSAA’s most critical desired results and
2. Holds the CEO accountable for achieving these results.

What “results” are you talking about?

The board has identified 16 specific indicators it intends to achieve over the next one to five years. The CEO will use these indicators to design and prioritize GCSAA services. These indicators relate directly to

1. Helping our members be more successful and
2. Strengthening the position of golf course superintendents.

For example, these indicators set specific targets regarding:

• Improving superintendents’ compensation growth
• Increasing outreach efforts to females and people of ethnically diverse backgrounds
• Increasing individual and facility membership growth
• Increasing eligible superintendent members to Class A members
• Increasing the effectiveness of GCSAA’s environmental efforts

Specifically, what will this model of board governance help the board accomplish?

There will be three major accomplishments.

1. It focuses the board’s limited volunteer time on the most important issue: achieving strategic results for GCSAA members.
2. It increases the board’s power to exert control over operational issues (financial, personnel, programs, services, etc.) by making the CEO and staff more accountable for the successful implementation of the board’s strategic imperatives
3. It clarifies the specific – and different – responsibilities of the board and the CEO

Why is the CEO taking a more visible role?

As the new governance system shifts the board’s focus from overseeing the association’s daily operations to defining strategic goals and evaluating results, we are moving some communication responsibilities from the board to the staff, and especially from the president to the CEO. Consistent with the board’s desire to establish continuity and recognition of the CEO as the person running the day-to-day activities of the organization, you will be seeing the CEO in a more visible role in conference events, monthly columns in Golf Course Management, in industry publications, and so on. Greater public visibility for the CEO will provide a more stable and enduring public image than the president who changes every year.

Why should the average member care about the board’s style of governance?

GCSAA serves more than 21,000 members with diverse and ever-changing needs and interests. Effective board governance and CEO leadership may be the most critical factor impacting GCSAA’s long-term success in serving members’ needs.

Most members may or may not care about the details of the specific governing style the board uses, but they absolutely should care about whether the board and CEO are competent to govern, lead and meet their needs.

How much does it cost?

The evaluation of GCSAA’s governance was part of a regularly scheduled organizational audit designed to improve GCSAA performance and accountability at both the board and staff levels. These audits are exercises that have been planned and budgeted periodically in the past and will be repeated in the future. While the cost of the audit and governance training are only a small fraction of GCSAA’s budget, we believe this may represent one of the most important long-term investments the leadership has made to guarantee the timely delivery of effective programs and services to members.