Achieving success as a non-profit organization starts with understanding and communicating its major purpose.

Good board governance is often thought of as a set of principles, processes, and practices that are necessary to ensure effective management and oversight. While true, good governance also requires directors to keep an eye on what the organization intends to build. This can be demonstrated by telling the story of "The Three Bricklayers", which dates back to 1666 and the rebuilding of St. Paul's Cathedral in London after it was destroyed by the great fire.

When famed architect Christopher Wren was commissioned by King Charles II to rebuild the cathedral, he became actively involved in overseeing the work. His commissioning required regular visits to the construction site. On one visit in 1617, Wren noticed three bricklayers working on scaffolding – one crouched down, another half standing up and uncomfortable looking. The third stood tall proudly above them both.

Wren asked each what they were doing and got different responses from each; one said he was a bricklayer working hard to feed his family, another said he was a builder, building a wall, but it was the third bricklayer who gave the most impressive response: “I’m a cathedral builder.  I am helping build a cathedral”.

This story might seem simple or even silly at first glance, but it carries several important lessons about good governance. 

Lesson 1: Good Governance Should Be Motivated by a Major Purpose

Have you ever wondered why some non-profit organizations achieve remarkable success while others do not?

According to renowned author and speaker Napoleon Hill, much of it has to do with the successful organization having and actively pursuing a definite major purpose. As shown by the third bricklayer in the rebuilding of St Paul's Cathedral, good governance is motivated by knowing what the organization intends to accomplish - or put simply: its major purpose!

In his book Governance That Excels: Candid Insights & Practical Advice For Directors, author B. Joseph White reinforces the need to define purpose when he wrote that “Great results are built upon high aspirations …. The first task of the board is to set such aspirations for the enterprise (organization) and itself.”

Has your organization defined its major purpose yet? It may be time for your board to think about how setting out a clear purpose or ends statement could help unleash your team’s full potential!

Lesson 2: Communicate and Reinforce Purpose

Engaging in governance with a well-defined and communicated major purpose is essential for any organization to accomplish great feats. With a shared purpose, board members can work together with management, staff and key stakeholders to grow the organization’s impact, especially for those the organization was created to serve.

As governance leaders, it is our job to ensure every single member of the team is actively participating in working towards the defined major purpose. When organizations do, they have a better chance of working together toward that common purpose, while building something magnificent. 

Has your board defined its major purpose? Has it been included with your Ends Policies?

For more information on Ends Policies, go to my recent blog post titled Why Non-Profit Boards Need Ends Policies and How to Create Them.

If Ends Policies are in place, are they well understood and effectively communicated?

Does your board regularly measure its own progress towards ends attainment?

Does your board use the performance metrics included with its approved Ends Policies when completing the executive director performance review. 

Lesson 3: Good Governance Involves Effective Wall-Building Work

Good governance in the non-profit world requires each board member to be actively involved in the governance process, from reviewing reports, approving budgets, strategic planning and leadership roles like providing direction and regularly measuring performance.  This is important wall-building work.

However, governance success is more than just the completion of wall-building tasks – it requires a collective commitment to remaining focused on its defined major purpose throughout all its wall-building activities.

With an intentional, shared focus on its major purpose boards are then in a better position to implement plans that lead to more productive and successful governance.  Driven by a renewed pursuit towards purpose achievement, boards often start by planning for effective board meetings that provide leadership with more time to focus on how they will achieve, over time, their desired ends or purpose. New programs and/or services relevant to the stated purpose are developed while out-of-date ones are discontinued – all in an effort towards achieving the stated aim of building something magnificent. Furthermore, regular executive director performance assessments now focus on accomplishments toward achieving purpose rather than on wall-building actions that don't directly lead to accomplishment of purpose.

Conclusion

The old story of the three bricklayers serves as a vivid reminder of the powerful connection between strong governance and great results.

To ensure that your organization is on the path towards reaching its highest aspirations and accomplishing its purpose, it’s essential for your board to define a purpose for the organization – one that will inspire the team to do their best work. On that basis, the board can dedicate resources to setting up sound processes and implement effective measures to monitor these processes to stay on track for delivering desired results. There are no shortcuts when it comes to achieving success: hard work and commitment are key. With an appropriate framework in place and a shared sense of purpose, organizations can reach their maximum potential.

So now it is down to you - how will your organization apply the lessons shared? We hope you found this post insightful and encourage you to act now!

Your Friend,
Jon Close