Transformational Governance: How Boards Achieve Extraordinary Change

9Getting the Most from Assessment and Evaluation

True genius resides in the capacity for evaluation of uncertain, hazardous, and conflicting information.

—Winston Churchill

Executive Director Jim Miller of the League of Minnesota Cities explained how in the process of board change, the organization relied on regular informal and scheduled formal assessment and evaluation:

We used to do conventional strategic planning at each September's board retreat. This has now evolved from setting longer-term goals to reviewing annual items that are more urgent (e.g., how are our cities doing financially and how can we help them through their crises.) Our strength is that we can step back once a year and ask, “How are we doing, and is there a need for ...