Lauren Driver

When people hear the word governance, their eyes sometimes glaze over. It can sound formal, technical, and honestly a bit dry. But in my experience, good governance is one of the most important things behind a healthy and successful organization. The problem is that governance isn’t something you learn once and then check off a list forever. That’s why governance refreshers are so important. Over time, it’s easy for roles and responsibilities to get a little fuzzy. Board members are...

I n my role as a Senior Consultant, I often talk about good governance. It seems to come up in most conversations, during most of my facilitations, and in my thought process during most projects. Good governance is at the root of everything that we do. Throughout my time at Strategic Steps, I have completed various policy and bylaw reviews for municipalities. In short, we work with the municipality to ensure their policies and bylaws are effective, efficient, and up to date. So, how does good...

Election season has come and gone for Alberta. Somewhat like holiday seasons, people involved are left with things that they love… and some that they may not even like. During our orientation and strategic planning sessions, we talk about the different stages of forming a new team. Forming – the forming stage is when a new team comes together (such as right after an election). Storming – The new team is getting to know each other as people. Conflicts may arise as people learn each other’s...