Information: the key to retreats that flourish. (Governance).Board retreats provide a constructive vehicle for creating clear strategy for an association and building commitment. Yet, as one association executive observes, all too often board planning retreats "flounder flounder: see flatfish. flounder Any of about 300 species of flatfishes (order Pleuronectiformes). When born, the flounder is bilaterally symmetrical, with an eye on each side, and it swims near the sea's surface. and fail." What can associations do to make retreats a more productive planning process? One valuable strategy involves collecting key information from all stakeholders Stakeholders All parties that have an interest, financial or otherwise, in a firm-stockholders, creditors, bondholders, employees, customers, management, the community, and the government. prior to the retreat using three methods: interviews, focus groups, and surveys. Data are then analyzed an·a·lyze tr.v. an·a·lyzed, an·a·lyz·ing, an·a·lyz·es 1. To examine methodically by separating into parts and studying their interrelations. 2. Chemistry To make a chemical analysis of. 3. , organized, and presented at the retreat to serve as the basis for discussions and decision making. Many associations hire a consultant to perform this work. Those that opt to assign a staff person should select someone who is objective; understands strategy; and demonstrates competencies in interviewing, analyzing information, creating presentations, facilitating discussion, and achieving group consensus. Interviews. Confidential interviews, with the chief staff executive and board leaders, can net answers to myriad Myriad is a classical Greek name for the number 104 = 10 000. In modern English the word refers to an unspecified large quantity. The term myriad is a progression in the commonly used system of describing numbers using tens and hundreds. questions concerning the organization's core culture, internal and external factors that affect the organization, and future direction. For example, * What words would you use to describe the association? * What makes the association different, special, or distinctive from other organizations doing similar work? * How would you like to see the association in the next three to five years? * To achieve that desired future, what changes do you recommend in the association's internal workings, programs and services, and board activities? Focus groups. These sessions broadly address organizational culture  This article or section is written like an .Please help [ rewrite this article] from a neutral point of view. Mark blatant advertising for , using . issues to build participants' feelings of commitment to the association. However, most of the time is targeted to specific topics that emerge from interviews and that relate to the particular knowledge or expertise of the group. For example, one medical association seeking to increase membership and participation used focus groups of doctors to explore ways to improve recruitment and to evaluate membership programs and services. Surveys. Remaining participants complete a one-to-two-page survey composed of items that surface from the interviews and focus groups. All information is then consolidated and analyzed using qualitative and quantitative research Quantitative research Use of advanced econometric and mathematical valuation models to identify the firms with the best possible prospectives. Antithesis of qualitative research. techniques. Data are coded by topic, clustered by broader categories, and organized under three major groups: core culture, internal and external environmental analysis, and future direction. The final product includes a presentation, in both PowerPoint A presentation graphics program from Microsoft for Macintosh and Windows. It was the first desktop presentation program for the Mac and provides the ability to create output for overheads, handouts, speaker notes and film recorders. and hard copy, with a core culture map and strategic action plan chart. Collecting information prior to a board retreat promotes broad participation and strategic thinking. This process saves time during the retreat and produces structured content to guide discussion. Participants arrive with a clear focus and leave with a sense of accomplishment and commitment to a defined strategy. Submitted by Sheila Sheila is a common given name for a female, taken from the Gaelic name Síle/Sìle, which is believed to be a Gaelic form of Julia or Cecilia. Like "Cecil" or "Cecilia", the name means "Smart and Wise", from the Latin caecus. L. Margolis Margolis is a surname, and may refer to:
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