Services
Dorger Consulting works closely with corporate leadership to create a tailored approach to improving strategic focus, leadership effectiveness and board governance that recognizes the culture and heritage of the organization and is sensitive to both human and organizational requirements. Through various training, audit and workshop programs, organizational needs can be assessed and solutions implemented. Below is a list of typical services. This list can serve as a starting point for a more personal discussion of organizational needs.
Governance Audit. A governance audit is a detailed examination of the governance of the organization. It consists of observation of board activities, interviews with board members and executives, and discussions with external stakeholders. Dorger Consulting will conduct an audit that results in a report detailing the strengths and weaknesses of the organization’s governance and includes recommendations for improvement.
Board Awareness Training. This training is geared to the organization which is just beginning to improve its governance. The training will acquaint board members, as well as senior executives, with the changing governance environment as well as the responsibilities and best practices in board governance. It is a highly interactive process that encourages board members and executives to ask questions and discuss issues.
Score Board Workshop. Developed by Dorger Consulting, this multi-part workshop is designed to acquaint board members and senior executives with the responsibilities and best practices in board governance. The Workshop also includes a series of questions related to the actual knowledge and practice of the board. It can be used in multi-organization settings such as workshops provided by non-profit grant makers or coordinating organizations or it can be used by a single organization to examine its operations.
Policy Workshop. One of the strongest trends in organizational effectiveness is moving the board in the direction of governance by policy. This workshop will acquaint board members with the concept of governing principally through the use of policies to create a range of acceptable options for management to work within. Effective policy-making allows management the freedom to work within parameters set by the board. Organizations that have moved in this direction find it frees up board time and avoids time-consuming, non-value-adding approvals.
Board Member Orientation. Training Boards typically spend a great deal of time and effort selecting people to become new board members, but they often do an incomplete job of bringing new board members on board. There are specific things new board members need to know, ranging from the legal duties they are assuming as a result of their board service, to how board meeting agendas are prepared and meetings are managed. The Dorger Consulting team will work with an internal governance committee to prepare and help present an orientation for new board members. To the extent necessary, we can also serve as mentors for these new members until they feel comfortable in their new roles.
Strategic Visioning Process. This is a multi-step process which begins by ascertaining the current position of the organization. It then transitions to an examination of the issues and opportunities the organization is likely to face in the future. Next, the process works to envision the future that the leadership of the organization would like to achieve. The fourth step is to develop the strategies and actions necessary to achieve the vision. The Dorger team will work with a steering committee of organizational champions to guide this process through each phase.
Program Prioritization Workshop. An intrinsic component of leadership is the periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the organization’s program efforts to assign priorities for the use of available resources in order to achieve maximum value. Our experts will help the staff prepare program evaluations focusing on results and costs. From there, we will work with the leadership using interactive technologies to achieve consensus among the leadership as to relative priorities among programs at various levels of resource availability.
Board-Staff Partnership Workshop. Even among informed and well-meaning individuals, conflicts can develop. This is especially true of the board-staff relationship. Over time there can be almost imperceptible changes in the relationship that can result from either board intrusions into management or staff incursions into governance. Unchecked, these conflicts can result in animosity and a breakdown in leadership roles and cooperation. When this conflict occurs, it is useful to have an informed third party help reeducate those involved. Dorger Consulting will interview board and staff members as well as external stakeholders. We will identify specific points of friction and, in interactive educational and discussion sessions, will broker agreed-upon solutions in the form of clearer organizational responsibilities and courtesies.
Financial Management Review. Effective financial management is fundamental to the success of an organization. It is also the area in which most of the abuses receiving media attention occur. It is imperative that the organization create the policy environment and oversight procedures to effectively manage the resources of the organization. Dorger Consulting will examine policies within the organization related to self-dealing, conflicts of interest, whistleblower protection and document destruction. Working with the organization’s auditor and Audit Committee, Dorger will help create an internal controls system to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse. Finally, we will help create a budgeting and financial review process that will effectively involve both those that implement budget and those that create and oversee resource allocations.
Organizational Dashboard Workshop. Leaders have limited time to carry out their many responsibilities. As a result, many high-functioning organizations have developed “dashboards” which can give leaders instant feedback on the status of important performance measures and milestones. The key to dashboard development is identifying truly significant organizational measurements and not just a list of things that can be measured. In an interactive, technology-based workshop, Dorger Consulting will guide organizational leaders through the process of identifying meaningful measures and then determining the frequency and methodology for developing an organizational dashboard.
Succession Planning / Transition Planning Training. Any number of factors, from normal turnover to illness or tragedy, can result in an organization being without the services of a key leader for a period of time. This absence can be for a relatively short period to a permanent loss. It is essential that the board have a plan about who the key individuals are and what procedures will be followed in the eventuality of a loss. This process must also include the planned replacement of key personnel to keep the organization refreshed and vital. The Dorger Consulting team will work with the organization to identify critical personnel as well as organizational back-ups. We will then guide the leadership through an examination of potential alternatives.
Board Rejuvenation Workshop. Sometimes boards go stale or become complacent. The members of the board lose interest or fail to maintain the passion that drew them to the organization in the first place. This malaise manifests itself in absenteeism, halfhearted involvement, disinterest in the future, and difficulties in board recruitment. If danger signs like these begin to develop, it is helpful for the board to step back from the current climate and regenerate itself with more attention to true governance issues and meaningful activities. This may also involve a candid look at the cause of the problem and whether any changes may be needed in the rejuvenation process. Dorger Consulting conducts this workshop to take the board back to the basics of the organization and the need it fills in society. The workshop will then reeducate the board as to its responsibilities with regard to both the current and future of the organization. It will examine the mission and go through a strategic Visioneering process to unify and motivate the board to better lead the organization. Dorger Consulting will also provide specialized organizational consulting services as necessary to evaluate and correct deficiencies within the organization which led to the malaise in the first place.