What is Values-Based Governance?

    Values are a complex phenomenon. The more you dig into any one value, the more you discover other connected values. Values also really only live in our words and behavior. In fact, when our behavior matches our words, that is when we know that we are acting consistently with our values.
     
    Values-based governance uses “truths” about the nature of values to drive community decision processes, particularly around complex issues where there are different perceptions and opinions, and a high degree of nuance. At Kol HaLev, we also use our values as an organizing principle to structure our model of overall governance. This is how it works:
    • Our overall strategic plan is organized by our values with a detailed list of specific goals, objectives and potential strategies and tactics to be used to enable their achievement.
    • All the committees and/or task teams throughout our community are organized under one of these specific Values Area. For example, the Religious Practices, Holiday, and Mindful Judaism committees are organized under the Spiritual Values Area; and the Youth & Family Education, Adult Education, Torah Study committees are organized under the Learning Values Area.
    • Each Values Area is led by a Values Team Leader, a board member who is also a Vice President. Each Values Team Leader is charged with overseeing the various tasks undertaken by that Values Area's committees, and in particular, helping the committees translate the strategic plan for each Values Area into tactical actions, and to bring accountability to these actions by measuring the results.
      • The Values Team Leaders meet approximately eight times a year to plan and drive our major programming with an emphasis on coordinating thinking, collaboration and activity between the different Values Area Teams and committees.
      • At Board meetings, Values Team Leaders report on major programming initiatives, and at least once a year, each Values Team Leader gives an in-depth report about all the activities within his/her Values Area.
    • The entire Board of Trustees meets monthly, and focuses on strategy, policy, fiscal responsibility and organizational effectiveness.
    • The Executive Committee is a sub-set of the board that sets the board agenda, does preparatory work on specific issues and has budgetary approval of items less than $300, so that time-sensitive decisions can be made in-between board meetings.