Southridge School

Strengthening Governance for a Bold Future: Southridge School’s Path to Excellence

In 2020, Southridge School engaged Berlineaton to administer a Board Governance Self-Assessment, followed by a facilitated session at the Board retreat to debrief the results and identify key gaps. This strategic project aimed to provide the Board with a clear understanding of its governance strengths and areas for improvement, ensuring that Southridge’s leadership was well-prepared to meet future challenges. With a strong focus on aligning governance practices with the evolving needs of the school, this initiative contributed to a robust foundation for future success.

Key Team Members
Shelly Berlin

A Profound Experience

The self-assessment process allowed Southridge School’s Board to take a deep, reflective look at its governance practices and assess how effectively it was fulfilling its responsibilities. Using a comprehensive 20-question survey tailored to Southridge’s specific needs, we engaged the Board in a process that generated meaningful data on key areas of governance, including vision, mission, financial sustainability, and risk management. This process was not just about evaluating the past, but about identifying opportunities for growth, building trust, and aligning the Board’s actions with the long-term strategic goals of the school.

Practical Solutions

Following the administration of the survey, Berlineaton facilitated a two-hour debrief session where the Board reviewed the results and identified gaps in its governance practices. We utilized a detailed, data-driven approach that analyzed responses across seven key drivers of effective governance: Vision, Mission, and Values; Strategic Direction; Financial Sustainability; Risk Management; Partnership with the Head of School; Effective Board Composition; and Clear Board Policies and Structures. By mapping survey responses to these drivers, we provided the Board with actionable insights and a clear set of next steps, ensuring that the identified gaps could be addressed with practical, focused strategies moving forward.

Bolder Futures

The governance self-assessment process had a measurable impact on Southridge School. Over the course of the project, Southridge’s Board saw improvements in its effectiveness, with positive scores increasing across all seven key governance drivers from 2015 to 2020. Notably, the Board made significant strides in Financial Sustainability and Effective Board Composition, with scores rising by 14% and 16%, respectively. By engaging deeply with the results and following up with action planning, Southridge’s Board of Governors has been empowered to continue strengthening its governance framework. With these improvements, the Board is now better equipped to guide the school through future challenges and ensure the long-term success of Southridge, its students, and its community.

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    Shelly Berlin

    BA, MBA, FCMC, ACC
    Strategist, Confidante, Entrepreneur.

    Shelly is a co-founding partner of Berlineaton and has over 25 years’ experience in management consulting in strategy, process improvement and leader development.  

    She’s worked extensively with public and private sector organizations, and she is a professional facilitator, expert in the design, development, and execution of strategy. She is a certified executive coach and a Fellow of the Canadian Association of Management Consultants. 

    Shelly’s passion is to help leaders and their organizations achieve extraordinary success through bold thinking, courageous risk taking and disciplined action planning. Dark chocolate helps too.