Association executives and volunteer leaders are well-versed in the frameworks and mechanics of our organizations’ governance. We diligently facilitate the work of boards, committees and other official work groups. We provide notice and coordinate periodic membership meetings. We reference bylaws, policies and procedures to ensure our staff and volunteers align their workflow to these official governing documents. These structures are essential, providing the legal and functional foundation for nonprofit membership organizations.
However, after more than 30 years in this field, I have come to believe that one of the most powerful forces behind a thriving association isn't written into any charter or spelled out in Robert's Rules of Order. It's what I call "informal governance."
Informal governance isn't a substitute for formal governance — it's a necessary complement. It lives in the spaces between board meetings and outside the boundaries of organizational charts. At its core, informal governance is about shoring up the formal workflow through your instinctual understanding of human nature, the flow of information, relationships and how members outside your association's official positions are just as important as those serving terms on committees or boards.
Please select this link to read the complete article from ASAE's Center for Association Leadership.