High-performing Boards lead to high-performing organizations. But most boards fall short of optimal performance that deliver results, and as such, are at risk of becoming dysfunctional.
When a board is new or has started down a dysfunctional path, the following symptoms are usually evident:
inadequately prepared members – board members are recruited for the wrong reasons, clear board member roles or responsibilities are missing; board operating rules are missing; board development materials are missing (e.g. board manuals, guides, instructions, procedures, board member on-boarding process)
immature systems and/or infrastructure – board efforts are missing work structure (committee, work breakdown, meeting agendas and discipline); diversity of thought; poor process or financial controls; inadequate vision or mission or values definitions; inadequate role definitions or an ‘ad hocracy’ model; lacking strategy or committee structure; lacking board training
inexperience working in groups or teams — inexperienced management or poor leadership skills; misunderstanding board roles and responsibilities; ignoring best practices; not focusing on results; not valuing the support or contributions of others (beyond financial support)
inadequate interpersonal skills — lacking members experienced in working with and through others; low emotional intelligence; not listening; driving one’s own personal values ahead of others’; devaluing others (often unknowingly); poor member accountability or inter-accountability; poor boundaries; inadequate communication skills
not knowing – no experience with the tools, processes, methods, information, values, metrics, funding, ethics, and strategic plans — that boards must effectively utilize to enable value delivery
The first step toward creating a high-performing board is to establish a board performance metric that identifies which of the above symptoms are present.
Board Work Assessment
Internal board assessments based in opinion or “group-think” usually fail because these internal board investigations typically reflect the board dysfunction itself, and as such can only produce results that justify the current condition. An outside source is required to clearly and objectively define the problem. This can take the form of an assessment based in objective evidence, by a disinterested third-party consultant, or an outside agency which is not influenced by the board, and thus is not part of the dysfunction.
Board Work strives to make this assessment fact-based by using objective evidence.
The Board Work Assessment will jump-start your board improvement process.
High-Performing Organizations need High Performing Boards
High-performing organizations are easily evidenced by board tools and processes in place, the quality of decisions, results that make a difference and guiding actions that help the organization succeed.
The main role of a board is to utilize these tools and processes to serve the organization and be accountable to ownership (stockholders, stakeholders — all those with vested interests) to ensure the organization is on track to achieve its goals. The main role of an individual who sits on a board is service to that board.
Individual roles can be performed well by using different styles, patterns and approaches acceptable to the work culture of the group or organization as a whole as long as they are all aligned.
However, without mature processes in place to sustain the service modality and work performance the individual role can erode to one of being ‘being served.’ This is upside down to what is needed to create or sustain a high-performing board. When individuals start thinking of themselves ahead the needs of the organization the path to dysfunction is created.
© 2014 Working Change LLC and Sally Lanyon. All rights reserved.