Assuring a Dynamically Performing Board
Board Assessments and Retreats
The degree to which a Board of Directors is effective is felt throughout the company and its stakeholders. Whether it is a Corporate, Non-profit or Association Board, it makes no difference. If there are factions, conflicts or just lack of good communication or governance, getting the business of the Board done, becomes second priority. Bring in DPI’s Board Experts to address:
- Board Assessment: Assuring a Relevant and Engaged Board
- Governance: Clarifying Roles & Responsibilities
- A New Board Member Means a New Board Dynamic
- Building Board Cohesion Quickly
- Creating More Open Collaborative Communications
- Techniques to Prevent Toxic Board Meetings
- Balancing Strategic vs. Tactical Board Focus
- Coaching for Effective Chair & CEO Partnership
- How to Run Great Board Meetings that Produce Commitment and Results
Dynamically Performing Boards
What our clients are saying….
Board Assessment
Assuring a Relevant and Engaged Board
Boards only spend a few hours together and are charged with making vital decisions. It is important to assess the effectiveness of the Board on an annual basis to make sure their time together is best spent. The focus is to keep the Board relevant and engaged to the current and future anticipated needs of the company. Additionally, there are key times when it is even more important to re-evaluate the Board:
Board Assessment
- If there are cliques or factions on the Board effecting decision making
- One or more new Board Members are added
- The company needs to make changes in markets, products, services, structures or enterprise-wide IT changes
- Board composition needs to be re-evaluated due to changing company needs.
- New CEO or succession changes
- Merger or acquisition causes a merger of the Boards
- Need to assess the Board’s risk appetite
Research indicates that the best boards set objectives for their own development based on self-assessment data.
Board Retreats
Once a year it is vital that a Board take a couple of well-planned days to focus on strategic subjects and to get to know each other better to work together more effectively. Janelle Brittain has planned and facilitated many boards in their Strategic Retreats to get the most out of this precious time together. Contact us, to discuss what you’d like to accomplish at your Board retreat…whether corporate, professional association or nonprofit.
Survey Questionnaires: The easiest and quickest approach. Should be customized to Board and Committee’s structure, needs and goals. Board Interviews: Individual confidential interviews on key questions to bring out more thorough feedback. Also used to explore key decisions and issues facing the Board and company or risk appetite. Board Effectiveness Analysis: This can include Janelle Brittain, Board Expert, observing Board meetings and providing feedback, reviewing bylaws and charters, completing a Board Composition Analysis, setting Board education goals, design and help implement a roadmap for any corrective work that is indicated.
Which Approach of Board Assessment is the Best?
The Dynamic Performance Institute, LLC provides a unique service to Boards who are committed to performing to their highest potential. DPI provides several different approaches to Board Assessment depending on the client’s needs, from simple surveys to comprehensive strategies.
Survey Questionnaires: The easiest and quickest approach. Should be customized to Board and Committee’s structure, needs and goals. Board Interviews: Individual confidential interviews on key questions to bring out more thorough feedback. Also used to explore key decisions and issues facing the Board and company or risk appetite. Board Effectiveness Analysis: This can include Janelle Brittain, Board Expert, observing Board meetings and providing feedback, reviewing bylaws and charters, completing a Board Composition Analysis, setting Board education goals, design and help implement a roadmap for any corrective work that is indicated.
Implementing the Assessment Feedback: A Roadmap For Board Development
The Board, just like the company/organization, needs a “roadmap” to develop itself and hold itself accountable. Your Board of Directors should look to constantly grow and improve their skills just like they expect company leaders and staff to develop theirs. DPI helps Boards answer the question, “Based on our Assessment results, what can we do to be even more effective?” This process provides a roadmap for board development that is actionable, practical, and results-focused. This may involve:
- Laying out a Board Education Plan to keep members relevant and informed
- Designing and delivering New Board Member On-Boarding
- Re-writing By-laws and Charters or restructuring the Board
- Facilitating strategic planning
- One-on-one coaching of an individual Board member
- Facilitating communication dynamics of the whole Board
- Delivering team strengthening training (especially important when new members have been added or there are Board dynamics issues)
- Being a liaison between two parties who continually disagree disagreeably
- Creating a Board Code of Conduct, performance expectations and goals
- Working with CEO, Board Chair and/or Lead Board Director to improve effectiveness
- Coach the Executive Team how to present better to the Board
- Set priorities for the nomination of new board members.
- Do a Board Composition Analysis
Your custom-tailored “Board Development Plan” program may be short and simple or in-depth and long-term, but it always includes a few elements to help your Board stretch to work at even higher levels of effectiveness to create a truly Dynamic Board.
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