Developing a superior board engagement program

By: Carolyn Haney and Sarah Andrews

Beginning stages of developing a Board/What do you need to have a successful board

• Bylaws - Outline the ? words - who, how many, when (terms), how, etc.
• Board Member Agreement - Go over this in person- not over email;  to set expectations - common understanding of what it means to be a board member with time, talent and treasure.
• What does the organization need AND what do the Board Members want by being on the Board?

It is important to make sure that the board member and the organization are
both getting what they need/want. If this doesn’t happen, the board members get bored/uninterested and there is disengagement and then they leave.

• Calendar of Board Meetings

This is going to depend on size of board, size of organization, how long the organization has been around, and where the Board members are located. Try to make this as consistent as possible. Using technology (i.e. Zoom Meetings) is a great way to engage people in Board meetings who cannot make it in person.

• Financial Commitment

        Give/Get discussion. You may want to consider having some community
members on your Board who do not give/get as much; however, they are representative
    of the clients/community you are serving.

• Board Chair Expectations and relationship with ED:

    The ED and the Board Chair should have a pretty committed relationship. This Board Chair can be a voice for the ED when talking to the whole Board. The Board Chair and the ED should be in regular communication.

• Board Matrix- who do you need on your board?
      - In general, you need to determine what you need the makeup of your BOD to be. This will depend somewhat on how your BOD functions. For example, if you’re a small org, a working BOD may be more beneficial to you to build capacity. In that case, looking for members who can fill certain roles - marketing, finance, etc. Large org, may want BOD with big connections, big pockets, or both.

- Several helpful online tools for creating a BOD matrix through Board Source and 501Commons


TOOLS FOR BUILDING A PRODUCTIVE BOARD
Strengths Finder
One popular tool that you can use with your BOD is called the Strengths Finder test.  This is a high-level overview business-focused personality test that helps people find their top strengths in the workplace. There are 34 core strengths and the test typically identifies each persons top 5. You can then take these findings and from a high level see where your BOD falls in broader categories - meaning, do you have members who are generally good at executing tasks? At thinking strategically? Building relationships? Influencing others? So on. It also helps you cultivate more self-awareness and relationship-building among your BOD and is a great exercise to engage in during a BOD retreat or special meeting where you are just focused on the interpersonal dynamics of the BOD members.
TIP: Have everyone bring results to the meeting and discuss their findings with each other. This helps people to really see not only new ways they can be of service to the org, but also new ways that they can work together. For example, STRATEGIC/IDEATION with ACTIVATOR.

• https://www.leadershipvisionconsulting.com/what-you-can-do-with-strengthsfinder-in-60-90-minutes/

​Fall 2019 Morning Lecture Series will cover topics related to Effective Board Committees and How to Maximize LinkedIn as a Networking Tool