BEHAVIOR MATTERS!

 (The fifth in a series of insightful thoughts about the importance of agreement of a board’s Purpose, Roles, Goals and Behavior)

 

Are all your board members rowing in the same direction? Don’t worry if they’re not. There is a fix to this, and this fix holds true whether your board is elected, appointed, or is a volunteer board.

It is an honor and a privilege to be a board member.  The position comes with a responsibility to understand the agreed upon purpose of your board. If board members know their board’s purpose, they can understand their roles, base their goals upon their roles, and ultimately exhibit consistent behavior that allows the organization to move forward.

Board culture can influence board effectiveness. Boards must make sure that culture and behavioral norms are agreed upon to move themselves in the right and positive direction.

Culture manifests itself through behavior. Agreed upon behavioral norms is a hallmark of an effective board. Here are some key questions that start to capture board culture:

Does the board agree on its Purpose, Roles and Goals?

• Is there trust and respect among board members and between the administration and the board?

• Does the board speak with a single voice?

• Is information limited to a few or to all?

• Are communications clear, regular and consistent to all?

• Is board leadership determined by “best person, given the situation” or on an “it’s my turn” basis?

• Is the board focused on achieving strategic goals or daily operations?

 

With a clear understanding and agreement of behavioral norms and expectations, the board can use its culture as a lever to support the goals of the organization.  When these agreed upon expectations are documented, there is a twofold benefit. They give current board members direction and guidance, and as new members join the board, expectations are clear.

Behavior matters. Document it. Live it!

Does Your Board Have Goals?

(The fourth in a series of insightful thoughts about the importance of agreement of a board’s Purpose, Roles, Goals and Behavior)

 

Are all your board members rowing in the same direction? Don’t worry if they’re not. There is a fix to this, and this fix holds true whether your board is elected, appointed, or is a volunteer board.

It is an honor and a privilege to be a board member.  The position comes with a responsibility to understand the agreed upon purpose of your board. If board members know their board’s purpose, they can understand their roles, base their goals upon their roles, and ultimately exhibit consistent behavior that allows the organization to move forward.

“If a team is to reach its potential, each player must be willing to subordinate his personal goals to the good of the team.”

-    Bud Wilkinson

Does your board have goals? Can each member clearly articulate your board’s priorities? Not the organizations' priorities - the BOARD'S priorities.

Board goals define how the board will add value to the organization. They’re the mutually agreed upon priorities that outline what will be accomplished.

Board goals are not the CEO’s goals. Board goals define the actions that the BOARD will take in support of the organization and CEO. The CEO’s goals are specific to the operation of the organization. Together, they set the organization on a path to success.

When not aligned on one set of goals, it’s easy to get side-tracked. The board may react to what seems important at the moment or rely on “we’ve always done it this way”, without contributing strategically to the organization’s needs.

Rather than feeling lost in a labyrinth of the day to day, common goals act as a GPS to guide you through, because what gets emphasized, gets done.

“It's not what boards do (or don't do) but how they do their work that really matters.”

-    Peter Eckel and Cathy Trower

 

RETREATS DON’T HAVE TO BE 

“HOURS I’LL NEVER GET BACK”

 

We’ve all been involved in some sort of group get-together, labeled a “retreat”. These are generally billed as no-pressure, casual meetings, usually off-hours, with lots of food and snacks, where we're supposed to speak freely, have discussions without distractions, and come away with an understanding of ......what?

Frankly, many of the retreats we have attended have been disappointing. Some were simply poorly planned. Some brought in “experts” who spent time lecturing, using age-worn consultant parlor tricks of sticky notes, multi-voting and breaking off into small groups to discuss things (which inhibits the whole board from hearing everyone’s thoughts). Others were ambiguous in their purpose. And in some cases, our fellow board members resented the time spent.

Retreats can be helpful, if planned properly. Timeliness, preparation, relevance, engagement, and documentation of your specific outcomes are the keys to a successful get together.

When is a good time to get your board together for a retreat? That’s an easy one – the best time for a retreat is BEFORE A SITUATION ARISES THAT REQUIRES A SOLUTION! That’s kind of obvious but many boards use retreats to find fixes to today’s issues.

It’s also important that each board member know what the subject will be and have spent time considering their own thoughts about the subject.

What constitutes a relevant retreat? This is a hard one. Relevance is different for every board but generally, we believe that boards should consider overarching subjects for their retreats.  Retreats provide a great way to discuss your board's purpose, roles, goals and behaviors.

Every board member needs to have their opinion heard and their story told. The leader of the retreat can have a huge influence on engagement. Lectures from “the mount”, “sit and get” and “small group discussions” don’t provide engagement. Instead, they encourage group-think.

Retreats can be meaningful time spent to have an honest conversation about your organization.  We specialize in boards. We are board members. No parlor tricks, no fancy speeches. Just a focused discussion with the board regarding your purpose, roles, goals and behaviors.

Will you have new board members joining you? Spend time NOW to define and affirm your purpose, your roles and goals, and especially your expected behavior.

We can help your board!  Contact us soon, as our schedule is filling fast.

Proud Members of The Northeast Johnson County Chamber of Commerce

Deb Settle and her staff are professional, engaged, and committed to 

making NEJC business and communities grow and thrive!