(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
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