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What exactly does a new board need to be effective?

These elements do not happen automatically. It takes collaborative effort and thought. When boards bypass this and go right into protocol, roles and responsibilities, they then wonder why making decisions has become so laborious.

Consider the case of the Southern Regional "XYZ" Professional Association Board*. The board had a dedicated president and several board members who had been on the board the previous year. There was general respect of new members. Finances were not perfect, but had stabilized after several years of struggle. There was a solid reserve. Membership was dropping though, and costs kept going up. There was poor attendance of senior association members. And the "XYZ" Industry had been undergoing some changes as well. Membership wanted support.

The president elect was a passionate extrovert. She had no problem voicing her opinions. She was action oriented. She was in fast-forward addressing the problems of attendance and industry issues. When the board questioned some of her actions, she did not take it lightly. She was defensive and almost abusive. Does this sound familiar to you? It was not pretty. Luckily, the association knew they needed some assistance.

How can an association exec make this sort of situation, and new board orientation in general less painful for their boards? Help your board think about team development, team building, team retreats. Connect them with a professional facilitator to help it go smoothly. Then support them all the way.

Eight Team Development Success Activities That Increase Board Effectiveness

1. Getting To Know You Activities.
These activities are designed to increase board knowledge of each member. Ideally these activities are structured, time bound, and fun. These can include classic training ice-breakers and games, or simple sharing of information that is non-association related. For example: in the next 60 seconds find three things two board members have in common (excluding association-related activities). Then share it with the group.

2. Hand-Eye Physical Coordination Activities (Games).
These activities are designed to disrupt existing communication and power of old guard/new guard patterns if they exist. They increase the physical energy of a group as well, and often are considered "just plain fun".

3. Exploration of Management / Communication Styles.
These activities often use an assessment tool or style instrument, or formal training with common language. The goal is to be able to explore differences in the way people do things, without making value judgments on any style. Optimal implementation of this activity includes structured discussion about how each type or style supports the others and application to this specific board.

4. Mission, Vision, Values Discussion.
These activities have been perhaps overused in corporate settings, but not used enough in non-profit and association boards. This discussion is about getting everyone on the same page. It is most useful if this is an open discussion as opposed to a dictation of past discussions.

5. What's important? What's Urgent? First Things First Discussion.
Stephen Covey brings the mission, vision, values to the present. Tasks may be pressing or not, but there are always things that need to be addressed. Prioritization in light of mission, vision, values is key to consistency.

6. Skills/Task/Passion Match (sometimes known as who wants to do what?)
Sometimes there is a progression of the chairs that defines who does what. This assumes all board members are equally skilled at all tasks. (NOT.) It is critical that this be done with full board member participation. Sometimes members want to use solid skills, sometimes members are passionate about growing new ones. Respecting member reasons for serving is critical to a good outcome. Assuming here typically does make "donkeys" out of you and me.

7. Food .
The formal team structure is done. The seeds have been planted. Now it is time to set the team free to create its own success. Nothing succeeds like good folks and good food.

8. Trust.
If steps 1-7 have been pursued with integrity, then trust is usually the result. If steps have been missed, then there may be issues with trust, if the board members find themselves not to be on the same page. How to address this? Go back to team development activities.

Will there still be heat in the boardroom? Perhaps. Depends upon the personalities of the board and its members. Will the board have the common ground to work its way out? Most of the time!

Take the case of the Southern Regional "XYZ" Professional Association Board. The board hired a facilitator who recommended basic team development activities for the board. The board committed to the process and spent a lot of time with the assistance of their facilitator on "#3 Exploring Management and Communication Styles" and "#5 What's important?" The board used a communication style instrument, and in fact used in a 360-degree configuration to provide solid feedback to all members on their perceived communication effectiveness. The board used the tool's language to discuss differences of style, and honed these tools extensively to discuss priorities and communication of board activities.

Ultimately the entire board became very close. And when the president elect became overbearing (which was happening less frequently of course), she usually was confronted with a bear hug and direct communication.

Role of the Facilitator

Facilitation in its most pure sense is the art of being consistently neutral and non-judgmental. Facilitation at its most skilled is the ability to have all participants feel heard, respected and trusted. Seasoned facilitators help their clients get work done, in a respectful, trusting and effective manner.

While savvy leaders can learn facilitation skills, the art of being neutral with your own "stuff" is a complex task indeed. (Stuff is a technical word.) It is often easier to be neutral with others' baggage than with your own. For that reason, for new board retreats, project kick-offs and difficult, emotionally charged situations, teams often engage outside facilitators, who have potential to provide incredible value in getting all voices in the room, and keeping the focus clear. The facilitator needs to understand the objectives of the board and to be flexible enough to move with the energy of the group, if the agenda shifts in the moment.

Most professional facilitators have had training in organizational development or training and development, and in advanced facilitation skills. Masters in Organizational Development programs or PhD programs exist which teach facilitation skills. Professional associations which support facilitators include: The International Association of Facilitators, the Organizational Development Network, The American Society for Training and Development and The National Speakers Association.

So, you want to keep your board off the carousel and instead on the road to effective board management? Consider these eight team development steps and the use of a professional facilitator to kick start your association year. Your board will think you are the most talented exec on the face of the planet and your time and theirs will be more productively spent dealing with the real issues.

Feel like this is time intensive? Don't think your board will want to spend the time? Gestalt practitioners refer to it as the process of "slowing down to speed up". Sounds paradoxical. A slower start guarantees a faster, more productive finish. Still not sure? Start with Games and Food ... they will laugh easily into the rest. Trust me, it will be worth every minute.

*The names of the association, and its board, have been disguised to respect client confidentiality.


(1508 words) Copyright © 2003-2007 Nan Andrews Amish. All rights reserved.