Fixing the Dysfunction: General Disengagement
The final in a series of seven talking about 7 common dysfunctions of a board and how to fix them.
The final dysfunction in this series talks less about a dysfunctional board than a non-functional one, one with board members who just kind of exist and do not really advance the mission of the organization in a meaningful way.
While nonfunctional boards do not necessarily hurt the organization, they certainly do not move it forward. Disengaged board members might show up at meetings, but not really participate in the conversation. Or if they do, they do little if anything between meetings. And forget about asking them to volunteer to do much more than attend a meeting. When you do, you hear “crickets.”
While many of the suggestions noted in the other six posts should help with general disengagement, I recommend that you examine the following 7 things to improve your disengaged or “blah” board.
Look at your recruitment process. What expectations did you set when you recruited board members? If you told them they only had to come to board meetings once a month or every other month and they do, then they give you what you asked. Instead, honestly tell your board prospect your expectations for engagement and reward positive engagement. If they do not want the same level of engagement that you do, thank them for their interest and move on.
Look at your orientation process. Did you give your board members the tools they need to succeed in their role? Do they even understand what you talk about in your board meetings? You might also consider a board mentoring process by which you match a new board member with a more experienced one to answer questions about an acronym or expectation and get them acclimated to your board culture and rituals.
Look at your board chair. Is your board chair setting the right tone for engagement and creating energy in the meetings or just going through the motions? Your board chair serves as an integral part of the culture of the board, so choose the person wisely based on talent and respect rather than tenure.
Look at your board meetings. If your board members only need to sit and listen to reports drone on and on, little exists to engage them. On the other hand, a board meeting filled with discussion – and yes, disagreement – will keep them energized and engaged and make them want to do more for your organization.
Look at your board committees. Do you have active committees that allow board members to delve deeper into some aspect of the organization and make a meaningful contribution? If not, think about creating a strong or stronger committee structure. The more invested the board members feel in the organization, the more they will contribute to assuring its success.
Look at your board members. Do you have a destructive or disruptive board member who stifles conversation or otherwise hurts the group process? If so, you need to deal with that person – perhaps by thanking them for their service and letting them move on or by talking about their behavior and how it hurts the group.
Look at your term limits. If you have board members who have served on your board for decades, they probably need to term out. Nine years – or three, three-year terms – is probably plenty. Even the most passionate board member gets tired and needs a change. Organizations also certainly need a regular change of perspective. If you do not have term limits (and limits on the number of terms someone can serve), change your bylaws to add them – and soon. If you have them, enforce them so that people do not automatically retain their board seat until they die or otherwise decide to leave the board. Remaining on the board for subsequent terms should occur by invitation, not as an expectation.
If none of these ideas seem to fix the general disengagement you see on your board or among your board members, you might need to dig deeper to find the root cause of the problem and then refer to the solutions to these common problems.
A functional board can take your organization to new heights while a dysfunctional one can cause an inordinate number of headaches and heartache and even destruction of the organization.
Good luck!
