What to do with a Bored Board
Presented by
Michelle Taylor, Matrix on Board Consulting
Rubber Stamping CEO Decisions
Micro-managing
All talk no action
Don’t read Board papers
No questions or irrelevant questions
Signs of Board boredom
Where’s the Passion?
Where’s the Purpose?
Fixing the problem(s)….
0
Reignite the Passion
Realign the Purpose
0
Put the TEAM to
WORK
Why did you join this Board?
Why did you join this Board?
Why did you join this Board?
What is this Board’s role?
0
What is this Board’s purpose?
What will be this Board’s legacy?
Put people where their passion is
0
Have a Board plan
Individual & collective monitoring
Who is responsible?
Board
Evaluation
Board
Recruitment
& Induction
Effective
Boards
Board Action
&
Development
Planning
Strategic
Planning
Board Evaluation
Board Evaluation
0
Encourage reflection
Pointy questions
about achievements
and legacy
0
Analyse how the team
works together
Board Evaluation Case Study
• Previous 2 years – major changes and challenges
Context
Objective
How can we be the
best Board ever?
• Relatively new Chairperson
• Accreditation agency required ‘work on Governance’
Methodology
1. Document Review + discussions with CEO and Chair
2. Online Survey
3. Interviews (one on one)
Evaluation Findings
• Online survey = “To give back to the community”
• Interviews = distinct and diverse passions and motivations
• A few Board members didn’t really know why they where there
0
• Online survey = “Everyone knows what their job is, we are great”
• Interviews = “We don’t have a Strategic Direction”
• Nobody could identify any significant value added by the Board
0
• Online survey = “Meetings run on time, everyone is civil”
• Interviews = formal meetings stifling some people
• ‘New’ members deferring to ‘Old’ members
Most effective questions were:
• Is there a particular part of this organisation that you are most
passionate about?
• What value do you add to this Board?
• In what way has this Board influenced or changed this
organisation in the past 12 months?
• If you were going to start the organisation from scratch, how
would you go about it?
• Describe your Board in three words
Evaluation Outcomes
• PCC Board realised how good they could be and needed to be
• Strategic Planning workshops held
• In Camera sessions & different meeting styles
• Renewed commitment (and energy)
• New members are speaking up
• Operational reports quarterly instead of monthly
In preparing for battle I have
always found that plans are
useless but planning is
indispensable.
(Dwight D Eisenhower)
Strategic Planning
0
Vision
Mission
Values
Strategic Goals
Board sets the vision
and parameters
Managers/staff figure
out how to get it done
0
Board Action Planning
Strategic Planning Case Study
• Momentum achieved from Board Evaluation
Context
Objective
• Set the Strategic
Direction
• Enthusiasm!!
• Old Strategic Plan designed by CEO, internal focus
• Strategic Direction urgently needed
Methodology
1. Submissions requested from Board Members
2. Two workshops
3. Strict focus on VISION and MISSION
Strategic Planning Outcomes
• Board members found their shared passion(s)
• There is a Strategic Framework – and the Plan is coming
• Board discovered a visionary role for their organisation
• Board have taken up their relationship management role
• Board have their own Action Plan
• Strategy is discussed at every Board Meeting
Board Action & Development Plan
0
Put people to work in
the areas they are
passionate about
Board’s own goals
linked to the Strategic
Plan
0
Accountability
What is our role?
-
Represent PCC as leaders in the community
Long term financial planners
Governance not management
What our purpose?
0
-
Be catalysts for self determination in our region
Ensure that PCC thrives
What will be our legacy?
-
Strong internal systems & structures
Established, productive partnerships
Board recruitment & induction
Board recruitment & induction
0
Go after who you
need
Ask the right
questions and
remember the
answers
Set objectives for
individual
achievements
0
Plan for integrating
new members
Ongoing check ins
Why did you join this Board?
Why did you join this Board?
Why did you join this Board?
Ask the right questions
Act on the answers
Have a plan
Pay attention
QUESTIONS?
Next webinar
.