ACROSS THE BOARD

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Board Meetings

by Dr. Ted Flickinger, IAPD Executive Director

An effective board is multiple minds speaking with one voice.

Board members should establish criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of their board meetings.

Rules of Etiquette. It's important to establish rules of etiquette for meetings. Each new member joining the board should receive a list of meeting rules. These could include such things as raising your hand when you want to speak, listening to what other board members say, being courteous to guests, not interrupting a fellow board member, and supporting board decisions. Meeting etiquette rules make board sessions much more orderly and enjoyable.

Social Interaction. Although it's important to stick to the agenda, you can also overreact and make meetings super efficient but with no social interaction. According to Robert's Rules, the social aspect of board meetings is important for creating board camaraderie. Meetings certainly should not drag on but they shouldn't be finished so quickly that there is no interaction. Board members feel better about a meeting when they have had an opportunity to talk and do not feel too rushed.

Conflicting Opinions. Conflicts will arise at board meetings. When arguments erupt, board members should keep in mind that they need to remain objective. It's easy to make up your mind and refuse to listen to another board member's opinions. You must listen carefully. That's one of your roles as a board member. And don't be too sensitive. If another board member ridicules your idea, you don't have to respond in a negative fashion. It's important to see what other board members think about your idea. If most board members show agreement with the board member who opposes your view, maybe your idea wasn't so great after all.

Conflicting Personalities. Don't let personalities disrupt board meetings. If there are two people who don't get along outside of the board room, chances are they won't agree inside. Board members must set personal animosities aside in the board room otherwise they will make board meetings miserable for everybody.

Conflict Resolution. Don't let board disagreements go unresolved. Tackle divisiveness immediately. Don't try to sweep your problems under the rug. You should take a proactive approach to solving problems otherwise they continue to build. In some cases, you may want an outside consultant to review the situation with the board. The consultant can address the board's concerns and oftentimes a third party can give a more objective point of view. The board shows integrity by recognizing that there is a problem, then enlisting help to solve it rather than letting a problem fester.

Meeting Postmortem. The executive director and president of the board should sit down and do a postmortem on the meeting. Post-meeting discussions enable individuals to determine what went wrong while the events are still fresh in their memories. Each meeting gets better because you can talk about problems and how to avoid them in the next meeting.

Board Input on Meeting Structure and Flow. The executive director or president of the board should

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make every effort to invite board member comments about the meeting structure and flow. Periodically the board should be asked to formally evaluate their meetings, utilizing a questionnaire to do this. Formal evaluations performed two times a year can help you find a meeting structure that satisfies everyone. Each board member should also evaluate their own performance following a board meeting. At the end of the meeting you might want to ask yourself, "Was this a good meeting or a bad one?" Then assess your contribution. Were you prepared for the meeting? Were you able to discuss each agenda item?

Pet Projects. Occasionally pet projects or pet issues become apparent at board meetings. In evaluating your effectiveness as a board member, you need to ask yourself whether you let your head—not your heart—influence your decisions. Were you as objective as you possibly could be in the decision-making process? If there is an issue on the agenda that you are emotional about, you need to recognize it. Prior to the meeting, review in your own mind how you are going to handle the situation and the comments that you are going to make, and try to assess whether or not you are objective. As a board member you should listen to every side of an issue and then base your action on what is best for the agency and the people you serve.

The Team Ethic. The right decision on issues at the board meeting isn't always the easiest one to make but each board member needs to assess, "Are we operating as a team or are we operating as adversaries?" Everyone should recognize that in order to get things done they must work together and not pull in different directions. When board members work as a team, they are able to talk freely about issues without worrying about hurting feelings when disagreements arise.

Here are other questions you can ask yourself when evaluating the effectiveness of board meetings:

• Was the meeting conducted in a businesslike manner resulting in actions that resolve problems?

• Were agenda items submitted to the board in advance with reports covering all items on which the board would make decisions? Were the reports succinct, clear, and well-prepared?

• Are motions written in advance of the meeting?

• Were all board members given an opportunity to participate in the discussion?

• Was the agenda strictly followed?

• Did the board discuss policy matters rather than day-to-day management decisions?

• Did the board seek counsel on matters that have legal ramifications?

• Was the meeting room conducive to a comfortable meeting? Does it accommodate visitors?

• Are board meetings regularly attended by all board members?

• Are we working together? How well do we do as a team?

• Is there always controversy? Why? Should we hold occasional educational programs on conflict management and boardmanship? Should these programs be held separate from the board meeting or be a part of every meeting?

• Do we use the expertise of our chief executive or do we constantly go over every detail? Are we wasting time on petty details?

• Are we reinventing the wheel at each board meeting?

• Are we addressing big issues and looking at the bottom line of the agency? Are we establishing achievable goals? Are we making major decisions? Are we concerned with the agency's future?

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