Build a self‐correcting board that does its job

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/ban.30660
• Published date: 01 April 2018
• Date: 01 April 2018

Editor: Jeff Stratton

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View this newsletter online at wileyonlinelibrary.com • DOI: 10.1002/ban

Build a self-correcting board that does its job

Board problems are the board’s to fix. Yet, that

may be easier said than done.

Terrie Temkin, founding principal, CoreStrate-

gies for Nonprofits Inc., believes a “self-correcting”

board—one that does its job rather than that of

staff—is more engaged and is attainable using

these steps and strategies:

1. The board has to have the desire to be the

best it can be. No matter how good and positive

the board, it can always be better, Temkin said.

She said she has seen many boards and board

members who walk in and say, “This is the way we

have always operated.” “‘We are doing good work’

is the board’s mindset,” Temkin said. “That’s all

they are concerned with.”

The board has to recognize it can always be

better and have the desire to put in the time and

effort, Temkin said. “Without that, nothing else

happens,” she said.

Outsiders can come in and say you can do

better, or the executive director or a consultant

can be brought in to work on this area of board

improvement, but unless the board buys into it,

change won’t happen, Temkin said.

2. Identify the steps to up the board’s game.

“There are a number of them,” Temkin said.

• Most boards don’t include a line item in the

budget for board development. “Nothing is free,”

Temkin said. “There must be money in the budget

to cover this work.”

• Undertake some sort of self-assessment.

“Take the opportunity to ask as a board what we

did well in a particular meeting and then for qual-

ity improvement purposes ask, ‘What could we do

better?’” Temkin said.

• A consultant can be hired to perform this

sort of work, Temkin said.

Tools to do this self-assessment can be down-

loaded from the web or can be borrowed from

another organization, Temkin said.

Or use a validated tool that is scored and leads

to a recommendation, she said. Three to consider,

according to Temkin:

• From BoardSource: http://goo.gl/wGhcN2.

• From Mel Gill: http://goo.gl/NKaJim.

• From Vic Murray and Yvonne Harrison:

https://www.boardcheckup.com/.

• Prioritize the work to be done based on the

results of the self-assessment. There will likely be

a number of items the board believes are appro-

priate to tackle, Temkin said. “Some may be more

time-consuming or costly and some not as inter-

esting to the group, so you need to prioritize the

changes to be made,” she said.

• Determine what the board will consider a suc-

cess. “How will the board be different and how

will you measure the change?” Temkin said. “If

you haven’t identified what is success, how will

you know if you ever accomplish it?”

• Identify the right individual or entity to lead

the effort. “This person or group will determine

April 2018 Vol. 34, No. 8 Editor: Jeff Stratton

continued on page 4

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Getting rid of that ‘toxic’ board member 2

Key on ‘open and honest’ communication

with board 5

Board Service Commitment Pledge 6