Diversify the board ... by personality type! A key to a high-functioning board is to intentionally bring together people with differing personality styles that make them well suited to play important behavioral roles.

• Author: Spanberger, Peter G.
• Position: BOARD COMPOSITION

TYPICALLY, when boards look for new members they primarily consider an individual's title, industry background, and functional expertise. They also look to achieve a diversity of gender and ethnicity. But they often do not consider diversity at its broadest level.

There are crucial roles that are necessary for a board to function optimally. Highly opinioned, forceful individuals are just as important to the group process as those who are consensus driven. Creative risk takers need to be balanced with cautious, detailed thinkers. The specific balance of roles that is needed depends on the unique characteristics of the board, the issues, the goals, and the current situation.

Problems in board functioning can be the result of an absence of a particular role. Boards can become bogged down in endless discussion as a result of not having anyone who knows when and how to bring closure to a discussion. High quality board decisions can partially be the result of having a board member who ensures that everyone--and especially those who are knowledgeable but reticent--offer their best thinking. The roles of bringing closure and getting the best thinking out of everyone are just two of the many roles essential to optimal board functioning.

The must-have roles

Roles are expected patterns of behavior that facilitate the work of the board. Listed below are some of the critical roles that every group, and especially boards, needs to have:

* Synthesizing Information. Board members typically have a lot of information but less than an ideal amount of time to process it. A member who can quickly take disparate pieces of information and synthesize it helps the entire board deal with information overload.

* Building Consensus. If a board reaches a point of having to work through varying points of view, a member who can build consensus and help pull the group together is invaluable. Such a person can sift through differences and find common ground.

* Offering Wisdom. An individual who brings wisdom to a board typically is quick to understand ramifications and is anticipatory. Through their knowledge and experiences, they have developed a sense that allows them to quickly sort through information and discern the crucial aspects. They can tell if the group is being pulled in the wrong direction and they often have a strong ethical or moral sense. Wisdom can include the balancing of long-term and short-term goals and the ability to make the best use of available...