Board Development Services

For too many organizational leaders, working with their boards is a source of frustration. They feel trapped in an awkward dance between the board's positional authority and their function as executive leaders.

It’s not just the leader who feels the tension. Most board members want their service to really matter but don’t know how to achieve this because of lackluster meetings dominated by reports and unclear expectations. Often, board members secretly worry that they are not performing as the organization needs them to.

We can help you re-tool your board so that it functions like a high-performing team of volunteers who are focused on helping move the mission forward by thinking and planning at the highest level, developing the executive’s performance through thoughtful evaluation, and being capable advocates for your mission.

Timeline

We tailor this service to your needs, which may include facilitating a single board meeting, leading a board retreat, or working with your board on a several-month-long development process.

Process

The process often begins with a comprehensive board assessment of people, culture, work, and impact. By establishing agreement around board roles and responsibilities and measuring your board’s performance against that baseline, your board can focus on critical areas for improvement and success.

The assessment identifies gaps in your board development and the range of projects you may choose to undertake. Board development often includes creating board selection criteria, an onboarding process, role clarity, board performance criteria, helpful committees, advising on meeting cadence and agenda, and bylaw and policy assessment.

If your board is dysfunctional, it will not get better. In fact, the data says that it is likely to get worse and probably sooner than later. Consider not only the Return on Investment (ROI) of an engagement like this (less stress for you, a board raising more funds, less staff cost in prepping for meaningless board meetings, etc.) but, more importantly, you need to think carefully about the Cost of Inactivity (COI) – board conflict, a board turning on the executive, mission drift, Etc. The Cost of Inactivity with a board that is trending in the wrong direction can be devastating to you, your team, and your mission. If this is connecting with you, let’s talk soon.

More Information

For more resources on working with your board, check out these articles on board member selection and tips for highly effective board meetings.