Starboard

Most boards have one—the board member who always seems ready to offer a counter-argument, point out possible flaws in any plan, and challenge the group’s decision. Often described by chief executives as “our problem board member,” these “problems” might actually be fulfilling an important role on your board. In October of 1962, facing what would …
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As board chair you need to know that sitting at the head of the table and running the meeting are two different things. I observed a board once where the board chair called the meeting to order, sought approval of the minutes, and then pretty much became a spectator in the meeting until the executive …
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For most organizations, when the board enters into executive session—clearing the board room of staff—it almost always signals that something ominous is about to happen. Staff will start speculating about whether the chief executive is in trouble, and there is the usual discomfort associated with excusing people from the room, how to record what happens, …
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Every few months the phone will ring and someone will ask, “Do you have any advice regarding whether or not the staff, other than the executive director, should be at board meetings?” Sometimes it’s the board chair wondering, “Who are all these staff people at our meetings, and why are they here?” Other times it …
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If you want to be able to have more time at board meetings for discussions of a substantive nature about topics of strategic importance, you can make your meetings longer (rarely a popular choice for most boards) or you can reduce the time you spend on other items.  Consider this scenario and see if it …
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So if we agree that running effective, meaningful and engaging board meetings is one of the essential duties of the board chair, doesn’t it make sense that you should find some way to evaluate whether or not they really are effective, meaningful, engaging? After all, if you go to a conference or a workshop you …
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