Board Meetings and Board Development

Boards often choose to hold a facilitated retreat to invigorate board member commitment, articulate strategy, integrate new board members, and align disparate views. They may use a coach to conduct a board self-assessment, to identify strengths in expertise and process skills, as well as areas for growth. For example, there may be too much conflict or not enough. There may be too much support of the President or not enough. The board identifies priority areas and engages a coach to develop even further into a world class board.

This forum may be a board meeting with extended time, or an additional session may be dedicated to these important issues.

Invigorate board member commitment

Board members by definition are outside of the day-to-day business, yet integrating them into the highlights of operations and business opportunities is essential. Board member commitment can be optimized with more focus on long range view, with constructive dialogue, and with engagement in joint projects. A facilitated forum allows for clear criteria to be articulated among board members about priorities and even board meeting structure. They can decide how much time is given to updates, and how much time to strategy and to grappling with choices and reaching decisions.

With coaching, other agreements may be around committee structure, between-meeting conversations, and guest presenters from the industry or within the organization. Changing the format can reinvigorate the discussion. The facilitated board retreat is designed to break stereotypes which long-service members may have of each other, and welcome challenging new perspectives. Commitment is renewed when professional characteristics and qualities (not just expertise) are valued and integrated into a rigorously challenging yet collegial group. These qualities may be the one who provides the “glue”, or relationships. It may be accepting the value of the devil’s advocate. It may be acknowledging the value of someone who is new to the industry, or the board, bringing a fresh perspective to assumptions which have long gone without challenge.

Articulate strategy and align disparate views

To continually respond to the changing business climate, a board may weigh high-level strategic objectives against unexpected opportunities or market changes. A team coach supports testing priorities when faced with these possibilities, whether with a new market, alliance or funding, provides a chance to confirm or reevaluate previous goals. Facilitating this discussion provides an opportunity to manage disparate views so that divisive positions can be considered, explored and ultimately integrated into constructive solutions.

The facilitated board retreat is designed to respect and explore challenges to the status quo and align the board after providing for those differences. A team coach and facilitator can help the board hold a conversation to choose from among a number of creative initiatives, helping identify when the organization would benefit from brainstorming followed by focus.

Integrate new board members

New board members are generally seeking a balance between background data and building productive relationships. Board retreats focus on exchanging key information and connections, while providing relationship building opportunities to yield more effective decisions. A facilitator helps provide for building relationships, exploring ideas, and creating commitment. Transformation Management LLC’s team coaches and facilitators include experienced business leaders and organizational development experts. Our approach is to ensure that the retreat has a clear focus with well-defined deliverables. Some of the issues our client may choose to address at a board retreat:

• Strategic planning
• Values identification
• Culture
• Trust
• Clarifying accountability
• Enhancing board dynamics
• Enhancing decision making
• Balancing challenge with support
• Identifying the unspoken “elephant in the room.”
• Restructuring