Solving Board Performance Problems

To build an organization that is highly efficient and valuable, it is necessary to address many issues. This includes having the appropriate people on the board as well as fostering a positive culture, providing information that is accessible as well as streamlining processes and conducting regular evaluations. This is not easy to accomplish, and issues often occur. Certain of these issues can be easily solved, while others are more difficult to solve. The good news is that many of these issues can be solved.

The most frequent issue is when a board fails to create the internal structures and procedures it needs for carrying out its assessment responsibilities. This usually means establishing officers and committees responsible to gather, analyze and present regularly performance data to the Board.

If this isn’t completed, it can result in the board failing to recognize its strengths as well as weaknesses. This can also hinder the board from taking the appropriate actions to improve its performance.

A board that doesn’t follow through on its agreed-upon improvement plans is a different issue. This happens when a committee is distracted by other things and loses focus on the issues that were uncovered during its last evaluation.

Boards should conduct an in-depth self-evaluation at least once per year. BoardEffect’s built-in surveys help ensure fidelity and can serve as a basis for a complete board evaluation should it be required. By following additional resources this procedure boards can ensure they are focused on the most pressing issues and that their collective actions contribute to the company’s success.