On July 20, members of the Greater Good community heard from Kim Fabian, Chief Experience Officer of Elevatr, as she presented ways to supercharge our boards based on her 30+ years of experience. We learned how to navigate complex board dynamics and elevate our organization’s board performance by using transparent discussion, best practices, and a toolkit of realistic strategies that can be implemented each year. Here are our top 5 takeaways:
- “People will never be perfect; therefore, boards will never be perfect.”
- The partnership between the board and the CEO/ED begins with the CEO/ED. And, keep in mind, the board has one employee, the CEO/ED.
- To ensure board engagement: run a board meeting that people want to attend, guide the committee work, set firm board member expectations and communicate with purpose.
- During 1:1 meetings with board members: review the previous year, discuss the year ahead and forecast the next steps. This is a great opportunity to determine how their interest aligns with the organization’s mission.
- Follow an annual board engagement calendar that outlines simple tasks for each month. For example, during which months are board orientations held? Which months will 1:1 meeting be offered? Consider sending a monthly highlight email.
“People are yearning to be asked to use the full measure of their potential for something they care about.” Dan Pollotta, Founder of Charity Defense Council
