Why Don't Boards Spend Time Discussing their Own Performance?

Before I walk into a Board meeting to facilitate a discussion on governance, I conduct a survey of Board members. While the overall responses to the questions vary by organization (which helps me focus attention on items of priority), too often I discover that very little time is actually spent by the Board on its overall performance, and how it might be improved.

Which begs the question: if the Board doesn't spend time consider ways to improve their performance, who does? Answer: no one!

In my view, every Board, at least annually, should:

• Conduct a performance evaluation of the Board as a whole
• Conduct peer-to-peer evaluations of individual Board members
• Consider the competencies it needs at the Board table, assess those competencies against those possessed by current Board members, identify where gaps exist, and consider ways (future recruitment, professional development) to eliminate those gaps
• Have open and candid discussion about Board meetings: the agenda (are the right things on it, are important issues given ample time); frequency and format of meetings; etc.

These are important matters. Left unadressed, a Board risks a lot: inertia is the first thing that comes to mind.