fbpx

Signs Your Board is Too Status Quo

Sep 20, 2024News

Is your board happy with its performance and how it functions?

If yes, that’s great…or is it?

Boards that maintain the status quo instead of identifying ways to grow and enhance effectiveness put organizations at risk.

If your board avoids difficult discussions or resists change, governance or additional structure, it might not be the asset you think. It may even be a liability.

But how can you tell for certain? You’ll find the signs in these four areas:

#1. Board Composition & Diversity

Homogenous boards are not healthy for organizations. In fact, boards lacking diversity fall victim to group think and foster cultures that alienate people who could otherwise help your organization achieve its goals.

Effective boards are comprised of members from a mix of ages, genders, races and ethnicities, who also have diverse expertise, style and professional and lived experience.

Determining how much diversity your board actually has and addressing less than ideal board composition will help prevent your organization from missing out on opportunities and falling behind.

#2. Board Engagement

Just because board members show up at meetings and contribute financial support doesn’t mean they’re engaged. These actions are merely the cost of entry.

What matters most is how proactively and assertively they work to advance your organization.

It’s no wonder disengaged boards have trouble recruiting and retaining board members. People who participate and have positive impact are turned off by passivity.

Also take note if your board avoids or doesn’t enforce term limits, has no plan for board leadership succession and can’t clearly articulate expectations for board members.

Why? Engagement is fostered and supported by governance structures and practices and is difficult to maintain without them.

#3. Board Performance

It’s imperative for a board to examine its performance at least every two years. This includes conducting self-assessments or having a small group of board leaders assess each board member annually.

Assessments also help surface differences or tensions between board members and provide a mechanism for candid conversation and remediation.

A board simply can’t improve and grow without formal and regular ways to give and receive feedback about performance, participation and culture.

#4. Board Strategy

A board’s role in setting strategy is to identify priorities; establish goals and objectives; find resources and funding; and measure outcomes. When it isn’t active in these steps, organizations lose focus and fail to deliver mission and impact.

Plus, it’s easier to monitor progress and risk as the organization’s plan evolves if the board is involved early on. This is because board members will continue to focus on strategy during their own conversations and sessions, keeping the board in its oversight and governance roles.

Recent blog posts

SEO Tips for Nonprofit Websites: Getting Found Online

SEO Tips for Nonprofit Websites: Getting Found Online

In today’s digital age, a strong online presence is essential for any nonprofit organization looking to increase its visibility, grow its donor base, and extend its impact. Search engine optimization (SEO) plays a critical role in ensuring your nonprofit’s website can...

read more
When to Get a New Website: 5 Signs You are Ready for a Redesign

When to Get a New Website: 5 Signs You are Ready for a Redesign

Your website serves as the face of your business. It’s often the first interaction potential customers have with your brand, and first impressions matter. But how do you know when it’s time to invest in a website redesign? Here are five signs that indicate you’re...

read more
Building Out a Post-Award Grant Management Checklist

Building Out a Post-Award Grant Management Checklist

Rachel Werner, CEO of RBW Strategy After spending 100+ hours working on that federal grant where you were losing sleep (andpotentially sanity), you received news from the federal agency that your organization wasawarded a grant. Congratulations – your hard work paid...

read more