BOD Best Practices

        BOD Best Practices 1
        Board Member Selection

        • Pay attention to the past
        • Choose the board based on committee service performance
        • Past committee behavior predicts board performance
        • Managing Director has intel on committee service
        • Establish a Nominating Committee
        • Nominating Committee should consult with the Managing Director
        • Nominating Committee makes final recommendation

        BOD Best Practices 2
        Board Orientation & Training

        • Ensure uniformity of access for all board members
        • An orientation should provide timely and complete delivery of information
        • Equip each board member to excel via a strong orientation and orientation deck provided digitally
        • Having clear guidance maximizes board performance; people will make themselves useful based on self-perception if not given guidance
        • Consider providing the orientation to candidates
        • Equip candidates to identify non-alignment in advance of service

        BOD Best Practices 3
        Board Meeting Agendas

        • Keep meetings concise
        • Address issues raised by the last minutes
        • Address forthcoming issues
        • Disallow action on items not on the agenda to avoid knee-jerk responses
        • Managing Director should have an idea of what needs to be concisely addressed at each meeting
        • Managing Director creates the agenda and, if necessary, has the President review it

        BOD Best Practices 4
        Board Self-Evaluations

        • Determine if and how this advances the association
        • Avoid self-congratulatory evaluations
        • Determine how to have a transparent approach

        BOD Best Practices 5
        Board Term Limits

        • Boards should have at least three-year terms with the option for renewal
        • At least three years allow accomplishment after familiarizing with the association’s leadership approach
        • Renewable terms versus lengthier terms avoids long-term bad fits while affirming star performers
        • Avoid personal agendas and fatal flaws
        • Need to review officer candidacy in considering renewing a board member

        BOD Best Practices 6
        Officer Succession Planning

        • Maintaining continuity is a non-negotiable
        • Support board members to incrementally reach goals
        • Establish succession at least two years in advance or more
        • Establish bylaws where the vote is for a junior ranking officer who will then move into successive leadership position(s)
        • Officers should have chaired multiple committees

        BOD Best Practices 7
        Remember the Big Picture

        • Managing Director should be seen as the association management expert and hired as the expert
        • Hire a Managing Director trusted for insight and execution
        • Trust the Managing Director to work and do not micromanage
        • Involve the Managing Director in strategic planning
        • Have a shared focus on creating value, inspiring performance and creativity