Today, let’s spend a bit of time focusing on the Systems & Structures of your Board. As always, our internal infrastructure is the first place to look when we’re seeking to maximize, engagement, retention, and fiscal abundance of ANY area within our agency.
Why?? Because infrastructure is the skeleton of Accountability and ultimately Impact. Infrastructure is what simultaneously holds everything together, and propels progress forward.
When I consider Board Systems & Structures which promote or hinder accountability and impact, here’s what you should look for:
1) Clarity of Board expectations, roles, job descriptions (particularly Officers and Committee Chairs), and strategic goals, tasks/ timelines for completion. Here’s a helpful link for this: Sample Job Descriptions for Members of Boards of Directors - Free Management Library (managementhelp.org)
2)Accessible resources, trainings, and support.
3)Clear incentives and options for Board service and accountability.
As you consider the existence and strength of these aspects within your organization, here’s another question for you to reflect on as we move forward:
What additional internal systems and structures (if any) do we need to have in place, in order to help hold ourselves accountable as a high performing Board?