The holidays will soon be behind us and after this long, wonderful break we all are currently enjoying, it will soon be time to get to work on the goals you recently set for 2015. It’s also time to re-energize your board to ensure it is ready to fully engage in its own work for 2015.
For some leaders, that means reconvening the current board. For others, it means welcoming several new directors to their first official board meeting…quickly to be followed by committee assignments and…more meetings. So, what can you do to shake off the holidays and reignite your board for the coming 12 months?
Here are a few suggestions to get your board off to a quick and meaningful start and to integrate your new board members into the flow of things so they can begin adding value right away.
- Take a few minutes to review the approved goals for the new year
- Determine the goals’ most critical first steps needed to be taken over the next 90 days and invite board members to share any thoughts on them
- Go around the table and ask board members to share specifically what they intend to do over the next 90 days to work on those next steps and to assist in achieving those goals. (Have a few suggestions ready for those who need prompting.)
- Have both the executive director and board president share their specific needs from each board member on how he/she can help them in their leadership roles
- Prepare well for the new board year and read my recent blog on Board Meetings that don’t Bore.
I am sure you have other ideas and I’d like to hear them and share them with other readers. How do you instill a sense of urgency, re-engagement, and a bias toward action in each of your directors in the new year…especially after a bit of a layoff?