Board culture is one of those tenuous areas where it can be challenging to get everyone on the same page. Individual board members have their own specific ideas about how the club should be run, and often these ideas can come into conflict with each other—or with the general manager. In order for the board to effectively address difficult questions or conflicting viewpoints, creating an atmosphere that encourages mutual respect, informed examination of issues and questions, and measured debate can help to create a civil environment in which the board can thrive.
To help build board culture and establish the groundwork for board interactions, boards should be sure to:
- Outline key skills and governance competencies for board members. When board members understand what is required of them, oftentimes they’ll find it easier to do their jobs well.
- Promote a healthy climate in which the board can govern. If board leaders establish a positive tone for interactions at the top of the hierarchy, it should trickle down throughout the board and club management.
- Set ground rules for board operations and conversations. If there are clear guidelines for how the board will accomplish certain tasks, it can help reduce conflict and keep the board on track. Detailed plans for board meeting structure can help the discussions stay on track and keep meetings strategically focused.
- Host events where board members can get together outside of board meetings. When board members know their colleagues better, it can help enhance their respect for each other and smooth out working relationships.
- Create opportunities for board member development and continuing education. Board members should constantly be encouraged to improve and broaden their skills to promote effective governance standards and best practices.
Emphasizing the board’s important role in club governance can help add significance to the way in which the board perceives their actions—making sure that they fully understand the value of working together to achieve the club’s goals.
Unfortunately, even when the board dynamic is productive and respectful, sometimes, larger issues or conflicts can still occur. In keeping with maintaining the healthy board culture outlined above, ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership provides a step-by-step system for addressing issues when they do arise:
- Be proactive. Make sure that board members are well acquainted with the club’s rules and all of the governance policies and procedures applicable to board governance activities. When board members know and understand the framework and restrictions that they must work within, they are less likely to deviate from these standards in the first place.
- Discuss the matter in private. If one board member is creating a conflict, the board president should take the individual aside and respectfully discuss the situation in private, rather than calling the member out in front of his or her peers. Talking through the issue in private can make it easier to get to the bottom of the problem and find a workable solution.
- Voice concern. If a private discussion does not resolve the issue, board members who disagree with the situation can have their disagreement recorded in the club’s record. This way, if board members are faced with a situation with which they are uncomfortable, having their disagreement on record can help shield them from consequences of those board actions that they oppose.
- Address the situation. When conflicts do cause rifts in the board, addressing the situation can help mend fences much more quickly than waiting for resentment to just go away on its own. Confronting issues of disagreement and disunity are vital parts of putting conflict in the past and working together moving forward.
Good board dynamics can be challenging to cultivate and trying to maintain, but establishing a strong and respectful board culture can pay significant dividends in terms of effective governance.
For more information on best practices in club governance, see NCA’s best-selling publication, Club Governance Guidelines: A Path to Organizational Excellence.
Jackie Abrams is NCA’s communications manager.