Good management of the board involves the board's structure, culture and decision-making processes as well as its people. The key elements of good management are a consistent behavior and an understanding of the board's roles and responsibility. Effective boards also recognize when they must be refocused and bring in fresh members.
Respecting the institution and its management as well as the staff members is an element of appropriate behavior. Board service should be considered an obligation for the community. It is also critical to distinguish between governance and management, and understand the impact that the decisions of the board impact others.
A robust policy procedure and a clear understanding of the role of the board are vital. It is crucial to have policies in place to enable boards to fulfill their 3 principal roles, which include setting strategy, making important and strategic decisions, and overseeing the activities of the company. Effective policies can help focus discussions, cut down on duplication and ease the burden of management to prepare tangential information or excessively detailed data for the board.
A well-organized meeting agenda can enhance the efficiency of your board meeting. The best method of arranging an agenda is to separate items for information, actions and strategic discussions. This allows the board to better understand their roles and helps to eliminate concern that they must vote on items only for information. It is essential to establish clear guidelines for task forces, as well procedures to prevent duplicate work. It is also beneficial to have a designated corporate secretary to aid in the management of information, schedule meetings, and create complete board materials that include relevant background documents.