Even a Board that functions effectively in the beginning can become
stale or lose its focus. It can become necessary to recharge the
batteries. This can involve seeking new members, up-skilling and
inspiring existing members, or looking again at the goals and structures
of the organisation.
Many situations can bring about a need for such a review. The
environment may have changed around you, presenting new challenges that
create the need for new attitudes and new reactions. There may be
personal disputes among members of the Board, and these relationships
may lead the Board down unproductive avenues. The organisation itself
may have changed and may need to expand or shrink.
In all these circumstances you will need a Board that reflects the
needs and interests of its members, that offers the necessary skills and
expertise to navigate the surrounding terrain, and that can adapt
productively to change.
How to identify the need to revitalise a Board
The Board is the most important part of a community group, setting its
directions and ensuring it stays on track and vital. If a Board is
dysfunctional, the community group it serves will also be in danger. And
an ineffective Board that cannot even get the basics right has little
chance of fulfilling all of its legal and financial responsibilities,
meaning the group as well as the individual Board members may be
heading towards trouble.
If your Board can no longer provide leadership or fresh ideas, the
group appears to be stagnating or money is becoming an issue, it may be
time to spice things up.
Indicators that might suggest the need for change include:
The group has lost its way and appears to be stagnating.
Membership is dropping and enthusiasm among remaining members is waning.
The Board seems satisfied to coast. There is little future
planning and no new ideas are being generated.
There is an imbalance in workload between Board members.
The Board no longer has the support of the group's members.
The Board has not demonstrated a willingness to change with
emerging trends that are impacting on the organisation.
Fundraising activities are no longer working as they used to, or
as they should.
The size of the community group has changed and the Board does
not have the expertise to deal with the increased responsibility.
The group or the Board always seems to be in turmoil.
Several Board members are retiring.
The Board has been in place for a long time but new members keep
signing up, meaning the changing membership base and priorities of the
group are no longer reflected at the top.
The Board and staff regularly lock horns, with each party
exhibiting hostility and resistance towards the other.
Do you need a change?
Change for change's sake is not necessarily a good thing. The old rule
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" has not been repealed.
Stable Boards with long-serving, committed members will have the
advantage of a thorough knowledge of the organisation and its mission.
One could argue that if a member is long-serving, they have a lot more
than a passing interest in the group and its ongoing success. They know
the history of the group and know what works – if the group is still
functioning well.
It is important, however, that the Board represents and reflects the
interests of the group and its members. Complaints are still heard that
some people sit on Boards until they die rather than retire graciously,
although in recent times many groups have established fixed terms and
guidelines that prohibit existing or past Board members from serving
beyond one or two terms.
Of course a certain amount of change within an organisation can also
have far-reaching positive effects – even the smallest changes can
stimulate or revitalise a group.
Why and how?
If you have decided that change is necessary for your Board, it is
important to then work out why you want change and what result you want
to achieve. Merely replacing 90 per cent of your Board without a clear
strategy in place will do little to improve the situation – in fact, it
is likely to have highly damaging effects on your group's morale and
stability.
The point is to be clear of your objectives.
If Board members are bored, why are they bored?
Does the organisation still play a role in the community – if
not, why not?
Is the group's mission still being achieved?
If fundraising is dwindling, why is it dwindling?
Have you reviewed your organisation's guidelines? Does everyone
and every formal body have a clear position description?
Do members want change at the top? If so, what changes do they
want?
Once you have worked out why you want to change, you need to think
about the best method for achieving the kind of improvements your Board
needs. Consider whether the problem is with organisational structures or
whether the problem is with the people who fill the positions (it may,
of course, be both). Consider:
Do you need to replace Board members or do you need to make only
slight operational changes?
Does the Board need to take a more strategic approach to the way
it recruits new members?
Does the Board need to communicate better with community group
members and other stakeholders?
Is there a need for new policies and/or procedures to provide
greater guidance for the Board?
Is there a need for better Board-staff relations?
What will happen if you change the Board meeting structures?
Less/more meetings? Shorter/longer meetings? Change locations of
meetings?
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