Boards of directors play a crucial role in holding non-profit agencies accountable for their fiduciary obligations and strategic direction. They are a group of people who have diverse backgrounds and experience to make decisions regarding the direction of an organization. Unfortunately the boards of every agency do not function smoothly. This is largely due to a lack of planning, communication and training.
If the conduct of a board member is causing a lot of friction within the Board and the Board, it could be time to take action. The director's behavior, whether it is a source of contention, abusive or excessive can be detrimental to the mission and goals of the organization.
Direct intervention is the first step to dealing with members of the board who are difficult. Chairs of boards should sit down with the individual and explain why their behaviour is unacceptable and requires to change. Remind them that they were brought on to the board based on their expertise and knowledge and that it is in everyone's best interests to work well together.
The next step is to gather information and documentation regarding the conduct of the member of the board who has caused a problem. A code of conduct is an excellent way to avoid inappropriate behavior since it defines the expectations of board members.
iBabs board portal allows directors to communicate easily between meetings. It also makes it easier to manage the process of completing actions by recording who has opened and read documents. To learn more, request a demo today!