Board of Directors Blog Posts
A board is responsible for high-level decisions, unlike the CEO. The board is responsible for the appointment and, if necessary replacing a company’s chief executive officer and fulfilling the fiduciary duties of a company’s shareholders and other stakeholders.
Therefore an effective and engaged board is one that treats staff as teammates not subordinates. The most reputable and thoughtful board members respect staff and treat them with the same respect, even when the member of the board disagrees with the employee’s position. Whatever the size of an organization, board members will be expected to act in matters that affect the organization’s mission.
One of the most important aspects of effective board governance is detailed minutes of meetings. These minutes can help board members who aren’t present understand the events that took place during the meeting, and can help clarify any strategies or metrics that could require monitoring. Boards who make the effort to write clear, concise minutes are better equipped to handle legal issues.
To find out more about how to write effective minutes of board meetings, check out this blog post from SSIR. This blog is a valuable resource for anyone who is interested in governance of boards with special attention given to not-for profit boards.