The issue

Majority of Board members add little impact on the organizations they serve. Even worse, they act counter-intuitive to their mandate. In the end, they add minimal, if any impact on the organizations. Many board members bring dysfunction as their practices make it difficult for executive management to do their work.

The cause

Few board members have clarity of their role and mandate of the board. My personal experience is that it is difficult for a board member to make an impact in any company if the majority board members lack adequate skills, training, and exposure on the role of the board in oversight and going concern.  However great minority or few board members may be, to add value on the board, all members need to be looking at the same prize.

The solution

Conduct effective board induction and offer on-going board training. In addition, develop and implement a clear board charter that provides for:

1. Appointment of board members and succession planning for retiring board members
2. Role of the board in oversight and going concern
3. The business environment and dynamics to inform board members of disruptions and innovations in the industry or sector
4. Essential insights about the organization, including field visits for board members to meet and greet key staff at major outlets and head office (at least at induction)
5. Clear targets for board members that spells out their mandate, among others

What are you doing about it?

Are you a chief executive officer or MD? It is your role to empower your board to empower you to transform the business and make an impact in your role.

Is your Board letting you down? Are you lagging in terms of performance due to challenges in managing Board affairs effectively?  Does your Board spend a lot of time discussing the past instead of the future of the business?

The #summitBOARD Toolkit Training will transform your organization through clarity of the Role of the Board in Strategy and Risk management, Board dynamics, Board evaluation, and best practices.

To learn more about what makes an effective board member, visit mustaphabm3.sg-host.com and buy the book, “7 Tools of An Effective Board Member.”

Copyright 2019, Mustapha B Mugisa. All rights reserved.