Ten Ways to Assure Your
Board a Happy New Year

By Judy Keller,Vice President
Kansas City, Lawrence & Topeka

Common professional courtesy is key to a happy board. Under-promise and over-deliver. Welcome challenge. Be candid about problems. Seek and listen to advice. Make time to talk about your mission. Say thank you once, without gushing, and mean it. Never forget to celebrate your successes, and always serve decent food.

Guarantee your board a healthy, happy and productive 2007 by following a few simple rules:
 
1) Prepare a first-rate orientation package for new board members, complete with descriptions of their responsibilities, anticipated time and financial commitment, and an explanation of the skills that prompted you to recruit them.

2) Set regular meeting times and honor them. Keep them short: Start on time. End on time.

3) Send agenda packets at least a week prior to the meeting. Include consent agenda, discussion items, and action items in bold face.

4) At your meetings, do not read written reports that have already been sent to board members.

5) Prepare timely, concise minutes without redundancy or spelling errors.

6) Prepare timely financial reports that compare the year-to-date budget with last year’s year-to-date figures.

7) Return calls on the same day.

8) Have a strategic plan, follow it, and evaluate it annually.
 
9) Have a strong conflict of interest statement and follow it.

10) Encourage vigorous debate, use Robert’s Rules and remember the vote does not have to be unanimous.