Meeting 2 – Board Engagement and Strategy

The Board Engagement and Strategy training focuses on key aspects related to effective board governance and strategic decision-making. This section is divided into four areas of focus:

Meeting Attendance: Emphasizing the importance of attending board meetings, this area highlights how regular attendance allows board members to fulfill their duty of care and actively participate in informed decision-making. While limited teleconference participation may be allowed, in-person attendance is strongly encouraged to ensure active engagement and commitment to board responsibilities.

 Term Limits: Recognizing the benefits of regular board member turnover, this area recommends the adoption of term limits. Term limits promote board composition evaluation, prevent stagnation, and provide a respectful mechanism for addressing unproductive members. The most common term limit structure is two consecutive three-year terms, ensuring ongoing board rejuvenation while still allowing valuable members to serve in alternative capacities.

Strategic Board Recruitment: This area emphasizes the need for boards to strategically recruit members based on the organization’s priorities. Using a board composition matrix, the board analyzes its current composition, identifies existing strengths and gaps, and directs recruitment efforts to fill those gaps. Strategic recruitment helps shape a diverse and well-rounded board that can effectively contribute to organizational goals.

Strategic Planning: Highlighting the board’s role in strategic planning, this area underscores the board’s responsibility in developing, approving, and supporting the organization’s strategic direction. Strategic planning serves as a roadmap and assessment tool, enabling the board to actively participate in setting organizational goals and tracking progress. The full board’s engagement and ownership of the strategic planning process are key to its successful implementation.

By covering these four areas, the Board Engagement and Strategy section of the training equips board members with the knowledge and skills necessary to enhance their engagement, decision-making, and overall effectiveness in governance.