confidential – not for redistributionfilename 1 board of directors identifying key roles and...

CONFIDENTIAL – NOT FOR REDISTRIBUTIONfilename 1

Board of Directors

Identifying Key Roles and Responsibilities in Board to Foster

Sustainable Long Term Growth

BUSN610 – Organizational Behavior

Randy Stenger, David Stanley, Patty Lester, Adam Klecker

October 14, 2011


Agenda

• Organizational Overview

• Board of Directors

• Current Challenges

• Recommendations

• Discussion


• HealthFinders provides quality, accessible, and culturally appropriate healthcare services, at no cost, to low-income and uninsured residents of greater Rice County

• Largely serves immigrants and refugees

• Partners with many local area hospitals, clinics, pharmacies to provide care and medication

• Primarily volunteer based, with a small staff

• Main contact: Charlie Mandile Executive Director

Overview of HealthFinders Collaborative


• Most board members are health care professionals with various skill sets and experience

• Board expansion is desirable, but finding volunteers who can put in the time and effort can be a challenge

• Board would ideally be balanced between the two largest communities HealthFinders serves – Fairbault and Northfield

Board Overview


• Current board consists of 10-11 members, with typical membership between 15-20 members

• Imbalance regarding experience and skill sets

• Lack of member succession plan

• Board lacks an outline of what skill sets, experience, and connections it would like to have on staff

• Board lacks goals on what it would like to accomplish

• Board lacks clear directions in running meetings, agendas, and leadership amongst members

Board Challenges


Recommendations

• Perform Board Assessments

• Start Development Meetings

• Support Change Through ADKAR

• Create Board Development Plan


Board Assessment

– Benchmarks and assesses perceived weakness and strengths

– Suggest performing bi-annually (2 yrs) to monitor perception and reality. Annually there after.

– Outcome of assessment will identify:

• Gaps in roles and responsibilities (Structural Frame)

• Gaps in goals and objectives (Structural Frame)

• Gaps in support and development (HR Frame)

• Gap in networks and credibility (Political Frame)

• Gaps in perception within the organization and the community (Symbolic Frame)


Board Assessment Example

United Way Checklist of Nonprofit Organizational Indicators, Edited by: Carter McNamara, MBA, PhDCite: http://managementhelp.org/organizationalperformance/nonprofits/


Board Assessment

– Identify key areas of interest/concern

• Goals, roles, responsibilities, training, network, etc

– Hold individual interviews with Board members

– Explore Hanna’s OP Model questions

– What are you objectives?

• To establish how the Board views there role and responsibilities to the organization

– What helps you achieve these objectives?

• Establishes individual strengths that could be capitalized on

– What prevents you from accomplishing these objectives?

• Identifies where potential flaws exist in the support of the organization.

– Always keep the Board involved

• Summarize key findings with Board.

• Create development meetings


Development Meetings

• Hold separate development meetings from general monthly meetings

• Development meetings consist of:

– Review and discussion about assessment

– Allow for dialogue to address concerns or misunderstandings

– Focus on developmental areas or concern

– Build shared goals and objectives

– Create shared performance metrics

– Agree on performance review times

– Create expectations for board members around commitment


Setting Board’s Goals

• Board is responsible for guiding HealthFinders through transition

• Board’s objectives should incorporate elements of ADKAR model:

– Create Awareness: Communicate why change is necessary

• “In order to provide health care to all in our community that need it (Vision) more services/capacity is necessary”

– Promote Desire: Why should individuals in organization want to change?

• “Allows us to serve more of our community”

• “We have a growing base of those in need; without expansion, the numbers of those who go without healthcare increases.”

– Facilitate Knowledge: Identify the skills/expertise your employees/volunteers need to succeed in transition

• Training?


Board Goals Cont.

– Ability: Considering necessary skill requirements, assess the organization’s ability to perform these tasks

• Are there knowledge gaps that can be filled through new volunteers or hires?

• Are there individuals who excel in ability that can train other employees?

• Do current or oncoming Board member have the necessary time to commit?

• Does each Board member understand the duties required to serve on the Board, and do they possess those skills? Can HealthFinders communicate this during recruitment?

– Reinforce the change: Determine how the Board will provide ongoing support to the organization to make sure the change takes root

• How will the success of HealthFinders be measured? How will the board measure itself (assessment)?

• Are appropriate incentives in place to drive desired behaviors like fundraising?

• How will you keep the goals top of mind to the organization?

Additional Resources: http://www.change-management.com/tutorial-adkar-overview.htm


New Board Members – Attributes

• A successful transition will require a strong board that can effectively lead change.

• Assessment and introspection should identify areas where the current Board is potentially underrepresented in Change Leadership abilities

• Bethel 4R Model Provides Framework for Transformational Leaders through the “Roles” Definition

– Direction Setter

• Understands customer needs, the organization, and the solution

• Can define where organization needs to go

• Effectively lays out plans to get there


Attributes Cont.

– Change Agent

• Monitors how organization is performing in relation to change

• Identifies gaps in terms of what needs to be done

• Looks forward to what will be needed to sustain change

– Coach

• Identifies those who need help

• Helps individuals become more effective

• Develops talent for future board members/employees/volunteers

• Prepares organization

– Spokesperson

• In touch with “customers” – what are they saying?

• Handles customer objections

• Responsible for communicating Vision internally and to community/customers/donors


Summary

• Recommendations

– Board Assessment

– Implementation of Developmental Meetings

– ADKAR model incorporated into Board’s goal setting process

– Important attributes/skill sets for new members

• Questions

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