Terrie on
Nonprofits ©
December 2005
Assessing
the Board
Q:
Where can I find an assessment form that the executive
director can use to assess the board of directors?
A:
Before we talk about where to find forms I would
like to start with the assumption that the executive
director assesses the board. While many executive
directors do provide their board of directors with
guidance, focus and in some cases control, legally
they are responsible to the board. It’s not
the other way around.
I
am a strong believer in board assessments, but it
is the board’s responsibility to assess itself.
Otherwise, you raise three issues with the potential
to create problems. First, you are asking the “subordinate”
to evaluate the “boss.” True, the “360?
Evaluation” with its bottom up assessment
component is a popular and effective assessment
technique. But that technique requires other measures
be put in place along with the upward evaluation.
And, the board would have to choose to initiate
such an approach, which I’m not sensing is
happening here. Second is the need for the board
to buy into the results of the assessment if it
is expected to grow from the experience. Neither
buy-in nor positive change is likely if someone
outside the board itself does the evaluating because
there is a natural tendency to respond defensively
to outside input – especially when the outsider
isn’t your boss. The third issue is related
to the last. What is likely to happen when the board
goes to evaluate the executive director? Is the
situation going to be seen as an opportunity to
“get even?” I would just reiterate that
the board should be doing its own evaluations.
There
is a second assumption in your question that I would
challenge, and that is that there are forms “out
there” that are appropriate for all types
of boards. I suggest we have to expect different
things of founding boards than we do of adolescent
boards, and still other things of mature boards.
I also suggest that expectations will change based
on the size of the board and staff and the jobs
each take on. I believe that boards must develop
customized evaluation forms that highlight the unique
needs and requirements most relevant to their own
organizations at a given point in time.
All
this being said, there are some forms to which I
will refer you. These will help your board begin
thinking about the behaviors to which it wants to
hold itself accountable. Start by going to Carter
McNamara’s Free Management Library at http://www.managementhelp.org/
and click on “Evaluations.” Carter provides
several different types of forms boards might employ,
along with a vast array of questions. A far more
extensive – and expensive! – list of
evaluation questions is available through BoardSource
(http://www.boardsource.org).
The BoardSource form is designed for board members
to evaluate their level of satisfaction in 10 key
areas of board responsibility. An analysis handbook
is available, but the process can also be performed
totally online with people submitting their responses
that way and the organization receiving a computer
generated compilation and analysis.
Terrie
Temkin, Ph.D. is an internationally recognized governance
and planning expert. She is president of NonProfit
Management Solutions, Inc., a principal in CoreStrategies
for Nonprofits, Inc., and a longtime member of AFP.
Contact her at terriet@nonprofitmanagementsolutions.com,
954-985-9489, or 866-985-9489.
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