Don’t Have Board Norms? You Should!
Don’t Have Board Norms? You Should!
If you are asking yourself what are board norms, here’s a quick definition.
*Norms are the stated and agreed upon code of board conduct. Board norms establish how board members interact with one another and the executive director/staff of their organization.
Alongside the organization’s bylaws, board norms are the backbone of forward moving and mission driven boards that take their governance responsibility seriously. And while it might be obvious, it’s one thing to have board norms and it’s another thing to practice them.
As board chair, it is your responsibility to not only model board norms but set your board up for success in practicing these norms. Many examples of board norms are available and can be tailored for your organization. Developing your board norms should be a collaborative effort between the board chair, the executive director, a member of the executive committee and one other board member. A draft document should be presented to the board, questions answered and hopefully swiftfully adopted.
Sometimes board norms are put into place as a reaction to a particularly bad board meeting experience or an ongoing misbehaving board member. This can be a solid step to settle things down but these norms should be applicable now and into the future.
The board norms document should be easily accessible for all members of the organization and should be highlighted when on-boarding a new board member. It’s also a good idea for the board to review them once a year.
Here are two examples:
https://www.501commons.org/resources/tools-and-best-practices/boards-governance
Personally, I have used board norms as a bit of a reality check when I have felt that a fellow board member’s actions or behaviors are out of line. I ask myself if I’m perceiving their actions because of an insecurity of my own? And, how is their behavior affecting others? No doubt the answers to these questions are subjective. However it has helped me to realize that I may be overreacting OR there may be an emerging problem. In my next post, I’ll describe some best practices in tackling concerning behavior of board members.