Part of the Board President’s due diligence is to determine how effectively Trustees carry out their roles. Start with the basics.
1. Do you profile your Board membership based on your strategic plan? Profiling is the process of determining the skills and qualities required to support the school's strategic plan and corresponding strategic financial plan, and then cultivating prospective Trustees for those roles. This calls for a focus on the future and continuous effort, in sharp contrast to the common “who-do-we-know” approach to fill vacancies.
Profiling is important because it is unfair to hold Board members accountable for responsibilities they do not have the skills or expertise to handle. A Trustee might be ineffective because he or she was assigned to a committee simply to fill a vacancy, rather than because that person was a “good fit” for the job. If you have profiled your Board, go to the next step.
2. Do you create a Board succession plan by bringing potential Trustees onto committees? These might be Board committees or other groups formed within the school to carry out, for example, Parent Association activities.
You can then evaluate each person's potential value to the Board. Does this individual demonstrate an ability to work with others, be mission-appropriate, model restraint and self-control, and contribute expertise to the school? If so, invite him or her to join an important position on the Board, as determined by your profile.
Committees provide your proving ground for the highest levels of volunteer leadership. If you already follow this approach, go to the next step.
3. Do you have an effective process for providing feedback to Trustees on their performance? Does the Board encourage and support each member in a professional manner? Is the Board President’s performance evaluated? These are Committee on Trustees functions—profiling, recruiting, and evaluating Trustees, and ensuring the Board meets its strategic goals. Do you have this Committee in place? Does this committee recognize these responsibilities and carry them out in a methodical and consistent manner? Your Committee on Trustees is your Board’s linchpin for the eventual success of your strategic plan and thus its effectiveness.
Periodic assessments of Trustee performance ensure that your most valuable volunteers—your Board members—are supported in an appropriate and professional way. Providing proactive feedback takes a major step toward ensuring that they continue making strong contributions to the school they love and are dedicated to serving.
Additional ISM Resources:
The Source for Trustees Vol. 12 No. 3 Who Is Responsible for Board Evaluation?
The Source for Trustees Vol. 10 No. 3 Characteristics of the Ideal Trustee
Additional ISM resources for members:
I&P Vol. 42 No. 3 The Strategic Board Assessment II
&P Vol. 41 No. 2 The Board Profile as a Strategic Document
I&P Vol. 31 No. 1 Board Evaluation and the Nature of the Committee on Trustees
