In "About to Do Your Next Board Evaluation? Add Input from Your Management Team," RHR International's Paul Winum makes a strong case for incorporating management input into the board's annual evaluation process for maximum benefit. More specifically, when the firm facilitates board evaluations, it routinely seeks input on the board's performance from select members of the management team who regularly interact with the board (e.g., CFO, CHRO, major business unit heads) on these questions:
- What is the value that this board needs to contribute to the enterprise’s success at this time, and how well is it delivering that value?
- How effectively are the committees you interact with executing against their charters?
- Does the board focus at the right level to deliver strategic value and respect the boundary between governance and management?
- Does our board demonstrate adequate depth of understanding of our company’s business, strategy, and competitive landscape to deliver high-impact value?
- Are there areas of experience and expertise that our board could add to enhance its ability to advise and guide us?
- Does the trust level and working relationships among board members and management permit fully candid and open dialogue inside and out of committee meetings, and does our CEO support open access and transparency?
- What are the top strengths of your board and what are the board’s opportunities to maximize their contributions toward the success of the enterprise in the future?
Winum notes: "Not only does the invitation to offer input delight the participants who are invited, but the answers to these questions often generate invaluable insights and suggestions to enhance board effectiveness."
See our recent reports: "Board Evaluation Benchmarking: Disclosure & Process," "Board Evaluation Basics," and here: "Board Effectiveness: Key Board Evaluation Topics," and "Evolving the Board Evaluation Process," and additional information & resources on our Board/Director Evaluations page. This post first appeared in the weekly Society Alert!