Harmonising Your Board
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Future Directors Founder, Paul Smith
ONE THING is for the busy (speak of the devil) Future Director, in which we pick just one thing Future Directors oughta know or do or stew on for the next month. We hope you get something (at least one thing) out of it.
What type of board member are you? In this HBR article there are six “types” identified by the authors: Narcissist, Data Chaser, Deferential, Status Hound, Unprepared, and Stakeholder Champion. I don’t think the six types cover anywhere near the full range of director types, so it got me thinking about my experiences of sitting on boards, styles of leadership, and facilitating outcomes where different member dynamics prevail.
If you’re a board or sub-committee Chair, or aspiring to a governance leadership role, imagine if you had each of these types on your board.
While the HBR article focuses on strategies for influencing various board member types, I believe a more crucial and impactful question lies in how a Chair can skilfully engage and integrate all personalities to facilitate the best governance outcomes.
Harmonising is not easy.
I'm someone who thrives on the challenge of steering difficult boards to harmonious high performance, a task that requires a deep understanding of each member's unique type and a keen insight into the complexities of board composition. This process is as much about understanding human nature and decision-making styles as it is striving for an optimal mix of perspectives and skills within the board.
That’s why I wanted to add 4 more “types” to the mix and share my thoughts on how to bring a broad mix of types onto the same song sheet.
As you read them, reflect on your experiences...do any of them describe you?
The Quiet Reflector. There’s always one person on a board that can’t seem to keep up. Is this a bad thing? Their views on a particular agenda item come after everyone else has moved on. They can be frustrating in the time-poor busy agenda, but often their reflections are absolutely necessary and cannot be ignored. How do we ensure they have the time to reflect and the safety to speak up?
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