Dealing With Difficult Board Directors

Board members who are struggling can pose a serious threat to the effectiveness and cohesion of the board. Although it’s tempting to let the problem slip away in the hope that the person will mend their ways or quit when their term ends, that’s generally not an ideal navigate to this website strategy. It’s more likely that this behavior will persist, and then become more evident. This will have a negative impact on the rest of the board members, making it difficult for them to carry out their responsibilities.

One method to deal with difficult board directors is to directly intervening. Begin by inviting the person to a one-on-one meeting with the chairperson or someone that they hold in high regard and would be willing to listen to, in order to explain the reasons behind their behavior. Try to understand what motivates their behavior, such as a feeling of not being valued or heard by the other board members. It is crucial to keep an end-goal in mind. For instance the behavior they exhibit needs to change. This will stop the conversation from becoming a confrontation or argument.

If the person isn’t confronted in a one-on-one conversation it is usually beneficial to bring the issue to the attention of the other board members through a group intervention. This is a great opportunity for the chair to show that they value every input and are not afraid to confront challenging behavior. Additionally, it is essential to keep a written record of the discussion so that when you come back around to those who were there to discuss the discussion, you can update them on any new information you have learned.