Happy New Year, Global Forum Members!

It’s the time for New Year’s resolutions, and I offer these to all nonprofit boards:

1. Re-read your statutes, articles of association, bylaws, and other governing documents. Are they up to date and current? Do you operate in conformity with them? If there’s a discrepancy between what your governing documents say and the way your board or organization actually behaves, formulate a plan for bringing them into alignment."

2. Develop a board succession plan. Too many organizations complain about the shortage of good board members but don’t do anything about it. If you have empty positions on your board or certain board members are ready to retire, start a discussion about who to recruit and how best to draw them in. Get a commitment from every board member to help in the search for new members. Don’t give up until you have filled the positions.
   
   
3. Make board orientations an annual event, starting this year. Even if you have long-standing members, it doesn’t hurt to review expectations for the board and individual members on a regular basis. Use the orientation as an opportunity to evaluate the board’s performance, listen to the chief executive’s concerns, fine-tune board processes, and set goals for the coming year. It’s a great way to start the New Year!
   
   
4. Talk to your chief executive about something new. Communications between the board and the top managers can get ritualized and stale, especially in the absence of an urgent crisis. Ask yourself whether relationships in your organizations are stuck in a rut. Does the board take the chief executive for granted? For that matter, does the chief executive take the board for granted? If the answer is yes, what can you do about it? The best antidote may be to take a fresh look at some obvious but often overlooked topics—job descriptions, the 10- or 20-year horizon, or even the organization’s mission.
   
   
5. Shake up board meetings. Meetings are another area where routine can bog down and turn to cement. To get board members’ juices flowing, try something unexpected: a presentation by a special guest; a planning session facilitated by someone other than the chair; a change of location or format. Even if the innovation isn’t as satisfying as hoped, it’s bound to get participants’ attention. A quick feed-back session at the end can pinpoint what works and what doesn’t.
   
   
6. Hold a social event. Board members need to bond as individuals, not just members of a team. Meeting each other’s partners, talking about something other than board’s work on the, and enjoying a good meal together are great ways to reinforce the glue holding the group together. A fun activity is to award small but thoughtful or witty prizes commemorating the special contribution each person makes to the board.

I’d better stop there before the list gets too long. Has your board made any resolution for 2009?