Do You Aspire to Being a High Performance Board?

Here are 15 ways to engage in best practice director behavior, plus four governance patterns you should consider. By Deedee Myers, Ph.D., MSC, PCC Each organization has a culture, a way of practicing values and beliefs. In a credit union, the culture starts at the top—in the boardroom—and emanates from there to the executive team and staff. When the board is in alignment to be high performing, the CEO has an easier job of creating and maintaining a highly engaged organizational culture. The board’s role is simple: strategy, policy and advocacy. How directors organize themselves to create an engaged and productive board centers on a commitment for the group to act as such, an engaged and productive board. Engaged and productive directors increase board fitness by modeling the credit union’s vision, mission, and values in and outside of the boardroom. Low-Hanging Fruit Here’s a list of 15 easy and common sense things you and your fellow directors can do on your path to being a high performing board.

1. Believe in and advocate for the credit union.
2. Know the vision, mission and strategic plan.
3. Talk passionately about the credit union.
4. Show appreciation.
5. Separate your personal and professional life from the work at the credit union.
6. Invite members to the annual meeting.
7. Update your black book list on potential board member nominees.
8. Read the packet and be prepared to ask strategic questions with a lens of helping.
9. Stay in your lane; focus on the big stuff.
10. Proactively and brilliantly participate in strategic planning.
11. Use the credit union’s products and services.
12. Step into difficult conversations with passion for the member.
13. Create your learning plan and take care of your board education .
14. Proactively support board decisions.

Patterns of High Performance Boards Ready for more? Review the last six months of your board agenda and notice what's happening month to month by asking yourself these key questions:

1. When was the last time the effectiveness of the agenda was discussed?
2. What percentage of the board meeting is looking in the rear-view mirror?
3. How does the president/CEO’s report prepare the board members for the meeting?
4. If asked today, how many of your board members would express clarity on the exact progress of the strategic initiatives?

Continue to renew your board as the leadership entity of the credit union that focuses on strategy, policy and advocacy. What we focus on commands our attention. Focus on the elements of a high performing board for the sake of your membership. Deedee Myers, Ph.D., MSC, PCC, is CEO of CUES Supplier member and strategic provider DDJ Myers, Ltd., Phoenix. Learn more about DDJ Myers' offerings with CUES. Also on this blog by Myers: “Know Your Rubber Band.” Watch a free playback of the DDJ Myers CUES Webinar, "Put the Passion Back in the Board Meeting: Three practices to ensure a high-performance meeting." Membership in CUES' Center for Credit Union Board Excellence will help boost your board performance in key areas, including strategy, risk management, CEO relations and advocacy. Sign up for a free trial.