BOARD SURVEYS: GAUGING BOARD SENTIMENT AND ENSURING STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT
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INTRODUCTION
Just as employee survey exists to help foster workforce and work environment culture improvement so also board survey exists. Every organization, irrespective of how big or how small they are will definitely have workers and the management team otherwise known as the board. The management board are the key stakeholders who decide the who, what, why, when, where and how of an organization.
However, because the board members of an organization are at the helm of affairs does not mean they cannot be checkmated, else they may not sit tight on making strategic decisions that will move the company forward.
In the hustle and bustle of professional and personal life, it’s easy for board members to become disengaged. And disengaged board members prove detrimental to their organizations. But a buzzword like engagement; no matter how crucial; can be hard to measure.
Digital tools help boards get the most out of their board effectiveness studies. It’s the modern approach to board effectiveness.
We recommend conducting a board engagement survey to gain a real-time snapshot of board member engagement, as well as feedback for how your business can better engage and empower board members.
Evaluations should be more than a rote exercise. Board effectiveness surveys are valuable tools that help boards improve their performances. It works best when boards commit to giving the process their all and when they have a capable facilitator. Board effectiveness surveys should cover the board’s structures and processes, as well as the board’s dynamics. Also, effectiveness surveys should be highly customized and geared toward the company’s current business context.
Meaning of Board Engagement Survey
The Board Engagement Survey is a questionnaire that solicits feedback from board members to measure their engagement, accountability, effectiveness and transparency. Surveys are one of the best ways to measure government effectiveness because they provide an open and anonymous channel of communication.
The board is the backbone of a nonprofit organization that hires and evaluates leaders, manages fundraising, manages risk through compliance and good governance, ensures the organization’s long-term sustainability, and ultimately shapes the organization’s strategic direction and execution. about the task. Therefore, if the board suffers from low commitment, it puts the entire organization at risk.
IMPORTANCE OF BOARD SURVEYS
In the era of today of vast fast-paced economic environment, it is essential for organizations to have an elaborate and consistent assessment of how well their business operations are functioning.
The initial benefit of having consistent board survey is that it allows the organization’s board and senior management team to receive feedback from outside professionals and industry experts. These experts can provide insight into current trends in the industry as well as potential strategies for success going forward.
The purpose of a board survey is to ensure that an organization, its board and its management are performing optimally. In today’s fast-paced economic environment, it is essential for organizations to have a comprehensive and regular assessment of how well their business operations are functioning. A good board survey should be conducted on a regular basis to ensure that the organization is staying up to date with industry trends and best practices. It also serves as an effective diagnostic tool to identify potential areas of improvement and risk mitigation.
A Board survey is essential to help ensure that all board members and the board as a whole are accountable for their role in making sure the company meets its goals. The review will normally include a benchmarked board survey which focuses on areas such as financial oversight, strategic planning, risk management, governance practices, and overall performance metrics.
The primary benefit of having regular board reviews is that it allows the organization’s board and senior management team to receive feedback from outside professionals and industry experts. These experts can provide insight into current trends in the industry as well as potential strategies for success going forward. Also, board surveys give members an opportunity to take a step back from day-to-day operations and view the big picture when it comes to strategic planning and goal setting.
GUIDE ON HOW BOARD SURVEYS ARE CONDUCTED
This blog post dwells on how board surveys are technically carried out, how they affect organizations, and how it affects influential people in the industry.
Organizations have traditionally used board surveys to assess the effectiveness of their governance structures and processes. A board survey is an important process to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the board.
They are essential tools used by organizations to gather feedback, assess performance and make informed decisions. Conducting board research involves gathering information from board members about various aspects of management, including board composition, performance, and overall effectiveness.
Here is a guide on how to conduct board survey:
- Clearly define the purpose of the focus area, the scope, evaluation of the objectives and the expected results.
- Map out the evaluation of your framework criteria according to the goal of your organization.
- Choose a valuation method or a combined valuation method Options like; peer evaluations, self-assessment questionnaires, external facilitators.
- Gather Relevant Information Gather relevant information through research methods.
- Track your progress and implement the action plan.
- You must be ready to present to the board a comprehensive observation showing key findings and recommendations.
7.Develop an action plan to address the disadvantages and embrace the advantages based on your results.
- Analyze the strengths and weak areas for improvement.
- Continue to improve the evaluation process.
UNDERSTANDING BOARDROOM STRATEGY ALIGNMENT
Today, boards must prioritize matching boardroom talent to corporate strategy in order to achieve both short-term and long-term goals as the organization’s strategy is implemented. Since strategy is the primary reason boards look at candidates’ skill sets and composition, it is critical to understand that talent must be considered in the strategy conversation.
Where do board members fall outside the company’s strategy? A board member’s background, technical expertise, business knowledge, specialization and perspectives should be diverse, as these factors greatly influence how they contribute to the work needed to advance the company. What does strategic priority mean? Strategic prioritization is a methodical process of identifying and setting priorities to ensure alignment with the organization’s long-term success, vision and goals. Prioritization increases the probability of success for strategic projects, improves senior management alignment and focus on strategic goals, removes any doubt about the decision-making processes of operational teams and most importantly creates an execution mindset and culture. Setting clear goals: Setting goals that align with the organization’s mission and vision is the first step to strategic prioritization. These goals are the cornerstones of resource allocation and decisions. SMART goals are defined as goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
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Tel: (+234) 802 320 0801, (+234) 807 576 5799)
E-Mail: info@qeeva.com
Office Address: 5, Ishola Bello Close, Off Iyalla Street, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
organizations can identify the areas that require the most attention and prioritize accordingly. Clear objectives provide a sense of direction and ensure that everyone within the organization is working towards a common purpose. Initiatives: Assessment and Prioritization. After goals are set, organizations need to assess and prioritize different initiatives according to their compatibility with the goals, potential influence, practicability, and resources at hand. Identifying the projects that will provide the most value and make the biggest contributions to the success of the organization is made easier by this evaluation process. By considering factors such as strategic fit, market opportunities, competitive advantage, and risks, organizations can make informed decisions on which initiatives to prioritize.
Priorities should be clearly and transparently communicated so that everyone understands the rationale behind the chosen initiatives, allowing team members to align their efforts. How are you visualizing your business and its different layers to inform decisions about prioritizing initiatives.
It is worthy of note to know that these areas relate with the firm’s top goals and vision necessitates understanding how they are interrelated. Innovation, for example, achieves sustainability by generating sustainable products or processes. To improve business development, digitalization must provide data-driven findings for tailored market extension. Innovation and digital transformation can be improved by integrating sustainability and ESG rules since all three are aligned with social and environmental principles. They will thrive in a world of innovation, conscientious behavior, and digitalization. Provided that they know how these areas operate concurrently and can adjust them to the firm’s vision.
In conclusion, the vitality of any organization depends on its innovativeness and research and development which leads to it having an advantage both in the industry and the market. The strategic prioritization of innovation and R&D entails the putting aside of a given amount and recruitment of employees to design novel goods, services and processes. By cultivating a culture of innovation and change, improvement and long-term expansion of an organization driven by innovative desires and aspirations, organizations can deliver largescale results from smaller areas of initiative. An organization must be prioritization in order to keep adaptable, customer-oriented, and up-to-date with industry trends. Prioritization Cross-impacts: Does, Ultimately, does everything matter? While the worth is distinct in terms of the four quadrants-innovation, business development, sustainability / ESG, and digitalization.
SAMPLE OF BOARD SELF EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE
This tool is designed to be used as an annual or biennial board self-evaluation. It seeks to help a board answer the question: what are we as a board now doing well and what can we do better?
This tool is intended to stimulate reflection and discussion; it is not a scientific survey instrument that has been tested on a large number of boards and for which there are average results. It is also a “paper” survey rather than an online survey. Paper surveys and the act of using a pen or pencil are often superior to online surveys in encouraging reflection.
– Call-to-action to contact for a consultation
Tel: (+234) 802 320 0801, (+234) 807 576 5799)
E-Mail: info@qeeva.com
Office Address: 5, Ishola Bello Close, Off Iyalla Street, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
All board members should answer the questions. Feel free to make marginal notes and comments about your board or even critique the questions themselves. There are five sections:
- How well had the board done its job?
- How well as the board conducted itself?
- How is the Board’s relationship with the CEO or Executive Director?
- What about my performance as an individual director?
- Feedback to the Board Chair (Optional)
The overall rating for each section is meant to offer a rough score only.
Section D should be answered by board members but not shared with the group. Please remove this sheet before submitting your completed questionnaire if an independent person is tabulating the results.
Sections A, B and C should also be completed by the Executive Director or CEO.
This questionnaire also includes Section E, which provides feedback to the Chair of the board if he/she so desires it. This section is perhaps best used in cases where the person has been in this post for 6 months or more. This section can also be used to stimulate discussion in a separate board agenda item on the role of the chair initiated by the chair.
Here are two other questions, the second may be best answered upon completion of the questionnaire:
- How long have you served on this board?
- How many other boards have you (or do you serve on? . What are two or three words that distinguish this board from other boards you have served on? ;
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Instructions:
Circle the response that best reflects your opinion. The rating scale for each statement is: Strongly Disagree (1); Disagree (2); Maybe or Not Sure (3); Agree (4); Strongly Agree (5).
A. How well has the board done its job?
| 1. Our organization operates with a strategic plan or a set of measurable goals and priorities. |
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| 2. The board’s regular meeting agenda items helps focus our attention on our strategic plan or priorities. |
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| 3. The board assesses how the organization is achieving its mission and goals. |
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| 4. The board makes time to explore external challenges and opportunities facing the organization in the community. |
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| 5. The board has created or reviewed, in this period, some of its key governance documents (e.g. policies, by laws, board position descriptions, committee terms of reference). 1 |
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| 6. The board gives direction to staff on how to achieve the goals primarily by setting, referring to, or revising policies. 1 |
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| 7. The board has identified and reviewed the organization’s relationship with each of its key stakeholders. 1 |
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| 8. The board ensures that the organization’s accomplishments and challenges are communicated to key stakeholders. 1 |
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| 9. The board has ensured that stakeholders have received reports on how our organization has used its financial and human resources. 1 |
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| Add your own question here: | |||||
| 10. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
My overall rating (add together the total of the numbers circled):
r Excellent (40+) r Satisfactory (39-24) r Poor (24- 10)
B. How well has the board conducted itself?
Circle the response that best reflects your opinion. The rating scale for each statement is: Strongly Disagree (1); Disagree (2); Maybe or Not Sure (3); Agree (4); Strongly Agree (5).
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- As board members we are aware of what is expected of
- The agenda of board meetings are well planned
so that we are able to get through all necessary board business.
- It seems like most board members come to meetings
- We receive written reports to the board in advance of our meetings.
- All board members participate in important board
- We do a good job encouraging and dealing with different points of view.
- We all support the decisions we make.
- The board assesses its make-up, diversity and skills in advance of recruiting new board
- The board assumes much of the responsibility for director recruitment and orientation.
- Board members have some interaction with external stakeholders at board meetings (e.g. as guests) or between meetings in their role as board members.
My overall rating:(add together the total of the numbers circled)
r Excellent (40 +) r Satisfactory (39-24) r Poor (23-10)
C. The board’s relationship with Executive Director
Circle the response that best reflects your opinion. The rating scale for each statement is: Strongly Disagree (1); Disagree (2); Maybe or Not Sure (3); Agree (4); Strongly Agree (5).
| 1. There is a clear understanding on most matters where the board’s role ends and the executive directors begins. |
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| 2. There is good two-way communication between the board and the executive director. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 3. The board trusts the judgment of the executive director | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 4. The board provides direction to the executive director by setting and reviewing policies. |
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| 5. The board has reviewed the kinds of information and level of detail it requires from the executive director |
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| 6. The board has developed formal criteria and a process for evaluating the executive director |
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| 7. The board, or a committee of the board, has formally evaluated the ED within the past 12-24 months. |
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| 8. The board evaluates the executive director primarily on the accomplishment of the organization’s strategic goals
and priorities and adherence to policy. |
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| 9. The board provides feedback and shows its appreciation to the executive director on a regular basis. |
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| 10. The board ensures that the executive director
is able to take advantage of professional development opportunities. |
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My overall rating: (add together the total of the numbers circled)
❒ Excellent (40+) ❒ Satisfactory (39-24) ❒ Poor (23-10)
- My performance as a board member (Not to be shared)
Circle the response that best reflects your opinion. The rating scale for each statement is: Strongly Disagree (1); Disagree (2); Maybe or Not Sure (3); Agree (4); Strongly Agree (5).
| 1. I am aware of what is expected of me as a board member. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 2. I have a good record of meeting attendance. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 3. I read the minutes, reports and other materials in advance of our board meetings. |
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| 4. I am familiar with what is in the organization’s by-laws and governing policies |
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| 5. I frequently encourage other board members to express their opinions at board meetings. |
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| 6. I am encouraged by other board members to express my opinions at board meetings. |
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| 7. I am a good listener at board meetings. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 8. I follow through on things I have said I would do. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 9. I maintain the confidentiality of all board decisions. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 10. When I have a different opinion than the majority, I raise it. |
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| 11. I support board decisions once they are made even if I do not agree with them. |
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12. I promote the work of our organization in the community whenever I had a chance to do so. |
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| 13. I stay informed about issues relevant to our mission and bring such information to the attention of the board. |
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My overall rating: (add together the total of the numbers circled)
❒ Excellent (55+) ❒ Satisfactory (54-40) ❒ Poor (39-13)
- Feedback to the Chair of the Board (Optional)
Circle the response that best reflects your opinion. The rating scale for each statement is: Strongly Disagree (1); Disagree (2); Maybe or Not Sure (3); Agree (4); Strongly Agree (5).
| 1. The chair is well prepared for board meetings. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 2. The chair helps the board stick to the agenda. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 3. The chair tries hard to ensure that every board member has an opportunity to be heard. |
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| 4. The chair is skilled at managing different points of view |
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| 5. The chair has demonstrated versatility in facilitating board discussions. |
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| 6. The chair knows how to be direct with an individual board member when their behavior needs to change. |
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| 7. The chair helps the board work well together. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 8. The chair demonstrates good listening skills. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 9. The board supports the chair. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 10. The chair is effective in delegating responsibility to board members where necessary. |
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My overall rating: (add together the total of the numbers circled)
❒ Excellent (40 +) ❒ Satisfactory (39-29) ❒ Poor (28-10)
THE MOST CRITICAL BOARD ENGAGEMENT SURVEY QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR BOARD MEMBERS.
How Would You Rate the Board Meetings?
What Challenges Do You Face in Your Role?
Do You Understand Your Role as a Board Member?
How Would You Rate the Board’s Effectiveness?
How Might We Improve Board Engagement?
How to Get the Best Out of Board Assessments
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Tel: (+234) 802 320 0801, (+234) 807 576 5799)
E-Mail: info@qeeva.com
Office Address: 5, Ishola Bello Close, Off Iyalla Street, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
BEST PRACTICES FOR IMPLEMENTING BOARD SURVEYS
Boards should decide the scope of the evaluations, which is to decide whether they will assess the board, certain committees, individual board directors, board leaders or some combination. They also need to decide if they will use surveys, interviews or a combination. Boards may also choose to select a topic such as board processes, behaviors, communication, executive sessions, role of the lead independent director, the board and management relationship, or something else.
The first step in pursuing board effectiveness surveys is for the board to identify their purpose and objectives for the process. This is important because it gives them a reference to measure against at the end.
Establishing the purpose and objectives at the start motivates board directors to commit fully to the process, offer candid feedback throughout the process, and identify roadblocks to effectiveness. When the process is done with integrity, it forces boards to deal with underperforming board directors; whereas, without board assessments, they may have been inclined to overlook lackluster performances.
LIMITATIONS AND CHALLENGES TO BOARD EFFECTIVENESS SURVEY
Boards will run into obstacles and challenges as they seek genuine answers to where they are lacking in their performance. The ultimate success of the process can only come about when board directors commit to the process, check their egos at the door, and enlist the help of a capable reviewer to lead the process.
Boards that merely ‘go along’ with the process for the sake of compliance or who structure the survey in a way that prevents a true evaluation of the board’s performance only hurt themselves. They will lose a valuable opportunity to gain shared insight into board operations and prohibit themselves from ways to improve its composition, processes and relationships.
Processes to evaluate board performance are not sufficiently robust, 61% (vs 28% globally)
Results of board performance reviews are not used to drive change, 66% (vs 24% globally)
Board members do not believe they receive sufficient training, 56% (vs 25% globally)
Board members can be concerned that they get the focus wrong, not striking the proper balance between oversight of risk, growth, performance and strategy, 26% (vs 7% globally).
CONCLUSION
In the daily adventure of professional and personal life, it can be so easy for board members to become disengaged intentionally or unintentionally. Meanwhile, disengaged board members are detrimental to their organizations. But an appetizing concept such as engagement level no matter how germane it is can be hard to quantify.
– Call-to-action to contact for a consultation
Tel: (+234) 802 320 0801, (+234) 807 576 5799)
E-Mail: info@qeeva.com
Office Address: 5, Ishola Bello Close, Off Iyalla Street, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
FAQ
Why is it important to measure emotions?
A well-informed and committed board is essential to the success of any organization.
Measurement concepts help you:
- Identify potential roadblocks:
Understanding management issues early can help you address them and avoid delays in implementation.
- Encourage collaboration:
When the board feels heard and understood, they are more likely to collaborate effectively with management on strategic initiatives.
- Improve decision making:
Looking at different perspectives can help you make more informed and informed decisions.
- Increase management trust:
Continually assessing emotions will help you solve problems and build trust within the board.
What are some ways to measure emotions?
- Formal Research:
Conduct anonymous research to gather opinions on specific topics such as business management, organizational effectiveness, and risk management.
- Private Discussions:
Schedule regular one-on-one meetings or small group discussions with board members to discuss issues and gather insight.
- Peer review:
Implement anonymous peer review or peer review to collect feedback on management performance.
- Analysis of Meeting Minutes:
Analyze board minutes to identify recurring themes, areas of focus, and decision-making processes.
- Post-meeting survey:
Send a short survey after the meeting to ensure that you were satisfied with the meeting content, information provided, and decision-making process.
How do you ensure strategy consistency after assessing responsiveness?
- Communicate effectively:
Communicate management issues and ideas to the management team.
- Develop an action plan: Address management issues by developing a clear action plan with the owner.
- Provide regular updates:
Keep the board on track to solve its problems and implement effective strategies.
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