Cultivating positive relationships with your board of trustees

Key points:

Creating meaningful change within your board of trustees is a worthwhile undertaking
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3 essentials for successful supervisory relationships
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The board of trustees plays a vital role for colleges. Exemplary boards work at peak efficiency, communicating clearly, producing consistently, and contributing positively. Yet, in a minority of painful cases they are sources of frustration, dysfunction, or drama.

It doesn’t have to be this way. In my work with dozens of private colleges and universities, when boards of trustees are given the proper support, I have seen trustees propel institutions forward. They are innovative and inspiring. Here are five principles to energize your board of trustees to be a powerful asset.

Set clear expectations

Don’t assume your board members will automatically and immediately know what they should be doing. Empower your board by creating a codified handbook that explains policies, procedures, and easy-to-reference contact information. User-friendly handbooks will have an introductory overview that enables board members to keep the big picture in mind before diving into the key details they need to know. Utilize your college’s communications department so the branding and institutional voice are consistent with other publications. Provide your handbook in a convenient PDF, as well as a hardcopy. Update the handbook annually with current contact information.

Meet with productive frequency

One of the challenges for boards of trustees is that they are volunteer roles. Trustees must fit their responsibilities around full-time work and other commitments. This can lead to neglect that allows responsibilities to languish and problems to fester. In an effort to combat this tendency, some boards meet so much it becomes onerous and creates burnout of qualified members.

The most successful boards hit the Goldilocks stride: They meet often enough to be productive and form congenial relationships within the board and with college leadership. Yet, they don’t meet so much that the time commitment scares away skilled candidates. To determine if you are finding the right frequency, solicit regular feedback from members through informal conversations and short surveys.

Facilitate positive connection

Board members need focused time to communicate internally, but also need to interface frequently with campus leadership, alumni, and the current student body. Through healthy relationships with all stakeholders, board members will have an accurate understanding of the current challenges and opportunities, as well as a deeper appreciation of the institutional values that make your college unique. Provide regular opportunities for members of the board to interact with staff, alumni, and students through a combination of casual mingling and intentional collaboration. Get trustees out of the board room and into the cafeteria, library, and other pivotal spaces where campus life happens.

Promptly address problems

Every group working together will have occasional friction. Don’t allow problems to balloon out of proportion. Through a culture of open communication and respectful dialogue, normalize sharing constructive criticism in a caring and well-intentioned way. A rhythm of regular check-ins enables board leadership to keep their pulse on how members are feeling, how subcommittees are operating, and where things are starting to go awry.

If conflict becomes particularly fraught or contentious, bring in neutral mediators who can work to fully resolve issues so they don’t pop back up again and do even more damage later.

Provide resources for success

Don’t just expect things from your board–give to them. Make sure that you are giving your board tools to improve. Consult with qualified experts in board development to offer ongoing training. External input can imbue your board of trustees with best practices and indispensable perspective.

Thriving board culture isn’t taught; it’s caught. Pair new board members with established mentors from the board who can answer questions, point to resources, and embody the healthy habits that enable your board to function well through membership transitions.

Conclusion

Creating meaningful change within your board of trustees is not an overnight process, but it is a worthwhile undertaking. It will take time to cast a vision, implement strategic initiatives, and follow through on long-term investments. Commit to the process knowing that the benefits to your institution’s culture and legacy will be profound and echo for decades to come.