My next-door neighbor volunteers as a board member for a local nonprofit organization. She and I were talking while working in our backyards. She asked my thoughts on how to make routine and often boring meetings worth her time and energy.
Her thoughts expressed a frustration that I know too well: board meetings that often feel, well, less than inspiring. As she described the predictable flow and the sense that they weren't truly digging into the meaty issues, a question popped into my head, one that I think holds the key to unlocking more engaging and impactful board sessions.
"When was the agenda last reset, or is it just updated dates?"
Many board agendas are static reviews of the past, leading to passive participation, listening to committee report after committee report. True engagement requires a seismic shift towards "generative work" – actively shaping the organization’s future strategy in partnership with the organization’s leadership.
What does take to move from reviewing reports to co-creating the organization's direction, fostering excitement and investment beyond routine approvals? Here are five steps to consider.
Five Steps to a Building a Generative Board Agenda
- Identify and Address Agenda Clutter: The Board Chair should frankly discuss with the board how the agenda's overload of operational details, compliance, and reactive problem-solving is stifling strategic and innovative thought. They need to analyze recurring items to identify purely operational, informational, or reactive content and assess how well board expertise is currently used.
- Establish a Shared Understanding of Generative Work: "Generative work" (drawing from Governance as Leadership) refers to board thinking and action that transcends traditional fiduciary (oversight) and strategic (planning) roles. It involves deeply exploring and framing complex issues, understanding the underlying meaning of challenges and opportunities, and engaging in robust dialogue to generate novel insights and perspectives that shape future decisions and strategies.
- Prioritize Strategic Deep Dives: Shift significant board meeting time to deep dives on key strategic issues, market changes, competition, and growth opportunities. Frame agenda items with a future focus. Offer concise, insightful pre-reads emphasizing strategic implications over raw data to enable informed, substantive discussions.
- Optimize Reporting & Implement Consent Agendas: Delegate routine operational reporting to committees or written reports, reserving full board discussion for major exceptions or critical issues. Use a consent agenda to streamline approvals and build committee trust, freeing up board time for strategic and or generative focus.
- Cultivate a Culture of Inquiry: Cultivate a board culture that values diverse perspectives, encourages challenging assumptions, and fosters learning about emerging trends. Empower board members to ask "what if" and explore unconventional ideas, moving beyond mere agreement.
Strategically resetting the board agenda signifies a crucial break from traditional meetings, empowering the board to actively shape the future instead of just reviewing the past. When I facilitate a strategic planning session, I always use the metaphor: “There is a reason why your car’s windshield is bigger than your rear-view mirror—it allows the organization to focus on the future rather than relive the past.”
What does your organization see in the windshield?
Summer is the perfect time to step back, evaluate, and realign priorities. It is a perfect time to think through a purposeful reset of your fundraising and organizational strategies. Tips from the team at DBD Group will help you emerge energized and focused for the busy season ahead.
