In boardrooms everywhere, some of the most valuable insights go unspoken. I witnessed this firsthand when working with a board where two members seemed to fade into the wallpaper during crucial discussions. Their perspectives remained locked behind a barrier of hesitation, and their contributions were limited to silent nods of agreement.
I had to reach deep into my facilitator’s pouch of tricks to get them to participate in an exercise in which they couldn’t tell in advance which choices everyone else was making. For one board member, I think I instilled terror judging by the look on his face. His discomfort with expressing his own opinion was palpable.
I wasn’t trying to be harsh. II was actually quite sympathetic, because I’ve been there. In my younger days I may have voiced an opinion and if shut down by someone more vocally assertive, I would have backed off and been less likely to share my opinion. These days, I’m a bit more calloused. But I hope that I am reasonably sensitive to those who are in that place of discomfort. They have just as much of value to share as those who are more vocal.
I do think it important to recruit board members who are able to assert themselves yet listen to their fellow board members with open minds. Even then, people with good ideas to offer, get to the board table but don’t always feel safe sharing their ideas. In the heat of vigorous debates, it’s challenging to be aware that someone is not feeling able to speak candidly.
In an HBR article , Lauren Romansky, Mia Garrod, Katie Brown, and Kartik Deo shared how they have identified key factors in employees feeling included in the workplace. While I support the need to cover these concerns in policies directed at staff, I suggest that most of those same factors apply to boards of directors as well. I’ve revised some of the statements the authors shared from the Gartner Inclusion Index and fashioned them for board members.
If each of your board members was asked anonymously to rate the following on a scale of -3 (totally disagree) to +3 (totally agree), how would your board score?
- Integrating differences: If I have a different perspective from other board members, I’m confident that they will respect and value that perspective, even though it may differ from theirs.
- Decision making: If I offer an idea or suggestion, I am confident that the other board members will give it fair consideration.
- Psychological safety: My true feelings are welcomed, even if they are uncomfortable.
- Trust: Although respectful, we are candid with one another.
- Belonging: I’m confident that other board members care about my well-being.
My most rewarding experiences as a group member have been when I felt safe to express differences of opinion, to challenge others, and to be challenged without feeling attacked or put down. Yet, the fact that I’m comfortable doesn’t mean that others in the group are. Indeed, that can be when I’m most prone to miss the warning signs.
I’ve marveled at group members who have a knack for sensing someone else’s discomfort and who can draw that person’s perspectives out by making them feel safe to do so.
Again, this is difficult to do especially in the busy-ness of governing, but there can be a cost to not doing so. When individuals’ need to feel a sense of inclusion is neglected, others in the group can be blindsided by their unexpected push back. Or they just leave. As with so many things, the cost of maintenance is far less expensive than the cost of repairs.
Boards that use Policy Governance know that a board should express its values proactively in policy and then rigorously monitor to determine if it is meeting the policy expectations hit has set for itself. I suggest that your board consider the values stated above and decide a) if these values are important to your board, and b) if those values are expressed in your board’s policies or need to be added. Once you have determined values, use a rigorous process (e.g., anonymous survey) to monitor whether your board is on track with those policies.
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