Challenging Board Dynamics: Managing 5 Key Personas
No board is perfect, however when the decision making process is impacted it’s time to action. Here are five of the most common difficult board member personas and strategies to effectively handle them.
The Know-It-All: This board member is known to be condescending and quite frankly, rude. Even so, they may have some valuable information to impart - only the rest of the board stops listening when they speak, presuming they know what’s coming. To solve this, politely (and privately) let the board member know how they’re coming across. They may not realize how they’re being perceived and can make adjustments accordingly.
The Accuser: The accuser casts allegations against those who support actions they don’t, often intimidating other board members who may then be afraid to speak up. To counteract this, have strict meeting procedures so no one can talk out of turn - that may give the accuser time to rethink what they have to say. Also, pull them aside after a meeting and explain mistakes are not malicious - everyone has a vested interest to have the company run as smoothly as possible.
The Sensitive One: This persona takes everything personally, even if the actions are standard and purely business orientated. Make sure when speaking to them during meetings to remain professional, but don’t feel the need to apologize profusely or change your stance. Inform them privately that members need to ask constructive and informative questions to conduct business and questions are not intended to be critical.
The Short-Tempered Member: Like the Accuser, the short tempered board member may intimidate other members by throwing around abusive and threatening language. Make no mistake - allowing a member to behave like this condones a toxic environment. When this happens, call a break and pull the member aside, making it clear that type of behavior will not be tolerated. If that doesn’t work, address them in front of the board and demand they tackle the issue in a respectful and constructive manner.
The Disengaged Member: The disengaged member is ill prepared, unresponsive, and likely tardy. This member prevents the board from operating efficiently. Inquire privately if the member is actually interested in sitting on the board, and if they aren’t, ask them to consider stepping aside. If they want to remain, explain the damage they are inflicting and demand they take a more proactive approach.
Ready to improve board dynamics? Reach out to Graham Farrell (Graham.Farrell@Harbor-Access.com) [in Canada] or Jonathan Paterson (Jonathan.Paterson@Harbor-Access.com) [in the US] to start a conversation.
