How to Conduct a Board Self-Assessment

Self-assessment of board members is a vital behavior of leadership that boards that are highly effective make use of to ensure long-term oversight. It requires the board members to step back and honestly reflect on their effectiveness. This lets the board be proactive and take on areas that could otherwise be major sources of frustration and tension.

There are a variety of methods to conduct a self-assessment of the board, from surveys and interviews to facilitated discussion. The best method will depend on the size of your board, the resources you have available and the level of detail you want to get into the assessment.

When you have decided on the method, be sure you are image source novalauncherprime.pro/availability-with-board-meeting-software-reviews/ clear about what you hope to accomplish through the assessment. For example, do you seek to improve governance, match governance to organizational goals, or improve accountability? Once you have decided, you can then choose an evaluation tool.

Some tools allow you to evaluate your results against other hospitals or health systems and others focus solely on the governance practices of your organization. It’s important to make sure that the tools you select are impartial and do not single out directors. This will create a safe environment where honest feedback is possible to be given.

A lot of boards also have peer review, which asks board members for an evaluation of their colleagues as directors. This can be a valuable and productive process, but it is important that the process remain confidential. It can be difficult for some directors to critique the other director, if they are worried that it will be retaliated against them. In this instance it’s usually better to have the facilitator review all of the responses and decide which information is relevant to discuss with the board.