1. Board of Directors BestPracticesPresentation Prepared for the Ruidoso Downs Economic Development GroupJune 2, 2012

2. Our Best Practices Agenda Introductions Best Practices: Board Leadership Best Practices: Board Communications andEffective Meetings Closing Remarks 3. Format of Presentation Be involved and engaged Think of this as a two hour conversation about yourboard Ask questions Give your opinion 4. Introductions 5. What does Best Practices Mean?A method or technique that hasconsistently shown results superior tothose achieved with other means, andthat is used as a benchmark http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/best- practice.html#ixzz1wTfV63i0 6. Leadership 7. Leadership-Best PracticesMy favorite concepts from the Change is GoodVideo & how we can apply them to board leadership: Forget for Success-Dont think about the waysthat things have been done in the past.beinnovative and dont be afraid to embrace boldideas Focus on Strengths-Be proud of the strengths thatyou and your fellow board members bring to theorganization 8. Leadership-Best Practices Simplify your message-FOCUS on your mission Let your actions speak-BE the voice of yourorganization everywhere in the community Celebrate success-use every opportunity you can toshare the news of your organizations successes Measure Results-what gets measured, getsimproved 9. Leadership Best Practices The Board of Directors should provide leadershipfor the organization Roles, responsibilities, and powers are usuallyoutlined in bylaws Members should fully understand their roles andresponsibilities Members have diverse backgrounds but sharecommon goals 10. Leadership Best Practices Every organization should have a formal BoardPolicy Manual Board Members should be aware of current policies Volunteer-Be a part of your organizations events.Dont just show up for meetings once a month Look out for the best interest of the organization 11. Leadership Best Practices The Board of Directors should foster a transparent,consistent, and accountable culture Always have your financial records audited by anoutside agency Focus on results. What is your mission? How can youmeasure progress? Understand the importance of fresh perspectives Develop a conflict of interest policy Documentation: Minutes, notes, receipts, handbooks,presentations 12. Leadership Best Practices Stay Mission Driven. What is our mission?Maintain consistency Be strategic. Spend your time wisely. Focus on thethings that are important. Continuously review your Board of Directors bestpractices; evaluate your boards performance andeffectiveness Board members represent the organization withinthe community 13. Leadership Best Practices Annually review your organizations mission Board orientation-continuing education Report on programs and services & track progress Actively solicit input from the community Represent the organization to government,business, other agencies, funders, and thecommunity at large Support healthy and productive relationshipsthroughout the organization 14. Leadership Best Practices A strategic plan is guided by your organizationalmission Well-designed, effective committees Know your fellow board members-foster a cultureof cohesion and group vitality How else can we demonstrate exceptionalleadership within our organization? 15. Leadership Best Practices Ways To Increase Your Success As A Board Member Attend all meetings of the board and committees on whichyou serve. Come prepared to discuss the issues and business to beaddressed at scheduled meetings, having read the agenda andall background material. Work with and respect the opinions of peers who serve thisboard, and to leave personal prejudices out of all boarddiscussions. Always act for the good of the organization and represent theinterests of all people served by this nonprofit. 16. Leadership Best Practices Represent this organization in a positive and supportivemanner at all times. Observe the parliamentary procedures and displaycourteous conduct in all board, committee and task forcemeetings. Avoid conflict of interest between my position as a boardmember and my personal life. This includes using yourposition for the advantage of friends and businessassociates. If such a conflict does arise, declare thatconflict before the board and refrain from voting onmatters in which you have conflict. 17. Best Practices:Communication 18. Best Practices: Communication Effectivecommunicationmakes your meetings more productive 19. Best Practices: CommunicationWhat NOT to do: Barriers to CommunicationThomas Gordons dirty dozen of Communication Spoilers: Criticizing: Making a negative evaluation of the other person,her actions, or attitudes. You brought it on yourselfyouvegot nobody else to blame for the mess you are in. Name-calling: Putting down or stereotyping the otherperson What a dope! Just like a woman. Egghead.You hardhats are all alike. You are just another insensitivemale. Diagnosing: Analyzing why a person is behaving as she is;playing amateur psychiatrist. I can read you like a bookyouare just doing that to irritate me. Just because you went tocollege, you think you are better than I. 20. Best Practices: Communication Praising Evaluatively: Making a positive judgmentof the other person, her actions, or attitudes. Ordering: Commanding the other person to dowhat you want to have done. Threatening: Trying to control the others actions bywarning of negative consequences that you willinstigate 21. Best Practices:Communication Moralizing: Telling another person what she should do.Preaching at the other. Excessive/Inappropriate Questioning: Closed-endedquestions are often barriers in a relationship; these arethose that can usually be answered in a few wordsoften with a simple yes or no. When did it happen?Are you sorry that you did it? Advising: Giving the other person a solution to herproblems. If I were you, Id sure tell him off. Diverting: Pushing the others problems aside throughdistraction. Dont dwell on it, Sarah. Lets talk aboutsomething more pleasant. 22. Best Practices: Communication Logical argument: Attempting to convince the other withan appeal to facts or logic, usually without considerationof the emotional factors involved. Look at the facts; ifyou hadnt done____, we could have done_____. Reassuring: Trying to stop the other person from feelingthe negative emotions she is experiencing. Dont worry,it is always darkest before the dawn. It will all workout OK in the end.Bolton, Robert (2009-11-24). People Skills (p. 16). Simon &Schuster, Inc.. 23. Best Practices: Communication What NOT to do? Lack of patience Poor behavior or acting out Not seeing the forest for the trees Personal or hidden agendas Getting stuck in alliances and coalitions regardless ofthe issue Lack of ground rules Ways of speaking to other board members that arehurtful or close down communication 24. Best Practices: Communication (Lecturing, chastising, threatening, bullying, etc.) Competition, turf, fairness, zero-sum games, winnersand losers Too much talking, not enough listening Too little leadership and skills building Disengagement from communityEffective Board Building, by Phillip Boyle 25. Best Practices: CommunicationWhat do these donts lead to? Unsatisfying communication Diminished trust, respect, acceptance, tolerance Increased stress Loss of community respect, difficulty getting thingsaccomplished Lose sight of Purpose 26. Best Practices:CommunicationWHAT TO DO: LISTEN-dont just hear: A study of persons ofvaried occupational backgrounds showed that 70percent of their waking moments were spent incommunication Communications9% Writing45%16% Reading Talking 30% Listening 27. Best Practices: Communication Unfortunately, even at the purely informationallevel, researchers claim that 75% of oralcommunication is ignored, misunderstood, orquickly forgotten. 28. Best Practices: CommunicationRobert Bolton, People Skills author describes threelistening skill clusters for enhancing communications:Attending Skills: A posture ofinvolvement, appropriate body motion, eyecontact, and non-distracting environmentFollowing Skills: Door Openers, MinimalEncourages, Infrequent Questions, Attentive SilenceReflecting Skills: Paraphrasing, ReflectingFeelings, Reflecting Meanings, Summative Reflections 29. Best Practices:CommunicationMeetings are central to an organizational boardsfunctioning. They can also breed arguments and longdiscussions that lead nowhere and fail to produceresults. 30. Best Practices: CommunicationMAKE YOUR MEETINGS MORE EFFECTIVE: Ask Open-Ended Questions: this can help members to identify their ownsolutions to problems Ask for specifics Use writing as a communication tool Turn US and THEM into WE Listen attentively and acknowledge Establish realistic expectations Dont pressure others to see things your way, but rather to be responsiblefor their own actions. Effective Board Building-Philip Boyle 31. Best Practices: CommunicationMAKE YOUR MEETINGS MORE EFFECTIVE: State objectives at the start of the meeting, followyour agenda Make sure everyone knows they will have a chanceto speak Begin with questions related to the task Periodically check to see you are on task 32. Best Practices: Communication Dont reinforce or explore off-task remarks Use close-ended questions to address off-taskremarks, then tactfully ask the person who hasmade it to relate their comment to the task at hand Ask how to improve the next meeting, thenincorporate one new idea Summarize and reflect ideas MODEL desired behaviors 33. Best Practices: Communication Engage all board members Restrict dominating individuals Encourage honest search for consensusPhilip Boyle: Effective Board Building Creating andMaintaining a High-Performance and High-SatisfyingGoverning Board 34. Closing Thoughts onCommunicationQuestions to ask ourselves: Are we clear about our purpose? How satisfied are we with our communicationprocesses? Do disagreements become personal? Do we share responsibility for leading our board? Are we treating each other fairly? 35. THANK YOURACHEL WEBERRACHEL@RACHELWEBER.US575.937.9000