Difficult members of a board can be a major challenge to the effectiveness and cohesion of a board. While it may be tempting to let the problem go unnoticed in the hope that the person will mend their ways or depart when their term ends, that’s generally not an effective strategy. It’s more likely that the behaviour will persist, and then become more pronounced. This will have a negative impact on the other board members, making it difficult for them to perform their responsibilities.
One way to deal with difficult board directors is by directly intervening. Begin by inviting the person to a one-on-1 meeting with the chairperson or someone they hold in high regard and will take note of, in order to explain the issues with their behavior. Determine what is behind the behavior, for instance an uneasy feeling of not being appreciated or heard by other board members. It is also crucial to keep a clear end goal in mind, for instance their behavior needing to change so that the conversation does not turn into an argument or confrontation.
If the individual isn’t brought to heel during a one-on-one conversation It is often beneficial to bring the issue to the attention of the other board members in a collective intervention. This is a great way for the chairperson to demonstrate that they appreciate the input https://theboardmeeting.blog/ of all board members and are not afraid to confront problematic behaviour. It is also important to keep a log of the discussion to ensure that when you come back around to those who were there you can inform them on any new information you have learned.
