By Mary Baily Wieler, President, Museum Trustee Association
At your last board meeting, did you find yourself looking more at your cell phone than listening to the Executive Director? Did the Executive Committee report on the decisions made in advance of the meeting and leave no time for trustee conversation and questions? Did you feel like you could have just read the board packet and skipped the meeting?
Did you ask yourself, “Why am I on this Board?”
At MTA, one of our most frequently asked questions from both Directors and Board Members is “How can I successfully keep my Board Members engaged?” A well-run board meeting is the best chance to prove that you’re not wasting your board members time.
Here are 10 Tips culled from MTA members & forum panelists to help you hold successful board meetings that motivate members to come back again and again.
Did you ask yourself, “Why am I on this Board?”
At MTA, one of our most frequently asked questions from both Directors and Board Members is “How can I successfully keep my Board Members engaged?” A well-run board meeting is the best chance to prove that you’re not wasting your board members time.
Here are 10 Tips culled from MTA members & forum panelists to help you hold successful board meetings that motivate members to come back again and again.
1. Quality over Quantity: Make Your Meeting Count!
Once a month can be too often to meet, wasting staff time and resources. However, meeting quarterly can be too little, leaving Board Members overwhelmed and forcing attendees to set aside sufficient hours to allow for necessary business as well as robust discussion and interaction. Your meeting schedule should suit the needs of your museum while still respecting the time of your volunteer Board.
2. Make the Most of Your Board Packets
Board Packets should be sent to allow sufficient pre-read time. Consider purchasing board portal software for meeting notices, agendas & supporting corporate documents. Having the archived material at your fingertips allows for the meeting narrative to come alive.
3. Who is around the table?
“Creating a diverse board is hard work,” according to David Ellis, former Director of the Museum of Science-Boston. Using a board matrix like the one created by The Museum Trustee Association helps boards manage this process. (Find MTA Templates Here)
4. Meet Your Board Where They Are
Board members often have busy travel schedules and may not always be in town for your meeting. Ensure that your trustees have the option to attend via conference call at a minimum. Even better, try a video conferencing service for presentations so that participants are both seen and heard.
5. Use Your Consent Agenda
A Consent Agenda can be used for routine business such as committee reports, minutes and financial data. Doing so can save time and energy, giving you an opportunity to hold robust discussions.
6. Hold a Social Event Before or After the Meeting
One of the many reasons that people join boards is to meet, interact and make new friends. “The Walters Art Museum has a social event following every board meeting. Some are board and staff oriented while others allow the board to interact with museum members and donors,” says trustee Peter Stockman. “These events have helped forge trusting relationships among board members and created a positive image of the board as conscientious stewards among our donors”
7. Switch Up The Location
Do you feel like you are spending too much time in the same conference room? A great way to shake things and bring Mission into your meeting is by holding the meeting at community partner’s headquarters.
8. Board Education Can Showcase Museum Talent.
Curators, Conservators, Educators, and Docents can share a Mission-related story. Budget time for a fundraising training session or conduct a pre- meeting survey to find a topic that suits your Board. Trustees today are doers and action-oriented. Allow plenty of time for goal setting and problem solving.
9. Devote the Majority of the Meeting to Governing.
According to Boards that Lead, “Chief executives must run the corporation, but directors must also lead the corporation on the most crucial issues. Monitoring is still important. Governance matters. But the time has come for boards to rebalance their responsibilities. Directors need to know when to take charge, when to partner, and when to stay out of the way.”
10. Communicate with Your Board Between Meetings
Micah Parzen, CEO of The Museum of Man in San Diego writes his board a weekly e-mail. “Mission Moment Mondays help to regularly remind the board of the Museum’s Why. They are a critical part of our process of creating an indelible through-line between our mission and the business of the institution.”
There are many more strategies for keeping your museum Board Engaged. Have a success story? We want to hear from you! Please comment below.
Additional Reading
Meet Michael Useem, one of the authors of “Boards that Lead”, at MTA’s Fall Forum in Philadelphia! (Register Now)
- William R. Mott, Super Boards: How Inspired Governance Transforms Your Organization. Dan Wright Publisher Services, 2014.
- Schindlinger, Dottie. “How to Hold the Greatest Board Meeting. Ever.” Board Effect. Published February 7, 2016. Available at: http://www.boardeffect.com/blog/how-to-hold-the-greatest-board-meeting-ever
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