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Why this is important.
The work of boards should be grounded in the work of its committees.
Working in tandem, committees enhance the purpose and advance the productivity of the full board. Because much board work is accomplished in committees, effective committees are essential to productive board meetings and, ultimately, to successful boards. AGB strives to provide our members with universal best practices designed to be incorporated into the work of all committees.
Source: The Development Committee by Peyton R. Helm, AGB 2012
Questions for boards.
Click below to reveal key questions for your board to consider:
Fundamentals
Consequential Questions:
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- Is all our committeeโs work aligned with our institutionโs strategic vision, goals, and priorities?
- Do our committees translate their charges into annual goals and work plans that align with the boardโs governance responsibilities and our institutionโs strategic plan?
- Are our committeesโ meeting agendas concise and developed with clearly stated desired meeting outcomes?
- When making formal recommendations to the full board, do our committees present conclusions that summarize relevant data and findings, including constituent voices and diverse perspectives?
Sources:
The Development Committee by Peyton R. Helm, AGB 2012
Restructuring Committees by Theodore E. Long, AGB 2018
Discussions
Consequential Questions:
- Does our current staffing structure and budget support the key enterprises of effective committees?
- Do our committees focus on monitoring our institutionโs strategic progress and all our committeeโs accomplishments?
- Are any of our board members assigned to more than two committees, excluding the executive committee? If so, then have we checked in with these board members to make sure they arenโt being spread too thin?
Sources:
The Development Committee by Peyton R. Helm, AGB 2012
Restructuring Committees by Theodore E. Long, AGB 2018
Relationships
Consequential Questions:
- When was the last time our board restructured our committees? Are our current committee structures limiting our boardโs potential?
- How often do we rotate committee assignments among board members? Has our board considered instituting term limits for committees because most committees benefit from hearing new voices and examining fresh perspectives?
- Do each of our committees have an administrative staff member designated to serve as liaison? If so, is this staff member an integral part of the committee and do they work in full partnership with committee leadership?
Sources:
The Development Committee by Peyton R. Helm, AGB 2012
Restructuring Committees by Theodore E. Long, AGB 2018
Recommended resources.
We carefully curated these staff-picked resources for you:
Redesigning Board Committees for Agility, Innovation, and Strategic Achievement
Webinar On Demand
Moderated by Chris Moloney
Restructuring Committees
2018
Theodore E. Long
Board Standing Committee Charters
Blog Post
AGB
The Incalculable Benefits of Revitalizing Your Board
Trusteeship magazine, May/June 2013
By Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider
โThe Postpandemic Committeeโ
Trusteeship magazine, May/June 2012
By Stephen G. Pelletier
