Induction
Induction of board members.
Following the election or appointment process, the new board member needs to be introduced to the organisation. The due diligence process will have provided the new member with some understanding, but now an orientation into the affairs of the Board and the organisation is required so that the new member can be somewhat productive from their first meeting. Even experienced board members can find that joining a new board is a challenging experience. The dynamics are different and even though the principles of governance should be the same, there will be enough variations to necessitate an induction process.
This orientation is provided by both the Chair and the Chief Executive.
The Chair should cover the following:
• The strategic direction of the organisation, it’s Purpose, Vision and Values;
• The issues currently facing the organisation;
• The staffing structure and any concerns the Board may have regarding the staff;
• A brief outline of the other members of the Board;
• A description of the role of any sub-committees established by the Board;
• A review of the current financial position of the organisation;
• A description of how the Board works and any idiosyncrasies;
• A review of the Director’s handbook and in particular, the Board’s policies;
• A brief review of the minutes of the last 3 – 4 Board meetings;
• A review of the organisation’s risk profile and policy;
• The frequency, duration and location of Board meetings and any other governance expectations of the new member;
• The assignment of a ‘buddy’ board member to the new member – many boards find that a new member gets up to speed more quickly if they are assigned to a more experienced board member whose role it is to help the new member understand the content of Board papers and the dynamics around the Board table;
A review of the Constitution or Rules;
The legislative and/or Reulatory framework.
The Chief Executive should cover:
• What the genesis of the organisation was, what it now does and how it operates;
• Who the key staff members are;
• Where and how to access information about the organisation;
• The current business plan including the Chief executive’s key performance indicators;
• A list of acronyms commonly used by the organisation;
• The process for the timing and distribution of Board papers;
• A tour of the organisation’s premises and a meeting with the those staff members the new board member is most likely to interact with.
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