Improving board meeting efficiency and effectiveness
Dear Board Members
We have had some productive discussions at recent meetings about approaches for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our Board Meetings. As was evident from our discussion at last Saturday’s retreat, the Board has many challenging (and exciting) financial, strategic, policy, and community matters to address this year in partnership with Dr. Lee and our Central Health team. We will all need to collaborate and work together to get this work done (and boldly go. . .!)
As your Board Chair, I am committed to setting and managing meetings to engage the Board timely in these matters. As we discussed last week, I have made the following improvements to our agenda process for the Board of Managers’ meetings:.
1) Continue Board Agenda Process: We are continuing established processes for identifying upcoming agenda items during the Executive Committee meetings as well as working with Perla and Briana to set agenda items. They have both been really great partners in managing the Board meeting workload.
2) Shorter Agenda Presentations: Streamline Board items by providing details in background documents; keeping presentations to 10 or 15 minutes; and reserving remainder of the agenda time for Board discussion with our CEO and staff (and consultants, legal counsel etc - as appropriate for the agenda item). We have seen this approach work, as recently as our last Board meeting. This approach saves staff time, allows us to focus on discussion rather than repeating information that we can all read. This approach will require sharing materials with lead time for review, as well as Board member time ideally reviewing materials before the meetings.
2) Regular Written CEO Update: Include CEO update on monthly agenda with written report in backup, 10 to 15 minute presentation, and 10 to 15 minutes for discussion/questions. The agenda item is intended as an update, not as the agenda item to cover major items. There will be items that require more in-depth Board discussion with Dr. Lee and his team - which we will calendar as individual agenda items with the necessary time to cover. This approach will help Dr. Lee ensure he has the time to timely update us on key matters and improve communications with the Board.
3) Timed Agenda Items: Provide the Board members with estimated times for each agenda item at the beginning of each meeting. We can all use this information to understand how the Board meeting will progress and plan our comments within that timeframe. .
4). Message Board Communication Among Board Members: Use the Message Board to enable Board members to share information and discuss items with the full Board between Board meetings. I am working with Briana to schedule trainings on the use of the Message Board. The Message Board is voluntary of course, but can be a very useful tool to talk with each other.
Thanks everyone for the time and passion you bring to Central Health. Please reach out to me directly if you have any thoughts or questions. As with everything - life happens and we will give each other grace should unexpected things come up!
Thank you for all that you do.
Ann Kitchen