Pulse|March 5, 2020

4 Personality Types to Watch Out for on Your Board

News, stats and trends for association professionals.

By The FORUM Magazine Editors

Dominator – These people speak loudly, at length and often. They can overpower less outspoken members of the board and railroad conversation.
Ghost – This type of person is absent, missing meetings or disregarding emails, leveraging their influence by holding up decisions.
Interrogator – People who ask questions simply to sow doubt or derail discussions can be a drag on your board’s time and muddy the group’s clarity.
Victim – Everyone comes up short once in a while, but this type of person may find a reason to explain their lack of engagement or follow-through in almost all situations.

Adapted from “The 4 Types of Power Players: How They Disrupt Boards and What To Do About Them,” by Donald Summers

Plan for the Future

Boards that focus on strategic planning at least 25% of the time and operate under a strategic plan have better results. Instead of getting bogged down with day-to-day operational details, they trust staff and team members to perform their duties.

Source: “Effective Governance Practices for Current and Future Success,” ASAE

Still Work to Do on Nonprofit Diversity

While inclusion efforts are becoming standard essentials for many organizations, some nonprofit boards are aware that they still have work to do in creating a diverse environment.

61% of nonprofit boards of directors do not feel their makeup reflects the communities they serve.
About 70% of nonprofit board positions are held by white members.
Only 11% of nonprofit boards have a written statement or policy on diversity and inclusion.