The board meeting adjourns with members’ thoughts turning quickly to making their way to airports and train stations. There’s a gentle reminder to complete the post-board meeting assessment. Regardless of form – paper-based or online survey – responses are often lukewarm. Whether due to survey fatigue or lack of time, it’s hard to pause and reflect on the meeting itself without it feeling like yet another administrative task.
Boards report declining completion rates on such assessments. One reason is that it can be difficult to strike the right balance in limiting the number of questions and asking targeted ones. There are also challenges in determining how best to follow up on responses. Many boards have eliminated meeting assessment altogether.
Consider a new approach. Ask fewer questions and make them the right ones. Good assessment is part of continuous learning. Meeting assessment is less about grading the meeting than it about prompting reflection on how the board invested its time together to advance the mission. Think effectiveness, not efficiency. Through regular assessment, the board contributes to the culture of learning and continuous improvement that gives it agency over how it stewards its valuable time.
Create an expectation. If the same questions are asked at the end of each meeting, the board embraces a practice that contributes to its own development and growth. The questions can be asked at the end of the board meeting either within or outside of executive session. They can also be part of a brief survey. Form is not what matters. The goal is concise post-meeting reflection that yield insights to shape future agendas and align energy with mission.
Three questions that might reshape your board meeting assessment
1. Did we spend our time on what matters most for the mission and future of the institution?
This first question gets at the heart of the board’s essential “why” – stewarding the mission toward a sustainable future. Was time spent in ways that move the mission forward? Top strategic priorities should be reflected in the board agenda and discussion. At times fiduciary or operational discussions can crowd out the strategic and generative considerations.
2. What conversations or issues deserve more attention at our next meeting?
Finding the right balance and adequate time to explore important areas within a finite period of time is challenging. Our board study data indicates that, on average, boards typically meet three times a year for less than one day per meeting. Recurring topics can consume time and energy. Board members and/or the leadership team may want to prioritize spending time in discussion about issues impacting the market or the school. Consideration of priority issues invites board members to name any elephants in the room and creates space for emerging issues or blind spots that need attention.
3. What should we do differently to make the next meeting more focused or effective?
An invitation to consider adjusting the agenda or altering the flow of the meeting is not a critique of the meeting but an opportunity to make a good meeting even better. The goal is to achieve clarity about meeting goals, to stimulate deeper engagement and full participation by all members, and to execute a well-paced meeting.
When asked consistently, these questions invite honest reflection without overburdening members. Ultimately, the end result of any post-board meeting assessment should be utilizing evaluations to make course corrections and to plan the next meeting. Done thoughtfully, they model the kind of disciplined curiosity that defines effective governance.
