boardroom burnout

Avoid the Dreaded Boardroom Burnout

The expectations for board members have been on a sharp rise for the past two decades. Companies are relying more and more on their directors both inside and outside of meeting settings, and with that dependence comes an often inevitable outcome: boardroom burnout.

Although directors at for-profit companies may feel this strain, it’s especially common among their nonprofit counterparts. Since nonprofit board roles are usually volunteer-based, it’s not uncommon for members to take early or unexpected exits from their positions. Here are some tips for avoiding “boardroom burnout” situations.

Recognize and establish limits

It may sound simple, but if you can’t tackle the extra hours needed to head up a committee or act as the board secretary, politely decline those leadership positions. It’s better to stay in a less demanding role (if you still feel connected to the cause) than it is to leave and force the organization to fill a void.
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What Should You Do After Every Board Meeting?

Your latest board meeting has just ended, but that doesn’t mean your responsibilities are over until the next gathering. In fact, there are several tactics that should be employed after every single meeting to ensure that your board is functioning as effectively as possible.
Hand holding tablet with checklist on it. Flat style. vector illustration

Send a post-meeting survey

Send a brief survey after meetings. This 3-5 question survey should ask directors to rate their experience of the board meeting.

Use this opportunity to determine whether board members feel that the agenda was adequately covered and if they have suggestions for future meetings.

It’s important to send the survey shortly after the meeting while the details are still fresh on directors’ minds. (A yearly, more in-depth survey is also a boardroom must.)

Distribute the meeting minutes

It’s important that board directors can quickly and easily review the meeting minutes for accuracy. Board software simplifies this process in a big way and encourages more involvement from directors. Create a clear process for editing the minutes, so board members can follow the time frame.
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Three Ways to Liven Up Board Meetings

Board of directors meetings are notoriously long—sometimes lasting upwards of 4 or 5 hours for boards that meet less frequently. Meanwhile, in the age of tech, we’re also being told we have attention spans shorter than a goldfish.
liven up board meetings

So how do we liven up board meetings to help the collaborative and innovative nature of the boardroom thrive?

Incorporate movement

This is a strategy that elementary school teachers have been employing for decades. When they see their students growing antsy or bored, they encourage kids to get up and dance around or do some group exercises.

Then, they refocus the students to the task at hand, or they incorporate the movement into the actual task.

OK, so maybe we’re not going to see board members dancing around the boardroom, but the principle behind this tactic is a good one: the happier and looser our bodies are, the easier it is for our minds to focus. So how do we translate it?

It can be as simple as employing a series of really regular bathroom breaks or as involved as incorporating some stretching elements into the actual meetings. Either way, board members need time to decompress physically and mentally. Marathon-ing through a 4-hour meeting probably won’t lead to top-notch attention and involvement.
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