Boards are diligent about reviewing the organisation, the finances, and the CEO. Far fewer turn that same scrutiny on themselves. Yet a board that never honestly assesses its own performance has no way of knowing whether it's getting better, coasting, or quietly declining.
A board self-evaluation doesn't need to be a painful ordeal. Done well, it's a structured, honest conversation — sometimes with an external facilitator — about what the board does well, where it's weak, whether its skills still match what the organisation needs, and how the directors work together. The act of asking the questions often matters as much as the answers.
The strongest boards I've worked with share one trait: they're not defensive about their own performance. They treat improvement as part of the job, not an insult to it. The weakest assume that because they're well-intentioned, they must be effective — and never check.
Governing well includes governing yourselves well. Make the time to look in the mirror.
How a board evaluates and renews itself — skills, composition, performance — is core to What Every Board Director Needs to Know.
Explore the Board Director course
Free first step: the Governance Self-Assessment.
Annie
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