+ Effective Board Communication WDP USA

+ Communication What is communication? Effective communication is at the heart of a high-performing board. Communication tools Prayer Verbal and nonverbal messaging Meetings (face to face, phone, internet) Print Multimedia Social media Technology

+ Principles Knowledge enables sound decision making Positive, honest interaction adds value Negative interactions inhibit or destroy productivity Accountability is key Face time is essential (meetings, phone conferences) Directors are resources for the organization

+ Core Levels Intra-Board Communication: Information sharing, deliberation and decision making among the Directors. Board/Employee Communication: Effective information and knowledge transfer from the Board of Directors to staff (e.g. on strategic direction) and from staff to Board (e.g. providing briefings and updates on industry or corporate issues). External Communication: Equipping Board Members to communicate effectively about the organization and its mandate to external constituents.

+ Best Practices Foster openness and transparency Use communication for sound decision making Support board members in their roles Ensure effective board/staff communication Position board members as ambassadors

+ Barriers to Communication Criticizing Side conversations and inattention Diagnosing (amateur psychiatry) Excessive, inappropriate questioning Being unprepared Diverting conversation

+ Lack of patience Emphasizing unimportant details Promoting personal or hidden agendas Factionalizing Creating alliances and coalitions Ignoring ground rules Lack of balance between talking and listening

+ Results of Bad Communication Lack of trust, respect, patience, acceptance Stress Loss of community Suboptimization (parts jockey to become more important than the whole) Inability to get work accomplished Loss of mission focus, purpose

+ Strategies Turn us and them into we Ask for specifics Ask open-ended questions Listen Have realistic expectations Present information without judgment or bias Stay in the conversation and on task Avoid pursuing off task remarks

+ Good Communication Listening (should be 45% or more of communications) Attention (involvement, not distracting, eye contact) Following (minimal questions, attentive silence) Reflection (paraphrasing, summarizing, understanding) Engage all board members Foster debate but not arguments Restrict dominating individuals Encourage honest consensus

+ Tips Use the subject line, change when appropriate Use caution when forwarding and replying to all Do not use to avoid personal contact If an exchange gets off track, pick up the phone With an initial in a conversation, use greetings and signatures.

+ Pay attention to your tone. Remember that is not private. Do not forward junk mail or chain letters. Use a signature that includes contact information. Summarize long discussions rather than sending a whole string of s. Clarity is key

+ Use good grammar and proofread! (informal not sloppy) Be brief and to the point Use good paragraph construction Subdivide ideas (use headers) Do not overuse color—avoid red Stick to one font Avoid ALL CAPS and exclamation points!!!