A board with members who are difficult can pose a serious threat to the efficiency and cohesion of a board. While it may be tempting to let the problem slip away in the hope that the person will change their ways or quit when their time is up it isn’t an effective strategy. It’s more likely that this behaviour will persist, and then become more evident. This will have a negative impact on the rest of board members, making it more difficult for them to perform their duties.
Direct intervention is one method to deal directly with difficult board members. Start by inviting the individual to a private meeting with either the chair or a person they hold in high esteem and would be willing to listen to, in order to explain the reasons behind their behavior. Determine what is behind the behavior, for instance an uneasy feeling of not being valued or heard by the other board members. It is also important to have a clear plan https://theboardmeeting.blog/ of action in mind, such as the behavior they are displaying needs to change so that the conversation does not result in a fight or confrontation.
It is often helpful to bring this issue to the attention other board members during a group discussion in the event that the person is not brought to heel in a one-on-one discussion. This is an excellent opportunity for the chair to show that they appreciate all input and that they are not afraid to confront challenging behaviour. It is also crucial to keep a record of what was discussed so that when you circle back around to other people you can inform them on any new information that you have learned.