A practice we have found of great benefit is the appointment of a governance monitor- this responsibility is delegated to a Board member by the president before each scheduled Board meeting. A different director holds the position every meeting.
The monitor is given three colored flags: green is displayed when the discussion is on topic and not repetitive; yellow when people are straying off topic, repeating or not adding anything new to the discussion or trying to do committee work at the Board table; and red when the Board is completely off topic or straying into management territory. Everyone can see the flags. It is a visual cue for the chair to redirect. It works so well now that the monitor is sometimes coached by the other directors: “yellow flag…we’re doing committee work again”…etc. It can be comical but in a very non-threatening and supportive way. The object is to keep everyone on message and contributing.
The practice encourages more efficient use of time and keeps everyone on topic. Discussions do not drag, our meetings end right on time and no one feels like their time has been wasted. It is a simple yet powerful tool. If we ever feel the need to brainstorm, the monitor role is set aside. I would like to thank J. Lyn McDonell, CAE, C.Dir of LeaderQuest for the original idea.
Adopt This Practice! The Governance Monitor
