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Unanimous votes aren't automatically a problem. Here's how to tell whether your board agrees or has simply stopped disagreeing — and five fixes that work.
Read the article: Our board rubber-stamps everything. How do we get real discussion?
Bylaws should change rarely — but a rule the board quietly ignores is a five-alarm answer. The real triggers, the read-through habit, and how to amend properly.
An honest two-sided answer: what term limits solve, what they cost small and specialized boards, and the staggered-term middle ground most boards should land on.
A Saturday from twelve volunteers is a serious ask. One clear purpose, a long open middle, commitments before leaving — and the Monday-after test.
Read the article: How do you run a board retreat worth a Saturday?
The board hires and evaluates exactly one employee. Here's what each side owes the other, and the two failure modes that cross the line most often.
Read the article: What does the board owe staff — and what does staff owe the board?
Most bylaws give the vice-chair one sentence about the chair's absence. The real job has three parts: real reps, a portfolio, and honest counsel.
What a chair should do in the meeting when the board clearly hasn't read the materials — and the four things to change before the next one.
A quarter-by-quarter map of the board year — budget, audit, evaluations, nominations, the annual meeting — so nothing arrives as a surprise again.
Read the article: What does a well-run board year look like?
A practical guide for volunteer boards: the packet, the consent agenda, timeboxing, quorum, and leaving with decisions that have owners.
A real onboarding program for new trustees: what to send before the first meeting, who runs orientation, a buddy pairing, a 90-day checklist, and the six-month check-in.
Read the article: How do you onboard a new board member so they're useful by month three?