Prevention is the best method to handle difficult board members. Make sure that your agency’s objectives for board members are clear and they are able to align their vision and that of the company. This helps reduce the amount of situations in which a member’s opinion is not beneficial. If a problem does arise take action immediately and don’t ignore bad behaviour. Hesitating will only make it worse.
Direct intervention is the initial step – a meeting one-on-one with the person who is making trouble. It is essential to remain calm and professional, but direct in the discussion and clearly state your concerns. If this doesn’t https://theboardmeeting.blog/how-do-you-keep-up-with-trends-in-your-industry/ work, consider a group intervention with a board member who the board is comfortable with and/or the chair. You may also want to review the Values Statement for your organization and/or other governing documents for terms that can be used to define acceptable behavior, for example, treating people with respect and courteous manners.
Another alternative is to ask someone to leave the board (ideally by a voluntary decision however, if needed you can do it through a vote in confidence). This will require some careful planning and preparation prior to the meeting or discussion. Prepare a comprehensive response to the most important questions you want to discuss. Be assertive, yet maintain the appropriate tone.