A practical and insightful read, “Effective Board Evaluations: A Director’s Practical Tips” from Skadden’s The Informed Board series offers substantive insights on enhancing the quality and impact of board, committee, and director evaluations.
The resource emphasizes both process design and content:
- Process: Confidential, structured interviews—ideally led by an independent evaluator—tend to elicit more candid feedback than traditional check-the-box surveys, and help surface insights that drive meaningful discussion and change.
- Content: Evaluations should delve into key governance dimensions including board structure and composition, the effectiveness of meetings and director engagement, oversight responsibilities (strategy, succession, risk), the quality of board-management interaction, and the timeliness and relevance of information provided to directors.
Practical tips highlighted include:
- Confidentiality promotes candor: Assuring anonymity encourages honest director feedback.
- Sequencing results: Sharing findings first with governance leaders and the CEO can help manage sensitive issues before full-board discussion.
- Individual feedback: If individual assessments are collected, results should be communicated privately.
- Implementation: An evaluation is only as valuable as the follow-through—prioritize action items, assign responsibility, and track progress.
- Frequency & evolution: Annual evaluations help boards stay engaged and responsive. Evaluation queries should evolve to address emerging governance priorities such as technology and AI oversight.