Board change and group dynamics
Every time someone new comes on your board, the group dynamics of the board changes. The group has to reform. It has to start over to some degree.
Bruce Tuckman developed and published in 1965 a 4-stage model of group development. He labelled the stages:
1. Forming: The group comes together and gets to initially know one other and form as a group.
2. Storming: A chaotic vying for leadership and trialling of group processes.
3. Norming: Eventually agreement is reached on how the group operate.
4. Performing: The group practices its craft and becomes effective in meeting its objectives.
Later he added:
5. Adjourning: The process of “unforming” the group, that is, letting go of the group structure and moving on.
When a group has a tool for forming with new members, the process is smoothed, especially the storming stage.
I think Ten Dimensions that Shape Your Board is a strong tool you can use each time a new member comes on the board to include them and to help the board reform.
Photo credit:
Stick People Meet. 14″x18″. Acrylic on canvas board. November 2006., originally uploaded by stuzehner.
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I liked it. So much useful material. I read with great interest.