In recent years, there have been many times when what the future held was uncertain, unstable and unknowable. Whether this was caused by a fluctuating economy, global pandemic or any other factors, many organisations have had to face and deal with these kinds of crises.
When in a crisis, it is important to focus on what you can do, rather than what is uncontrollable, and your Board of directors is crucial in helping to achieve that stability.
If an organisation is facing a potential disaster, it is important to understand the numerous ways Board Members can help manage the situation and regain that security. This can help ensure organisations can survive and come out of a crisis healthier and stronger. Because it is not a question of if, but when.
Here at Convene we want to make sure you have the software that helps manage your Board effectively and efficiently, so when a crisis occurs, the last thing you have to worry about is the small things.
Creating stability doesn’t happen overnight, but there are actions you can take to build trust in your organisation. This will help employees feel secure and empowered to do their best, even during uncertain times.
We’ve put together a list of helpful reminders, about how you can deal with instability as a Board and strive to create a more secure future.
1. Be Honest and Transparent
In times of uncertainty and change, it can be tempting to focus only on the positive in order to reassure employees and keep morale up.
However, honest and transparent communication is key in managing instability for your Board. You need to be able to tackle difficult topics and transparency also helps to maintain trust in the Board.
Positivity is important, but so is setting realistic expectations and having open communication about what the future holds.
Your Board should keep a dialogue going about what the plan of action is, what the risk assessment is and how to mitigate those risks. Boards should contextualise the issues ahead so employees understand what is occurring, and this is where Board meetings are crucial in discerning information.
2. Have A Plan Of Action
During times of disruption, anxiety and fear of the unknown may arise within your organisation. A plan of action helps your teams feel more secure by providing them with a course to follow and sticking to it, and it enables proper risk management. This gives people a sense of control and allows them to focus on the tasks they can do. Additionally, your goals and priorities will be clearer, providing your organisation a greater sense of direction.
A plan of action will help your Board think about the future in a more long term capacity. When a crisis strikes, it is quite easy to only think about short term goals. However, it is still important to remember and consider long-term goals as well, and how the consequences of the current crisis will impact said future.
A way for your Board to combat the uncertainty of the future is to discuss and consider all avenues and possible consequences, and to establish how this impacts the future and the long-term goals of the organisation. Keeping an eye on the future as well as the present will allow employees to see beyond just the current crisis.
3. Keep Lines of Communication Open
As a Board, you should check in with fellow Board members and employees consistently in order to understand how the organisation is doing and how it needs to evolve. There is a temptation to have one hands-on meeting, ‘solve’ everything and then go back to usual, but this is ineffectual and does not help address the instability within your organisation itself.
Through frequent communication, it's possible to stay aware of how your team is reacting to and coping with change. This is especially beneficial in terms of understanding the emotional state of the group.
It's during times of crisis that the value of Board Members is often seen; they need to be involved and active in order to give advice, guidance, connections and solutions.
4. Offer A Distinct Perspective
Board Members have the ability to offer a different perspective for organisations during a crisis. You should be able to both field and ask the tough questions of the company, its strategy and performance.
By being able to ask these hard-hitting questions you provide a unique perspective, and are able to generate new ideas or possible plans. This new view will be helpful in a time of crisis, and you can provide simple and clear thoughts on the future trajectory of the organisation, taking into account all that you know.
As a Board Member your perspective is crucial here, and as a higher-up in an organisation you need to demonstrate leadership and good governance by offering both your thoughts and the opportunity for questions to be asked and answered.
5. Stay Optimistic
While honest communication, transparency and clarity is important for your Board, so is maintaining not necessarily positivity, but optimism for the future.
Hope and optimism have significant impact on engagement and performance, and as instability and change can lead to demotivation it is important to foster hope.
6. Provide Resources
Ensuring that Board Members and employees alike have access to the equipment, technology, and materials necessary to fulfil their roles is essential. As changes occur, the requirements for employees may also shift. If your organisation is using new technology or new software in light of a disruption, you need to ensure that it is accessible for everyone, and that everyone can use it.
Here at Convene we offer unlimited training, so even those who are less 'tech-savvy' are supported during implementation of our Board portal software. Therefore, your administrative staff do not need to worry about the time cost of training Board Members during a crisis.
A Stable Board For A Stable Future
Stability is necessary for people to do their best work, and times of change or uncertainty impact your employees’ ability to focus and adapt.
Whatever the cause of disruption, the Board must build stability if you want your organisation to continue to thrive through adversity.
When difficulty strikes, people look to their leaders for guidance. It is not necessary to have all the solutions, but it is vital to attend to the needs of your organisation and create a foundation of security and stability.
How Convene Can Help
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, many organisations were forced online in order to keep themselves afloat. Managing an organisation remotely is a monumental task, and so your Board needs the best possible software to keep its meetings running smoothly so your organisation can keep running smoothly too.
Now with many organisations choosing to remain remote or online, it is even more crucial that the quality of your Board meetings equals those of in-person meetings.
Convene’s Award Winning Board portal software allows your Board to communicate effectively, and run meetings with ease, maintaining a secure and stable working environment.
Convene now comes fully integrated with Microsoft Teams, ensuring that the meeting process is even more seamless for your organisation.
To discover how you can benefit from Convene, find out more about our software here, or book a free demo today.
