Are executive sessions of the board a good thing?
Dear Governance Matters:
During the past year, my board has started to meet in Executive Session following every board meeting. I am concerned that this practice is negatively impacting the flow of communication between us. Is this common practice or considered a best practice?
B.
Dear B.
Executive board sessions are not unusual; they can be very valuable to the organization if used in a way that does not impede communication or make the executive director feel "left out." Board Source has an excellent article on the subject, explaining the rationale for boards to meet in Executive Session, with statistics on how many boards do this as well as various ways to best utilize this tool.
Give it try; executive sessions can be very valuable to the organization.
Anne
Editor, Ask the Experts
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