Grain & Feed Manager - Managers Forum

[Chris Clukey]

Here’s a question that came up out in the real world during a discussion with a manager who shall remain nameless, and we thought it would help to bring it in here and let you folks offer your views.

“My Board only has two members under seventy. How do I get this group to adapt to today’s business environment, or get new blood on the board?”

And before you ask, I'm not posting this because our publisher turned 68 this year.

What do you think?

[gocubbies]

I don't know how you get older board members to adapt to the newer technologies that would make things easier. The best I've been able to do is to get them to feel the pain of inefficiency, but this is a tricky solution because many times the inefficiency reflects poorly on me. I've had mixed results so far.

[Oldtimer]

Based on the assumption that this Board may be a Cooperative Board, I would ask do you have an effective leadership group or has this Board simply evolved into a "Good Old Boys Club" ? Clubby Boards typically have a tendancy for slipping into a dangerous state of compliancy. In the rapidly changing agribusiness enviorment compliancy can be a big threat to success. Compliacent people will avoid cahnge until they are stimulated to become uncomfortable with the status quo. If you want change in your Board seek a consultant who can work with you in making your Board uncomfortable with" we have always done it this way"