As organizations continue to adjust to the new environment that the COVID-19 crisis has created, many board leaders are asking what they should be doing. But as is the case during good times, the board’s role is to take the lead on overseeing the organization — and that means listening to and supporting the CEO and their plans. However, it also means being curious and asking tough questions about those plans. Each board member has been recruited to the board because of the expertise, diversity of perspective and background, and personal attributes they bring, and those are needed in this moment now more than ever. Check out these personality types that enhance a culture of inquiry.

A culture of inquiry is a style of governing, one that needs the support of the board chair and the chief executive to implement and develop over time.  If the board doesn’t already have a culture of inquiry, now is the time to develop one. A culture of inquiry is an environment where board members solicit, acknowledge, and respectfully listen to different points of view; where they seek more information, question assumptions, and challenge conclusions so that they may advocate for solutions based on analysis; and where they are able to voice their individual concerns before reaching a collective decision, which, once made, is supported by the entire board.

The resource “Four Building Blocks of Inquiring Boards” provides a wonderful framework for thinking about a culture of inquiry during this pandemic. These are the four building blocks:

  • Trust
  • Information Sharing
  • Teamwork
  • Dialogue

Read the full article about creating a culture of inquiry by Joy Folkedal at BoardSource.