Building an inclusive board culture: inclusive meetings
A version of this article was published in the Institute of Corporate Directors Director Lens Communiqué in March, 2023.
In my introduction to demystifying inclusion for boards, I noted that while boardrooms should belong to everyone, they often don’t feel that way. Deliberately building an inclusive board culture is key to unlocking the benefits of diverse thinking. I’m going to offer some practical advice for doing just that.
Setting the stage
Building an inclusive board meeting starts before the agenda is adopted.
If your board and directors are situated in Canada, your meeting is on Indigenous territory. Opening board meetings with a territorial acknowledgement can be an important step towards reconciliation. “While giving land acknowledgements may feel awkward the first few times, as long as you are speaking from your heart and honouring the Nations’ territories you are doing it right,” says Shannon Henderson, board member at the Indian Residential School Survivors Society and a member of the Skwxwú 7mesh (Squamish) Nation. “Use the opportunity to reflect on and share your own commitment to reconciliation.”
As well as recognizing the land you are on, it is powerful to begin by explicitly reminding directors of the purpose of the meeting: to gather insights and make decisions collectively, based on the wisdom and experience of the group. Simply stating that all perspectives are welcomed opens space for constructive dialogue and challenge.
Managing the meeting
Who’s talking in your board meetings? It’s been shown that women don’t get their share of airtime in meetings, and yet when they do speak up they are seen as dominating conversation. Organizational psychologist Adam Grant observes, “The pattern is clear and consistent: It’s usually men who won’t shut up. Especially powerful men … A man who runs his mouth and holds court is [seen as] a confident expert. A woman who talks is [seen as] aggressive or pushy.”
As well, men interrupt more than women, and when women interrupt, they are seen as ruder, colder, and less intelligent than men doing the same thing. This can create a double whammy for women directors’ contributions – the “babble hypothesis” suggests that people who speak more in small groups tend to emerge as leaders, regardless of their intelligence or other qualities. And these impacts are compounded for racialized women, who have to grapple with different and damaging stereotypes depending on their ethnicity.
How can board directors combat this? Awareness is half the battle, and an inclusion-focused chair can hold space for everyone to contribute by:
Interjecting when a director is interrupted to make sure they can finish their point
Opening the floor for alternative points of view and directors who haven’t spoken yet
Ensuring that all contributions are acknowledged, and people get credit for the ideas they propose.
Margie Parikh, C.Dir, notes that, “as a board chair it’s my job to draw out everyone’s viewpoint. As meetings proceed, I’m continually noting who’s involved in the discussion, and looking for ways to make sure everyone has a voice. I’m especially sensitive to situations where silence may stem from an alternative viewpoint, or a new or marginalized colleague – I’m acutely aware of the value of these sometimes quiet folks.”
Whether or not you are chair, it’s always worthwhile to consider the W.A.I.T (why am I talking?) framework in board meetings:
If you need data to assess whether contributions at your meetings are gender balanced - consider trying out the GenderAvenger Tally app to track who is present and who is talking.
Focus on outcomes, not processes
Think back to your first time in the boardroom. Did the rituals of motions being moved and seconded, consent agendas being approved, amendments being amended, all feel like a foreign language? The point of procedural structures, such as Robert’s Rules, is to make sure everyone knows what is being decided, when. But adherence to procedural rules is not an end in itself – and excessive attention to procedural trivia (“do we need a motion to adjourn the meeting?”) is certainly not welcoming to new directors and non-procedural experts. Consider ditching procedural rules when your board is not in decision-making mode.
Go deeper
Learn more about making meaningful land acknowledgements from this guide by the First Nations Health Authority
Contribute to open discussion and tackle microaggressions: take free online anti-harassment and bystander intervention training with Right To Be
Listen to Matt Fullbrook’s podcast on Why do boards like Robert’s Rules so much?
Shona McGlashan is a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute. As principal at McGlashan Consulting, she advises organizations, boards, and leadership teams on corporate governance, EDI, and workplace wellness. She lives and works on the the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú 7mesh (Squamish), and Səl ̓ ı́ lwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.