You Say PoTAHto: Culture and Conflict Resolution in the Boardroom

September 23, 2011

Strength In Numbers Consulting Group

Cathy Roche, Ph.D.

Outline
Introductions Exercise: Understanding board diversity conflicts Lecture: Tips on creating thriving diverse boards Role Play: Practice using tips

Introductions
Brief introductions My background Goals for this session: At the end of this session, you will be able to
Recognize examples of diversityrelated board conflict Identify resources and implement techniques for addressing conflict Communicate these techniques and resources to colleagues to enhance functioning of your board

 Scenario:

Exercise: Understanding Board Diversity Conflicts

Several people noted a gap between the younger, newer members of color and the traditional affiliate board membership made up of wealthy White housewives. The gap manifested itself in several ways. The inflexibility of the scheduled meeting time was a stumbling block; because most people of color serving on boards tended to be professionals, noontime meetings made their participation more difficult. Some younger members complained that they were still expected to be active in spite of the fact that the traditional board members, who had more time to devote to board service, ran most board activities.
Reference: Fletcher, K. (1999). Building diverse boards: Lessons from a case study of planned parenthood affiliates. In Perspectives on Nonprofit Board Diversity. Pg. 23. BoardSource E-Book Series. Available at: http://www.transformativegovernance.org/Perspectives%20on%20Nonprofit%20Boar d%20Diversity.pdf

Exercise: Understanding Board Diversity Conflicts

Put yourself in one perspectives shoes Draw a picture to illustrate how you would feel Use words to describe the problem Use numbers (data) to guide a solution Exchange with a partner

Lecture: Tips on creating thriving diverse boards

CULTURE Develop Board Diversity Policy Mentoring
Match new board members with experienced members committed to diversity

Governance and Diversity Training

Diversity should be an ongoing part of governance training

Avoid Tokenism
No one should be expected to represent an entire group Recruit multiple members of under-represented groups
Reference: Maytree (2011). Diversity in Governance: A Toolkit for Nonprofit Boards. Available at: http://diversecitytoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/Diversityon-Non-Profit-Boards-Toolkit.pdf

Lecture: Tips on creating thriving diverse boards

PASSION Institutional Oppression
Learn the difference between institutional oppression and individual prejudice Guilt versus accountability: Acknowledge prejudices we all hold and work to fight oppression

Mindfulness
Be courageous: face cultural conflict with an open mind
Reference: Bhavnani, R., Mirza, H.S., & Meetoo, V. (2005). Tackling the Roots of Racism: Lessons for Success. The Policy Press: Bristol, UK.

Lecture: Tips on creating thriving diverse boards

LOGIC

Track progress
Measure progress in board's diversity functioning Evaluate cultural competence throughout the organization

Reference: Maytree (2011)

Lecture: Tips on creating thriving diverse boards

LOGIC Sample questions from a board survey:

Reference: Maytree (2011)

Role Play: Practice using tips

Use scenario from your experience Use tips from handout Role play conflict resolution

Thank you! Presentation will be posted at: www.StrengthInNumbersConsulting.com

Cathy Roche croche@StrengthInNumbersConsulting.com (646) 397-8634