Frequently Asked Questions

QUESTION:	I do not see the situation our board is dealing with mentioned anywhere on the website. Is the complete range of work you do described on the Board Services page?
ANSWER:	No, Furr Resources has had and continues to have many unique engagements, such as: · helping boards who want or need to downsize or re-form their membership; · assisting with boards following a merger; · deciding whether to move corporate headquarters; · supporting boards of family-owned organizations who are working through issues; · designing a process for a board to use to select a new chair; and · assisting the board of organizations in severe financial distress. Furr encourages you to call to discuss your situation and to allow us to design an approach to reach the outcomes you seek.
QUESTION:	Our governance committee believes we need to engage in a board development process to raise the bar on our board, but some of the directors are reluctant to agree. Can you help us with ideas to persuade them?
ANSWER:	Yes, we have been approached by many directors who wanted help to gain agreement of the board. We can offer alternative benefits to use to "sell" the idea of board development, depending on the nature of resistance you are facing (usually fear or inertia). Let's talk, and we will suggest some alternatives.
QUESTION:	Our board needs to evolve its membership to add the competencies needed to support our ambitious strategy. We have several valued older directors, and we do not want to discount them, but we need space on the board for different members. Have you helped boards with this issue?
ANSWER:	Yes, we can suggest various approaches that show respect for your current membership, depending on the timeframe you have for re-forming the board. If you have a year, beginning with a board and director evaluation and setting ambitious development goals for the board and individual directors can often plant the seeds with directors that the bar has been raised. They can then decide if they want to meet new require- ments. There are other considerate approaches as well, with some being more direct.
QUESTION:	If we engaged Furr, how would we know who would work with us?
ANSWER:	Furr Resources approaches every board engagement with respect for that board's uniqueness. We have learned that the complexity of a board's social system, and that with the high stakes involved, benefits from having two facilitators work with each board. Therefore, both of the principals work with each board engagement. The adage that "two heads are better than one" is true for board interventions.
QUESTION:	If our board decided to use Furr for a board development process, what is involved and how long does it require?
ANSWER:	Furr begins the process with clarifying the outcomes the board is seeking. Directors then complete written survey(s) depending on the their goals for the engagement. Then our principals interview each director privately to ensure Furr's understanding of the board's dynamics. Furr processes the survey data, analyses the findings of all the information, prepares a report and presents the findings at a retreat with the board. The retreat includes having the board set development goals with timelines, specific accountabilities and plans for a follow-up session. The usual time frame for that approach is two to three months, depending on the directors' availability to complete the required components of the process.
QUESTION:	Our directors do not want to take their time to answer anything more than a cursory survey. Is that necessary?
ANSWER:	The best way for a board to see the gaps between its' current practices and best practices is through completing a comprehensive survey that shows how many of the best practices of high performing boards the particular board is currently using. Directors have the choice of completing the survey on the computer and e-mailing it, or completing a paper and pencil survey and mailing, faxing or scanning and e-mailing it. Directors also have a choice about how many open comments to include along with the rating scale for each question.
QUESTION:	How much time does a retreat require? Can we just do that at our regular meeting?
ANSWER:	The board retreat that follows a complete board development or evaluation process requires four to six hours depending on the logistics of the particular meeting. It is advisable to hold the retreat at a location that is conducive to directors focusing all of their attention on the work at hand. It is preferable to create a special mindset for the retreat instead of directors expecting the usual meeting routine.
QUESTION:	We have a local college with a business department whose professors do board education retreats? Why would we choose Furr instead of using local resources?
ANSWER:	Furr specializes in board best practices, it is not our side-line work, so we devote considerable time to ensuring that we are up-to-date and follow pertinent legislation and trends very closely. Secondly, we are highly skilled facilitators with many years of experience working with personality psychology and complex social systems and dynamics. We are highly attuned to the culture of the board room, which is the source of most board issues.