Restructuring an Oversized Board & Unwieldy Committee Structure

The Client

A national sports competition organization.

The Challenge

At one point, there were nearly 200 people identified as board members, which, of course, meant there was no structure to the board. In addition to the board’s unwieldy size, there were policies and procedures in place that dictated who was a board member and what was involved in changing that status.

The Solution

We began by looking at organizations that were comparable in size and structure and that had successfully undergone governance changes. Through this research, we identified benchmarks and best practices that would help define and guide the new board’s streamlined structure. We heavily valued stakeholder buy-in, as those affected by a restructure view change from a perspective of loss – loss of connection, power, position or influence. We positioned all potential changes from the perspective of achieving desired outcomes, not “change for the sake of change.” We addressed the organization’s culture, structure, and composition to clarify roles and responsibilities. We also co-created a structure that would achieve the desired outcomes, as well as established a phased process to garner stakeholder buy-in and support in advance of major initiatives.