Case Study: Strategic Board Assessment

How to measure, set expectations for, and improve board performance

Challenge

The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) works to advance human genetics and genomics in science, health, and society through excellence in research, education, and advocacy.

In 2018, ASHG welcomed a new CEO. This new change afforded the society an excellent opportunity to do something they had never done before: a strategic board self-assessment. Good governance and effective boards are essential for high-performing organizations, and board assessments are one of the many tools that AMC administers to measure, set expectations for, and improve board performance.

Process

AMC consultants began by providing resources and information about basic board responsibilities to set expectations and facilitate the board self-evaluation. From there, they distributed a survey to the board (with resources gathered from both BoardSource and the American Society for Association Executives) to assess the degree to which members of the Board believed they were fulfilling the responsibilities identified and discussed in the initial portion of the engagement.

After the board took the self-assessment, AMC consultants analyzed the results and discussed with the ASHG Board of Directors how they measured themselves compared to how other boards measure themselves. In addition, ASHG and AMC discussed potential areas of strength and identified areas of improvement in comparison to other boards.

Solution

The board and staff were receptive to the discussion, analysis, and recommendations. With support from AMC, ASHG’s CEO and Board collectively created a learning and action plan for the next year, setting the society up for continued strategic success.

"AMC was a key partner to me as ASHG enhanced its focus on governance excellence. The Board Self-Assessment tool, combined with AMC’s expertise and facilitation, helped my Board affirm existing strengths and also identify areas for attention. We will use it regularly as a way to keep governance high on our agenda, something that is even more important in today’s rapidly shifting external environment."
—Mona Miller, Chief Executive Officer (ASHG)