What do you think of when you hear the words ‘Board’, ‘Boards’ or ‘Board of Directors’?
Do you think of big companies and big decisions? Or do you think about smaller organisations across society?
Do you know there are many types of boards across all sectors including not-for-profit, community, government and private business as well as corporate?
Committee, Committee of Management, Council, Trust and Panel are just some other terms used to describe boards.
Terminology and titles of boards can be confusing. There can be differences which sometimes aren’t always well-reflected in the name of the board.
Terms can sometimes be used interchangeably and be open to misinterpretation.
When thinking about a board, it’s always good to seek clarity on the role and responsibility, and the purpose of the organisation/business/group.
Some boards may have a legal governing and oversight role, others an operational or implementation role, yet others may only play an advisory role.
Whilst you may find that some boards sound more appealing than others, careful naming or terminology doesn’t cloud your thinking.
As any good board member would do… do your homework and make sure you have the right information to gain the right understanding!
