Boards of directors are populated with successful individuals who generally have well deserved egos. Board members come to board meetings pre-disposed to contribute to the success and direction of the business, and everybody deserves the opportunity to be heard.
While the CEO serves at the pleasure of the board, they are also a participant and generally a member of the board. The CEO and any members of the executive team that attend the meeting are living the business every minute of every day, while board members typically 'tea-bag' in and out of the business, bringing their experience and judgement to the company on a periodic basis.
The result is an unusual dynamic comprised of executives who are close to the trees, and non-executive board members who are more likely looking only at the forest. Against this backdrop of egos and perspectives, the common goal is to advance the business, but everyone wants to show their value and be viewed as a positive contributor to the board meeting.
This desire to contribute often leads some members to become 'Active Talkers.' They dominate the discussion and can overshadow good ideas and contribution from other members. In the extreme, a non-executive active talker may dive into the trees and begin to overstep the board role by insisting that they know precisely what management needs to do and how to do it. Sometimes the ideas are great, and the talker is speaking from experience. They have been to the movie before, know how it is going to end, and can guide management to avoid pitfalls.
More frequently, however, when non-executive board members dive into the trees as active talkers, they forget that management also has knowledge and experience, and may have already explored the proposed directives and thoughtfully rejected them. This scenario creates friction between management and the board, and often impedes teamwork and open discussion.
Active listening is a technique for probing and asking questions to ensure that all of the available information is on the table and a board member has a complete understanding of the situation before they offer their contribution. For example, instead of saying "we should do X" (active talking), an active listener will probe the topic, and eventually may ask "has X been considered?" By listening and engaging it is more likely that the discussion will evolve positively, and respectfully.
Active listening is a valuable technique in many different settings. For example, it is a critical skill for sales people to master when interacting with a prospect. For board members, it helps to lower the ego quotient in the room and creates the opportunity for more information sharing and involvement. A favorite line to guide active talkers in boardroom behavior is: "The quieter you become, the more you can hear".
