Most public and private sector board members come to their positions with a strong vision and determination to make a difference. At the same time they are thrown into a new environment where they have many questions and few or no answers.

Typical questions include: What is my job description? What is my role in relation to the Chief Executive Officer? Who provides leadership, vision and direction for the organization? Should I meet privately with an employee, the union, senior management, the community, or even the media? How do we build effective relationships within the organization? Who evaluates me as an individual board member? How does the board evaluate its own performance?