Do you strive for consensus in your board room and try to avoid contentious discussions? Smartbrief on Leadership recently published an article by Steve McKee that explores why "Management by Contention Doesn't Work" but provides an important perspective on why disagreeing around the board room table is important and that consensus doesn't always guarantee success.

How your board members 'disagree' is the stuff of board culture. Do your Trustees feel comfortable and confident disagreeing? Do they do so respectfully? ,

"Contentiousness around the conference room table may be the single most consequential issue with respect to the success or failure of an organization."

If "Our job is to provide the most effective strategy, direction and advice...everybody has an open invitation (an expectation, really) to question and/or challenge any and every idea put forth."

"If people work in an intellectually honest environment in which they’re confident they’ll be heard, they’ll be more willing to commit to a direction when circumstances require it, even if they don't fully agree."