Legally, boards are required to ensure that a company succeeds in its mission and has a well-thought-out strategy and doesn’t get into legal or financial problems. However, the method by which the boards participate in these responsibilities can differ greatly and is collaborative tools transforming remote work highly dependent on the circumstances of the organization.

Boards often commit the blunders of becoming too involved in operational issues that should be left up management or are unsure about their legal responsibilities for the decisions and actions taken on behalf of an organisation. This confusion is usually caused by not keeping up with changing demands placed on boards or from unanticipated challenges like sudden staff resignations and financial crises. Typically, this can be prevented by scheduling discussion on the challenges that directors face and by giving them instructions and a simple set of documents.

Another common mistake is that the board over-delegates its authority and chooses not to look into the things it has delegated (except in the smallest of NPOs). In this case the board is unable to carry out its evaluation function and no longer assess whether these operations contribute to a satisfactory performance for the organization as a whole.

The board should also come up with the governance structure that outlines how it will work with the general manager or chief executive officer. This includes setting the frequency of meetings, how members will be selected and removed, and how decisions will be made. The board must also develop information systems that provide data on their past and expected performance in order to assist them in making decisions.