As the NCUA considers regulatory changes for board governance, I am struck by the amount of time and energy dedicated by volunteers at credit unions. As the business environment gets more complicated, boards and CEOs have to define and clarify their roles and responsibilities. This will require more direct communication and understanding of strategy.

Committing to an intelligent exchange of ideas with your CEO will require some discipline but will yield a stronger culture on your board. Defining board information that directors need to function more effectively is crucial to the security for members.

Visualize the board agenda full of presentations from senior executives in the credit union. It's important to remember that those people presenting that day probably have spent the better part of the last two weeks preparing their presentations. This is an important proving ground or opportunity to impress the board with their knowledge and skills. All too frequently, they become chock-full of PowerPoint slides and end up consuming more time than is necessary.