Board Member Term Limits: Good or Bad?

I responded few days ago to a query on the BoardSource LinkedIn discussion group concerning what people thought the appropriate length of terms and term limits should be. This is what I said:

“There is a principle regarding one’s vision, when on a board, (and commitment to it) that a person's vision usually does not extend beyond their expected likelihood of being around. Six years create a very short memory and learning span. The usual reasons for advocating short limits don't hold water, including the "new blood" argument. We say, "Good ones (that we just lost due a limit) can come back on the board after the year off." but they don't. They are snatched up by another board or lose their interest. (I've served on 30 or more boards). If you are deeply attached to the idea of term limits, do what an excellent hospital board that I served on did - make it 12 or 15 years. That permits grooming of board leadership through committee service, committee chairmanship, officership, etc. There is still plenty of coming and going, by the way, simply due to life's vicissitudes. Getting new blood is a non-issue.

Creating a two term limit automatically creates nothing but freshman and lame ducks, be it city councils, county councils, legislatures, or boards.”

The “expert” advisors responding to this LinkedIn group discussion seemed, in the main, to be married to the idea of a limit of 2 terms of three or four years. My view is that term limits (not terms), especially single digits, more likely damage board performance for a number of reasons, and my comments addressed a couple of those. I wanted the readers to think more critically about their instinctive mantra of term limits. A couple did, but most continued to circle thoughtlessly around a two term limit in spite of its foolishness. It is such a popular idea that it is hard to think otherwise, even when the illogic and imprudence of it is staring you in the face.

Now if you are not interested in optimizing board decision-making, but have another trumping priority such as affording a lot of association members a chance to serve on the board, then admit it, and worry less about board performance. This latter priority will drive the organization toward being a staff driven board and organization. We have all been there. 

Another common reason I hear for term limits is to “get the dead wood off the board.” Come again? If you’ve got dead wood, have the courage and integrity to deal with it! And a bylaw provision regarding lack of attendance resulting in automatic removal doesn’t help.