Our board chair conducts an exit interview and provides a summary of his discussions and points raised to our Governance Committee.  We provide a suggested outline for the questions, with some optional follow up questions if he wants to probe an area in further depth.   The questions may be tailored for the departing director or particular things that the Board is doing.  For example, here are the questions for our last departure, who had a role as chair of a committee and was involved in some governance changes a few years prior. 

a.     How does our Board compare with other Boards you have been part of?
b.     What parts of the new governance structure are working well and where do we still need to improve?
c.     How effective is the Board’s relationship with management?
d.     Do you have any concerns as the Chair of the CI Committee that I should be aware of?

a.     What qualities make someone successful as a director?
b.     What should new directors know before they join?

a.     Where do you think we’ve gotten it right?
b.     Are there any areas that cause you concern or where you feel we should be cautious?

-        Do you feel we made the most of your talents?
-        What involvement, if any, would you like to continue to have with our organization?