Board Service
Several years ago, I excitedly joined the board of a particular not-for-profit organization. I wholeheartedly supported its work and was eager to help explore new and better ways of furthering its mission.
Prior to my first meeting, I attended an orientation with the CEO and a veteran board member. They talked about the complexity of the entity and how it takes quite some time in order to fully understand the business of the organization. They also emphasized that the board’s role was to establish policies and adopt the budget, and the CEO was responsible for pretty much everything else. I left with a thick book of financial materials and policies as well as diminished optimism about my ability to make a meaningful contribution in this capacity.
As I reflected on this experience, it occurred to me that we had addressed the least pressing of my interests as a new board member. While background on the organization was certainly important, I really wanted to know about the board culture and how to serve effectively with my new colleagues. I had questions such as:
- What is success and how is it measured with this group (beyond a balanced budget and adhering to policies)?
- Are meetings conducted in strict accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order (in which case I need to brush up) or are they more informal?
- How do board members typically communicate with one another about organizational issues in between meetings?
- In what ways does the CEO keep the board apprised about key performance benchmarks and other matters on a regular basis?
- Does the CEO welcome a visit prior to a meeting in order to review agenda items about which I want further background or is it preferred that all questions are raised during the board meeting itself?
- How do I get a topic included on the agenda?
- What can I do to expedite the learning curve in order to become a productive member of this board?
We have recently been assisting a number of organizations with board recruitment and capacity building projects. During our work, we encourage clients to examine and address both the technical and relational aspects of service as they develop strategies to recruit, equip and support qualified board members. Both of these dimensions must be tended to in order to properly prepare a new board member for his or her role.
Please feel free to share your success (or horror!) stories about board service. We’d love to hear from you!
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