In the not for profit world Boards are an idea born from the notion that collective intelligence and passion will be a great driving force for organisations. Boards ensure that the cause of the organisation is maintained and the governance issues are mastered. They are often the legal employees of the staff, a huge responsibility to carry – especially for volunteers.
However, whilst this collegial ambition is great, unfortunately, they often fall dramatically short, and in fact, sometimes a board can become a barrier to progression, productive change and evolution.
As an experienced integrated communications agency, collectively we have worked with a great number of boards – small, large, all volunteers, a mixture of volunteers and paid positions and some who have recruited executive members. I have found there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to the successful make-up of a board; sometimes you get great, active, progressive Boards made up from the ‘core’ of the organisation’s base, and sometimes you find recalcitrant Boards who should (and get paid to) do better.
The Board will either make or break the success of any communications program, this is because they have the ultimate say for the strategic direction and budget and can sway an organisation as powerfully as a hurricane– one minute you are flying in an easterly direction, the next, the opposite. Even if a Board is in agreement with a strategy, their willingness to resource it or see the importance of stakeholder interaction (including staff) in the decision making process can really make the difference.
Here are some of the experiences I’ve had with Boards and what strategies have worked to get a great result.
Experience: Boards who don’t understand their governance role, and want to have a say in the details
I’d say this is the most common frustration of CEO’s and GM’s of NFP organisations; their Board members want to get into the detail of things, but neglect to look at the larger issues such as diversification of income, team structures and approving big decisions such as a move in premise, a name change etc. Most staff would love more support by people in the know on their day to day, but only when the larger issues are taken care of.
This is a tricky scenario and can take a full cycle of a Board term to resolve (if your Board doesn’t have terms, this is even harder). The key is providing information and training on the role of Board members, the structure and meeting agendas to direct focus. However, this can be especially difficult if you’ve had Board members for a long time, who might have been volunteers, or ex-staff who know a lot about the details.
A key strategy* that has worked for me over the years, is to provide a refresh on roles and responsibilities and to review how the board meets, why, when and what the agenda is. It is very illuminating for most, and usually inspires a lot of great discussion. If the CEO/senior management are unhappy with their Board - the Board probably isn’t happy either. This is a great way to clear the air, set up boundaries and agree to how things will be done.
*Warning – this definitely needs to be managed by an external facilitator!
Experience: The frequency or lack thereof of Board meetings.
Board meetings can occur monthly, bi-monthly or even quarterly. When major decisions need to be made at board meetings, their frequency can dramatically slow down progress and change. That might have worked well when the pace of business was slower (remember sending letters?), but in today’s business climate, it is often not fast enough and can put the organisation at a competitive disadvantage.
The organisations lack of framework and strategic plan when it comes to Board decisions and sign offs can hinder progress, additional challenges include Board members not coming to meetings, meaning topics are pushed back, re-briefed and this can delay critical action.
The solution to this scenario includes:
- Having a strategic plan – with a three year and one-year action plan. This will help frame the conversation for the year ahead and keep people focused.
- Every organisation needs an active Chair. When you can’t get your chair on the phone or via email within a few hours, then it is really hard for the staff.
- Developing sub-committees who are charged with an action plan, who can go off, research, collate information and make strong recommendations to the board is a must.
- If your Board meetings are stale and boring, dramatically change the agenda. The chair should keep the conversation on track and to timeframes – when meetings go over, people either won’t come (can’t face a three-hour meeting) or leave. Minutes should be professionally taken and circulated in a timely fashion. It should be assumed that everyone has read the minutes before the meeting and pick up the conversation as such.
Experience: When the Board has too much love to share.
Boards made up of only passionate people who have been around the organisation for a long time, who don’t have professional skills, experience or most importantly time to contribute, may not be able to tackle the constantly changing and complex landscape the organisation works within. This is because whilst that passion is vital, it is not the only thing that drives the team forward. A board needs to include people who are up to date with the policy and legal framework and changes, be able to think big picture, be able to have a meeting with government, have a network of professional contacts and ensure strong financial management.
With the mix right, the organisation has the best of both worlds.
Being on a Board and working with Boards is an inspiring, engaging and challenging process but where a little from many can do a lot for a great cause.
If you sit on a Board or work for a Board, feel free to use this article to help you raise some of the trickier issues you might be dealing with. It might help you get that step closer to achieving your organisation’s goals – and isn’t that why we are all there in the first place?
Need help to create a 12 month strategic plan for your organisation with clear action and goal progression? Contact Zadro to find out how.
This article was written by Felicity Zadro, Managing Director, Zadro.
