Get on Board With Your Board

by William J. Bennington and Mal Brett. Schwartz
© 2009 The Institute for Nonprofit Excellence*

"When a board of directors considers the performance of a CEO or Executive Director, the evaluation will often be influenced more by the perceived value of the individual the board is evaluating than actual results."

In consulting with and presenting to more than 20,000 CEOs, Executive Directors and Board members of nonprofit organizations worldwide over the past 20 years, the two issues most frequently encountered around the Board/chief executive relationship are:

1. measurement of executive performance, and
2. "the board's meddling in day to day operations."
At the Institute for Nonprofit Excellence we have found there are ten time-tested strategies and a few good tactics that do help CEOs and Executive Directors "manage" the Board, to improve their working relationship and to convince the Board to buy into their agenda. They are:

Ten Time Tested Strategies

1. No Surprises: The first rule of an effective Board/CEO relationship is no surprises. Good news, bad news - your Board (starting with the Chair) deserves to know as soon as you do if there is an issue or major development that deserves Board attention. When a critical issue emerges, engage the Board immediately, usually through the most senior available member in the chain of command.

2. Board Empathy: Develop a high-level of understanding as to what is important to the Board and become a source of information, insight and input. Understand the Board's problems and agenda and put that knowledge to work to increase your perceived value as an asset.

3. Nurture the Chair: Begin by solidifying your relationship with the board chair, and make contact at least every week. Here are a couple of tips:

Ask the chair the question, "Is there anything I can help you with today?

Provide an enthusiastic response to a request or a cheery good morning or good evening, etc.

Keep the Chair posted on industry or issue trends and news.

This all adds up to better relations with the most important ally you can have.

4. Keep them Informed: Keep your Board Chair informed of what you are doing and become a source of other helpful information. (However, always make sure the information you share is of a high level. Providing the board with too much information, especially the trivial, opens the door for them to involve themselves in your affairs.)

5. Be the Solution: Never go to your Board with a problem unless you are armed with two well thought-out recommendations for resolving the issue at hand. Become a part of the solution...not a perceived element of the problem.

6. Seek Help: If you are overwhelmed, ask your Board Chair to help you sort out the priorities. The most effective way to avoid being overwhelmed is through the use of a strategic plan.

7. Get Along: Love your Board. Hate your Board. But get along with your Board. (Note: This does not suggest that you should develop close personal relationships with Board members, which in most cases are best to avoid in as much as such relationships create possibilities of conflict and can often lead to other problems - for you and among members of the Board).

8. Gain Confidence: Remember that a huge percentage of the reasons Boards meddle in the day to day operations of an agency stem from a lack of confidence in the CEO's ability to successfully manage the organization.

9. Communicate: It's as much your responsibility as your Board's to create and maintain an effective working relationship. However, you are the one responsible for the quality of communication with your Board. The key to good communications with the board is balance. Too little or too much communication can lead to problems.

10. Keep Your Promises: Keep your commitments to your Board and meet the deadlines you and the Board have agreed to. If a deadline is unreasonable, negotiate (or attempt to) up front. If things go wrong, revert to rule # 1, no surprises. Never put your Board in a position where the Chair will have to ask you for something you promised, committed to or the Board requested and you agreed to provide.

Five Steps to Selling Your Ideas

Convincing the Board to accept new ideas will often be difficult, even though the proposed actions may be winners. New ideas signify change and in turn, change often brings Board resistance. So how do you convince your Board to accept your approach? Remember: The sale, any sale, must be made in several distinct steps.

Step 1: Sell the goal first.
Make the Board aware of what you will be bringing to the table and why it's of benefit to the organization's Mission and Vision.

Step 2: Provide information-based details on why your suggested approach is important or what issues it will address.

Step 3: Help your Board evaluate benefits of implementing the project. Quantify the expected results or return on investment (which means you must estimate the cost of the project in relation to the anticipated return.)

Step 4: Enlist others your Board respects or members who you know will support your idea to advocate on your behalf for what you are proposing.

Step 5: Secure approval of your project or approach, or amend and secure agreement. If you get a "no" at any point, move on and look for another problem to solve or process to improve.