Any wealthy advice for a new board of director?
June 22, 2017 12:22 PM Subscribe
Hi All. I have finally joined a small non-profit board of directors organization. I am trying to seek some advice, tips, glossary tips, legal advice, project management, and career advice as a board of director.
I'm quite new to the whole board of director position and I'm just learning the ropes day-by-day. I am wondering if there is any important information, advice, tips, characteristics, career advice, and leadership advice for new board member like myself? I'm the youngest board member they've ever had, and a lot of the boards have years and years of experience and I'm just starting my masters next year hopefully, no career. I'm thankful for being asked to join the board. Yet, I want to make sure I do well, especially since this counts as work experience and it looks good on the resume with a reference. Please share any important golden nuggets of information. Thank-you!
I'm quite new to the whole board of director position and I'm just learning the ropes day-by-day. I am wondering if there is any important information, advice, tips, characteristics, career advice, and leadership advice for new board member like myself? I'm the youngest board member they've ever had, and a lot of the boards have years and years of experience and I'm just starting my masters next year hopefully, no career. I'm thankful for being asked to join the board. Yet, I want to make sure I do well, especially since this counts as work experience and it looks good on the resume with a reference. Please share any important golden nuggets of information. Thank-you!
Verify what kind of indemnity insurance they carry for board members.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:46 PM on June 22, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by jacquilynne at 12:46 PM on June 22, 2017 [5 favorites]
Check out BoardSource. Your state nonprofit association may also have board member trainings.
posted by postel's law at 1:20 PM on June 22, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by postel's law at 1:20 PM on June 22, 2017 [2 favorites]
If you don't already know, find out what kind of board governance model is being used. Here are five possible governance models, but I've seen all kinds of variations of categories. If it's a policy board, make sure that's where you focus your efforts and don't interfere unnecessarily with the day-to-day operations of the staff of the organization. In contrast, if it's working board, be sure to roll up your sleeves and do your part – ask another board member where they might need help the most, if it's not obvious. Don't just show up to vote at meetings and feel you've done your job. I've been on boards where the governance model is not clear and each board member was operating under vastly different assumptions. It was a real mess.
Don't assume all discussions and decisions are made only at board meetings. A lot of the most effective conversations and work is done outside the meetings to move things forward. In other words, do the brainstorming outside the meeting, and come prepared with clear directions, ideas, or at least clear and specific questions.
Advocate for staff, members, volunteers, etc. (everyone who is not on the board). They'll love you for making their voices heard at the board level, and you'll learn a lot about the organization from them.
posted by Kabanos at 1:59 PM on June 22, 2017 [5 favorites]
Don't assume all discussions and decisions are made only at board meetings. A lot of the most effective conversations and work is done outside the meetings to move things forward. In other words, do the brainstorming outside the meeting, and come prepared with clear directions, ideas, or at least clear and specific questions.
Advocate for staff, members, volunteers, etc. (everyone who is not on the board). They'll love you for making their voices heard at the board level, and you'll learn a lot about the organization from them.
posted by Kabanos at 1:59 PM on June 22, 2017 [5 favorites]
Terminology: you can refer to yourself as a "board member" and your colleagues as "board members." I have never heard of Board of Director as a title.
Enjoy your experience!
posted by delight at 2:21 PM on June 22, 2017 [6 favorites]
Enjoy your experience!
posted by delight at 2:21 PM on June 22, 2017 [6 favorites]
On most boards, your primary responsibility will be control and strategy.
Control means you have to make sure that there is compliance from budget to account, and that the decisions made by the management in the organization are economically and ethically sound. You need to read and understand the budgets and accounts and additional management reports in order to do this. A lot of board work is really boring if you are not an accountant, and a lot of organizations fail because they don't take the control part seriously.
Strategy means that the board with inspiration and input from the management lays out a long term plan for the development of the organization, which the management is then expected to implement. Again, you control wether this is actually happening by reading management reports and discussing them at board meetings.
Be respectful of everyone's hard work and make sure your tone of voice and general attitude shows respect (do this even if you don't really respect anyone and are there to change things, btw.)
On some boards, you actually manage stuff - it could be handing out money, hiring free-lancers to do project work, suggesting policies, and many other things. This would be Kabanos' working board. On this type of board, be sure to arrive well-prepared. If not, you will be run over, and you will be wasting everyone's time. Again, a solid understanding of the economy of the organization is paramount. For this type of board there must be a very accurate agenda and equivalent time management. If there isn't, ask for it, politely. Remember that you should only make decisions about items on the agenda that have been sent out ahead of the meeting. You should not spend time on items not on the agenda unless there is some very urgent matter. If you are well-prepared and have arguments, you shouldn't hesitate to suggest changes to the agenda, as in: it is hard for me to comment on item 4.b before we have gone through our planned budget discussion at 5.a and I have understood your positions. Could we move 4.b to after 5.a?
As a junior member, you will probably do wisely to just listen and ask when there is something you don't understand for the first year. No questions are stupid! (But sometimes you might to just ask the chairman discreetly rather than use the whole board's time). By all means throw in all your good ideas too, they will be appreciated even if they aren't implemented.
That said, I have spent at lot of time in the last decade on securing transparency, clear goals and ethics in organizations I've been involved in. If something seems muddy or strange to you, you might be right. As stated above, the way forward is respectful argument and strategic planning. Surprisingly often, good governance will lead to better results ;-) and sometimes people only need gentle persuasion to leave behind habits from a different age.
Make sure to engage socially with the other board members. Attend their receptions, remember their birthdays, like them on FB, invite them to your own social stuff. Suggest that the board has an annual dinner or lunch if it isn't there already (I've done this where we had very little money and just ordered takeout to share), or go to a game. You are a team with a common goal and you need to feel it.
If you work on this, you will learn a lot and have fun. Enjoy!
posted by mumimor at 4:21 PM on June 22, 2017 [3 favorites]
Control means you have to make sure that there is compliance from budget to account, and that the decisions made by the management in the organization are economically and ethically sound. You need to read and understand the budgets and accounts and additional management reports in order to do this. A lot of board work is really boring if you are not an accountant, and a lot of organizations fail because they don't take the control part seriously.
Strategy means that the board with inspiration and input from the management lays out a long term plan for the development of the organization, which the management is then expected to implement. Again, you control wether this is actually happening by reading management reports and discussing them at board meetings.
Be respectful of everyone's hard work and make sure your tone of voice and general attitude shows respect (do this even if you don't really respect anyone and are there to change things, btw.)
On some boards, you actually manage stuff - it could be handing out money, hiring free-lancers to do project work, suggesting policies, and many other things. This would be Kabanos' working board. On this type of board, be sure to arrive well-prepared. If not, you will be run over, and you will be wasting everyone's time. Again, a solid understanding of the economy of the organization is paramount. For this type of board there must be a very accurate agenda and equivalent time management. If there isn't, ask for it, politely. Remember that you should only make decisions about items on the agenda that have been sent out ahead of the meeting. You should not spend time on items not on the agenda unless there is some very urgent matter. If you are well-prepared and have arguments, you shouldn't hesitate to suggest changes to the agenda, as in: it is hard for me to comment on item 4.b before we have gone through our planned budget discussion at 5.a and I have understood your positions. Could we move 4.b to after 5.a?
As a junior member, you will probably do wisely to just listen and ask when there is something you don't understand for the first year. No questions are stupid! (But sometimes you might to just ask the chairman discreetly rather than use the whole board's time). By all means throw in all your good ideas too, they will be appreciated even if they aren't implemented.
That said, I have spent at lot of time in the last decade on securing transparency, clear goals and ethics in organizations I've been involved in. If something seems muddy or strange to you, you might be right. As stated above, the way forward is respectful argument and strategic planning. Surprisingly often, good governance will lead to better results ;-) and sometimes people only need gentle persuasion to leave behind habits from a different age.
Make sure to engage socially with the other board members. Attend their receptions, remember their birthdays, like them on FB, invite them to your own social stuff. Suggest that the board has an annual dinner or lunch if it isn't there already (I've done this where we had very little money and just ordered takeout to share), or go to a game. You are a team with a common goal and you need to feel it.
If you work on this, you will learn a lot and have fun. Enjoy!
posted by mumimor at 4:21 PM on June 22, 2017 [3 favorites]
I am not a Board member but I regularly attend the Board meetings of a small non-profit that my family is involved with. One Board member always stood out because while certain other members tended to gloss over things, for nearly every issue that came up he would bring it back to the budget and the fundraising that had already been done (whereas the other Board members seem to have this attitude of "we'll just get the volunteers to do more fundraising"). The other thing he did was insist on deliverables (whereas the other Board members or contributors would say "we're working on that" he'd say "what is your deadline for getting that done?"
In essence, he was demonstrating that the goals of the organization are real and important to him, and that being on the Board is not just a vanity exercise. When elections came up he had a lot of support and was re-elected to the Board easily (while we've been talking about bringing a vote of no confidence against a couple of the other members).
posted by vignettist at 8:48 AM on June 23, 2017 [2 favorites]
In essence, he was demonstrating that the goals of the organization are real and important to him, and that being on the Board is not just a vanity exercise. When elections came up he had a lot of support and was re-elected to the Board easily (while we've been talking about bringing a vote of no confidence against a couple of the other members).
posted by vignettist at 8:48 AM on June 23, 2017 [2 favorites]
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Keeping your contributions brief and focused will make you a valued member of the board.
On a more crass level, be sure to move or second simple motions like moving the agenda or accepting minutes. That will get your name featured early on the next batch of minutes, and show people later on that you were an active participant.
posted by Capt. Renault at 12:42 PM on June 22, 2017 [9 favorites]