Starboard's Blog

Strategic discussions with the board

Jeff Wahlstrom — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 19:18:16 +0000

I am always preaching about the importance of engaging the board in strategic discussions during board meetings, but I find that many people have trouble getting their arms around this concept…possibly because strategic discussions are such a rarity on too many boards. A conversation I had today with the leadership of one organization might be illuminating in this regard.

This particular board has “diversity among our clients” as one of their values, yet their client base is anything but, and the directive, “let’s increase diversity” certainly doesn’t provide the executive director with much guidance. A great strategic discussion at a board meeting might focus on questions like these:

What do we mean by diversity? (economic, racial, ethnic, other?)
How much diversity do we want? (is there a target number or percentage?)
What considerations do we have to keep in mind? (what are the potential obstacles?)
What will it take to achieve it? (what will this cost and what changes are required?)

Where the line needs to be drawn in this discussion is when the board moves into the logistics of how diversity will be achieved. While it may be helpful for the executive director to hear suggested strategies and ideas for achieving the diversity goal, ultimately, the how is the responsibility of the executive director. The board must hold him or her responsible for the goal, and staying within the parameters they set, but they should not direct the strategies or process. Frame the discussion so the board stays on the strategy level, and not implementation, and you’ll find that you maximize the strengths your board members bring to your organization, and you’ll be setting the stage for meaningful and engaging discussions.

You don’t want a “stronger board”

Jeff Wahlstrom — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 20:21:48 +0000

A discussion that I had today with a board chair caused me to think about word choice and the potential trap we can fall into as we work to strengthen the make-up of a board. Think about how current board members might react when they hear discussions about “recruiting a stronger board” or attracting “better board members.” It would be reasonable for them to ask, “So what’s wrong with me?”

Let’s acknowledge that in the same way that organizations and their leaders need to adapt and change to meet new challenges, so do boards of directors. For most organizations, that means that the skill-set, talents, and experience the board needed 6 years ago, for example, are likely to be different than what are needed today. So we aren’t looking for “better” or “stronger” board members. We are looking for board members who have the skill-set we need today and as we look to the future.

Take the time to look at your strategic plan…at where you want to be in the future…and then honestly assess what you’ll need from your board members in order to help you get there. It is likely that as board members “term out” that you won’t want to replace them with new members who appear to be similar or even identical. More than likely, you will find this to be a great opportunity to expand and diversify the skills, talents, abilities and experience of your board. Don’t miss the opportunity!

The Nominating Grid

Jeff Wahlstrom — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 19:10:26 +0000

As boards begin to get strategic about their recruitment (see my earlier posting: “Why me?”) it makes sense to start using a tool that most describe as a “nominating grid.” The grid can be as simple or complex as you want to make it, but the goal is to show on a single page what board skills, abilities, and experience you’ve identified as being essential and where the gaps are. Used correctly, it brings real focus to the nominating process.

Some easy instructions:

List down the left side of the spreadsheet the skills, abilities, and experiences that you’ll need in the coming 3-5 years in order to move your strategic plan forward. List items like “legislative experience, fund raising skills, etc.,” rather than “banker, accountant, lawyer.” You want attributes, not job titles. Also list any other key factors to which you would like to pay attention, like the number of men and women and other diversity factors that may be appropriate to your board.
Across the top, list your current board members, grouped by when their terms end. This will help you see what skills, abilities and experiences you may be losing each year.
Ideally, a board survey or inventory filled-out by each board member in advance will help you identify what strengths each of your board members have (reflected in the spreadsheet with an X), but this can be done by one or more members of the nominating committee, or the executive director, in a pinch.
Review the spreadsheet as a committee to identify where the gaps are (or will be), and identify where the focus of the recruitment effort should be. Only after completing this process should the group start generating names of potential board members.

It is always amazing to me to see how a simple tool like this can change the conversation from “I know a guy in my neighborhood who would be great,” to a much, much more strategic discussion about what the board and the organization really needs. Just be sure to develop your own criteria for the left side of the page (that is the essential strategic discussion) and take the time to review it annually.

We all know everyone…don’t we?

Jeff Wahlstrom — Fri, 18 May 2007 20:46:21 +0000

As the “new guy” on a few boards in recent years, I’ve come to greatly appreciate those boards that put name cards in front of each board member at every meeting (or have board members wear name tags). Too often the assumption is that “we all know everyone here,” but it isn’t always just the new people who benefit from name cards or name tags. Rare is the board where board members have ongoing relationships or frequent contact between meetings with their fellow board members. Seeing fellow board members once a quarter, or even once a month, can leave those of us with short memories searching the recesses of our minds for a name.

Name cards and name tags may seem like an unnecessary formality, but you can be sure it will mean a great deal to your newest board members, to staff and guests who come in for presentations, and to those who just struggle a bit with names.

Who needs a marketing committee?

Jeff Wahlstrom — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 20:02:03 +0000

One of the best moves I made as an executive director of a nonprofit was to hire a real professional to lead our marketing and communications efforts. She did her homework, got to know the organization, tested our market image in the community, conducted research with donors, and gathered as much expert advice as possible. She developed a great strategy (at least I thought so), drafted some top-notch materials, and seemed ready to move ahead, but that is when I introduced her to the marketing committee.

The marketing committee was a great group of interesting people, chaired by a board member, and all of whom seemed to have at least some level of marketing experience. The reality, however, was that few, if any, knew our business (or had the depth of experience we would have liked). They were observers of our work, at best. So what they became was a group that came together, tore apart the good work of our communications director, and offered alternate ideas (often truly terrible ones) that they expected her to pursue. What should have been a tremendous resource was a committee that became a tremendous obstacle.

If we had not been able to hire a communications director, perhaps this committee would have played a more valuable role, but I have my doubts. For most organizations it is hard to get around the value of hiring an experienced marketing staff member or biting the bullet and paying for some professional advice and/or design help. When we think of those organizations that appear to really have their acts together, it is often because their communications materials look professional…that’s “professional,” not “expensive.”

If your communications director is a professional, rethink the need for a marketing committee. Instead, you may need a group that is ready to help with an event, organize a “thank you rally” for donors, or do other hands-on activity. Or you may find it beneficial to have a group of volunteers who can come together and serve as a focus group early in the design process. But, in any case, it is probably unlikely that you really need a standing marketing committee.

It would be great to hear from those who have found success with their marketing or communications committee. Tell us what has worked for you!

Scrap the Personnel Committee

Jeff Wahlstrom — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 20:38:40 +0000

It seems as if I’m constantly telling organizations that their biggest organizational risk comes from the potential for an enormous lawsuit over a personnel issue. It may seem odd, then, that I am going to recommend that most boards of directors do not need a standing personnel committee.

For the most part, the board should stay out of personnel management. “But we don’t want to manage,” you say. “We just want to make sure that employee issues don’t lead to real problems for the organization.” Keep in mind that you’ve hired the executive director to handle the day-to-day details of the organization and direct the execution of the work plan. If you don’t trust him or her to handle the personnel issues, then fire the executive director and find someone you do trust.

Better yet, help your executive director get matched-up with an experienced human resources professional who can mentor, support, and help him/her through the basics of personnel management. This person does not need to be a board member. Back-up this resource with an employment attorney who the executive director is authorized to call as needed. Most personnel issues need resolution quickly…like in the next few hours. Give your executive director professional resources to call, not a committee.

Finally, there are times when it makes great sense to pull together an ad-hoc personnel committee. Maybe it is time to update the personnel policies, review salary ranges, or tackle some other task with a clear beginning and end. Ask a board member to chair the committee, and then look for volunteers with real expertise to join him/her. And remember that employment attorney I mentioned earlier? Your committee chair is sure to appreciate the opportunity to have him/her review their work. It is sure to be money well spent, and cheaper than any insurance policy!

Board Members Who Go Missing

Jeff Wahlstrom — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 20:38:36 +0000

One of the most vexing problems for almost any nonprofit board is how to deal with those board members who are on the board but never show-up for meetings. While I’ve witnessed lots of humorous exchanges about these board members, the fact is that there is really nothing funny here. Board members who don’t show-up suggest to others that they are working from a different set of expectations, that board service for your organization is not a serious commitment, and that your bylaws probably aren’t being followed. Perhaps most troubling is that these individuals are occupying a seat (though not physically!) that could be better filled by someone who could make a real contribution.

What brings this tirade to mind is an exchange I had with a client today about their bylaws and dealing with absences. In this case, I thought their bylaws really worked quite well. Take a look:

Section 7. Absence. Any officer or Director who is absent from two consecutive meetings or three nonconsecutive regular meetings of the Board of Directors during any twelve consecutive month period shall be deemed to have resigned from his or her position as officer or director.

While the number of meetings could easily be adjusted to better fit your board, I think the concept is a good one. Too often bylaws are structured to activate a process where the board must vote to kick the board member off the board after the absence threshold has been met. This rarely happens. Here, it happens automatically. If the board wants to keep the person on, they can discuss it and vote to “reject” the resignation. That is certainly a more positive discussion.

The topic of dealing with absentee board members could fill several blog postings (if not a book), but I would suggest that you consider adding wording like the above to your bylaws and that you make sure every board member is well aware of the commitment involved before they join the board. I also encourage you to put some thought into how you communicate with board members who miss meetings before they get to this point. A little bit of communication early-on can head off a lot of frustration and difficult conversations later.

I would love to hear your own thoughts on any successes you’ve had in dealing with absentee board members.

Should staff members attend board meetings?

Jeff Wahlstrom — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 22:01:25 +0000

As I work with my nonprofit clients, it is always interesting for me to see how different organizations handle the issue of involving staff members in their board meetings. While some executive directors never invite staff to the meetings, others have certain staff members attend every meeting. You might guess that I’m going to suggest that there is a middle ground worth considering.

Board members want to meet the staff, and most of your staff will value the opportunity to interact with board members. I think something is lost, however, when it becomes standard operating procedure for some or all staff members to attend every board meeting. First, keep in mind just how busy your staff is, what their time is worth to you, and, perhaps, how little really important work gets done at your board meetings. Be strategic. When the board is talking about strategic direction, involve your staff leaders. When the board is talking about a topic that is likely to require a fair amount of background information or expertise you don’t have, get the appropriate staff member to attend. If you are reporting on a successful project or introducing a new program, involve the lead staff person and give him or her lots of credit.

An executive director who doesn’t involve staff in board meetings can appear insecure or might be inadvertently suggesting that staff just isn’t very capable. Think of staff attendance at board meetings as a chance to show-off your skills in hiring, delegating, and bringing good staff along, and always be aware of the professional learning opportunity you are providing to your staff. You could be preparing a future executive director, helping him or her hone essential presentation skills, and providing the confidence boost that so many good people need and deserve.

Great new resource for nonprofits

Jeff Wahlstrom — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 21:34:00 +0000

The folks at The Chronicle of Philanthropy have started a new “roundup of blogs about the nonprofit world. I’ve been a long time reader of The Chronicle, and find it to be a valuable resource. Their “Give and Take” is a great new feature. Take a look: http://philanthropy.com/giveandtake/

Is it mission, or is it vision?

Jeff Wahlstrom — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 21:19:27 +0000

Over the years I’ve seen well-intentioned people cause strategic planning sessions to grind to a halt over personal definitions of “mission” and “vision.” Somehow the words and concepts have become jumbled, and the result is that way too much time is wasted on terminology rather than on moving the process forward.

I generally find agreement in any group that mission statements should say in as few words as possible what your organization does and for whom: “Our mission is to house and feed the homeless and move them down the path to self-sufficiency.” Some would say that the mission statement tells people why you exist. There also seems to be general agreement that when it comes to mission statements that shorter is better. Today’s wisdom suggests that the mission should be able to comfortably fit on the back of your business card.

The vision statement seems more fraught with varying interpretations. I tell my clients to think of the vision statement as a “word painting” of your desired future. As such, you may need several sentences, or even 2 or 3 paragraphs to paint your picture. While some will argue that a vision statement should be only a sentence in length, the goal here is for anyone reading it to be able to envision your future. Unlike the brief mission statement, I’m comfortable with a longer vision statement because I see it as a great tool for speeches, fund raising letters, the orientation of new board members or for any moment where you want to talk about where you want to head and why you need people to join you in your journey.

Call them what you want, but have a short statement that tells why you exist and what you exist to do. Have another statement that helps people appreciate where you are heading and just how exciting the future could be if they would only join you. Together those statements can help provide some essential direction to any organization.