A guide to understanding the different roles of board and staff | Notes on Nonprofits

A new Executive Director reached out recently to ask, “Do you have any advice that will help me guide the board in the delineation between their role in governance and my role as ED/staff?” The issue of board and staff responsibilities is a frequently requested topic.

Here are a few suggestions to support and strengthen this important relationship.

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Start at orientation

Helping board members understand their role begins at new board member orientation. This is an opportunity to share and discuss the budget, strategic plan, Board committee roles, succession plan, and other critical documents that reflect the board’s focus and priorities.

Utilize meeting agendas

Board meeting agendas should reflect the board’s priorities and focus discussion on strategic goals, governance issues, financial health, and committee recommendations (not reports). The board chair plays an important role in keeping meetings at the strategic level and redirecting programmatic or operational ideas to the appropriate committee or ED.

Unlearn bad habits

When people join a board after serving on several others, they may bring bad habits with them. If so, it may take time for them to adjust to serving on a high performing board. It’s a good idea for the chair and ED to talk and/or meet regularly with new board members, especially during their first year, to help them get up to speed and contribute to the board’s work.

Study good governance

To be an effective trustee takes time and a willingness to educate yourself about what it means to serve on a high performing board. Carter McNamara, curator of managementhelp.org, has a free quiz designed to help board and staff understand their roles.

BoardSource, CompassPoint, Bridgespan, and Independent Sector offer lots of resources, articles, templates, and tools to support a healthy chair – ED relationship. Leadership Tallahassee’s annual Building Better Boards program is also wonderful opportunity to learn more about board service and network with other board members.

Become an expert

Nonprofit EDs need to be experts in nonprofit governance. This is one of the most effective ways to share best practices with board members and prevent “scope creep” by either party. Consider providing an article or white paper on a governance related topic and discuss it at a board meeting. I’ve heard many heart-warming stories about this column being utilized in this way and always appreciate hearing it.

Meet regularly

Set a time for the chair and ED to meet regularly, even weekly, if possible, to discuss board and organizational dynamics. A weekly call and monthly visit for lunch or coffee can go a long way towards keeping the lines of communication open and building a trusting relationship.

Recruit seasoned board members

When recruiting new board members, look for people who understand their role and will speak up when board discussions slide into operational issues. Bob Harris, CAE, a frequent guest editor of this column, suggests bringing a sign that says “We’re in the Weeds” that board members can raise during the meeting or setting a toy helicopter on the table to remind trustees to keep meetings at the 10,00- foot level.

Seek outside help

It may be helpful to bring an external person to inform and educate board members about their role. This can be a former board member, previous board chair, or governance consultant.

When recruiting the Chair

Serving as board chair is a big commitment and requires thoughtful consideration by the governance committee and prospective leader. Joan Garry offers a serious of questions she calls the ‘Great Board Chair’ checklist. Here are a few I recommend asking before electing someone to serve as chair. Do you want the job? Do you have time? Do you have schedule autonomy? Can you meet face to face with the ED at least monthly? Can you enthusiastically model good fundraising behavior? Can you guide and mentor committees?

If the board chair is the problem

Sometimes people agree to serve as board chair without understanding the commitment and are unable to dedicate the time required. A chair can also stay in the role too long and can become a roadblock to progress. Whatever the issue, it is critical to invest time in helping the chair be successful since they set the tone for the rest of the board and will influence future chairs.

Consider asking a former chair to meet with a new chair to share their experience at leading meetings and guiding the board through strategic discussions. If nothing works, and a new chair is needed, work with the governance committee to identify and recruit the next chair who understands or is willing to embrace a healthy board-ED relationship.

The best chair-ED relationships are built on trust which reminds of this quote from Warren Buffet: “Trust is like the air we breathe. When it’s present nobody really notices but when its absent, everybody notices.”

Notes on Nonprofits is produced by Alyce Lee Stansbury, CFRE, President of Stansbury Consulting, and features new ideas and resources, responses to reader questions, and timeless topics from our vault. Send your questions and feedback to notesonnonprofits@gmail.com.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: A guide to understanding differing roles of board and staff