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Is Your Board Keeping You Up at Night?

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A write-up on the Executive Women in Nonprofits event on September 13th sponsored by Visit Austin.

"No matter how long you've led your association/not-for-profit, you will still have board challenges," said Linda Ferm, CAE, chair of the Executive Women in Nonprofits (EWIN) engagement group and a long time NYSAE member, at the group's recent meeting. "Board governance is a key issue that gives an organization its guiding principles."  Ferm would know; as president of Ferm Nonprofit Strategies, she has consulted with more than 85 nonprofit boards to date.  

The 22 women in attendance included a mix of tenured nonprofit leaders as well as newbies, several who more recently stepped into nonprofits from other industries. They represented a spectrum of markets from accounting, securities and medical to fragrance and veterans, most with executive director/CEO titles. They all shared the same goal: how to help their board members to be effective leaders and in turn advance their organizations.

The session was highly interactive with attendees sharing war stories and successful strategies, and those at all levels eager for tips on working with their boards. Attendees submitted questions in advance to frame the discussion. The following are just two of the issues addressed.

How do I handle my board overloading staff with tasks and projects?

Several mentioned the value of displaying your organization's mission statement and its strategic priorities for the year on the board of directors meeting agenda, and having a structured agenda to help keep the discussion on track. When new, unbudgeted ideas are floated, defer them for further review to a 'proposal form' so that they can be thoughtfully assessed for staff and volunteer time commitment, cost, and to be sure they fit in with your strategic objectives and plan. One attendee emphasized that her organization never considers new projects without this data. Data driven strategies is in fact one of the seven elements in the leadership book Seven Measures of Success: What Remarkable Associations Do That Others Don't. And who doesn't want their organization to be remarkable?!

How do I broach doing a strategic plan when my organization has never had one, and doesn't believe they want or need one? 

"This is not at all unusual," commented Ferm, "especially in certain types of organizations. Help your board develop a growing and open culture where possibility replaces holding on to doing things the way they have always been done," she added. Several participant comments reflected the popular line from Romeo and Juliet, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." That is, do a strategic plan and call it something else. A business plan. A strategic communications plan. And don't leave it on the shelf!

Several attendees brought up the matter of diversity and inclusion in associations/non-profits, a prominent topic these days; this will be the topic at the November EWIN meeting.

Executive women, including both NYSAE members and nonmembers, are welcome at future EWIN engagement group sessions, which are usually held on a Friday from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM. Check the NYSAE Calendar of Events for future dates and topics. The next session is scheduled for Friday, November 8th.

by Jennifer Ian, MBA, CAE

 

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