Chair drops email bomb: Board wants to supervise staff

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/ban.30357
• Date: 01 November 2016
• Published date: 01 November 2016

Editor: Jeff Stratton

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View this newsletter online at wileyonlinelibrary.com • DOI: 10.1002/ban

Chair drops email bomb:

Board wants to supervise staff

If someone needs to read the riot act to non-

profit staff, that person must be the CEO, not a

board member.

A Florida administrator received a chilling

email from her board chair that speaks to this

point:

“Hi Xxx. Can we set up a time to talk to the

staff regarding participation in fundraising? The

entire board thinks that we should convey our

thoughts on this subject. Probably Xxx and my-

self … very short. Let me know.”

After the CEO sent me a copy of this note, we

discussed some of the details about her worri-

some situation.

“My board chair and board secretary want to

address my entire staff in regard

to staff participating in fundrais-

ing events. They are not pleased

because they don’t believe em-

ployees are supportive enough of

our new fundraising initiatives—I

think it is for a number of reasons

and one being me not engaging

them. I just do not think it is my board’s place

to address the entire staff.”

The Board Doctor’s answer to this board

problem and any board issue where the board

wants to make an end run around you to speak

directly to your employees is this: If the board is

unhappy about staff for any reason, they need

to talk to you. The CEO is the middle person or

connection between the board and staff.

The board should vent its unhappiness about

staff and its lack of enthusiasm for fundraising

at you. You are in charge of the staff. The board

shouldn’t address employees directly on this is-

sue or any other issue. You need to coach your

personnel on the importance of fundraising for

the nonprofit rather than let the board do so.

There is something about board members and

their relationship to the organization’s employ-

ees that does create a sense of confusion in the

minds of trustees. I’ve written about it for years,

and the issue continually rears its head.

That’s why I think savvy nonprofit CEOs are

always prepared with the tools and arguments

they need to head the board off at the pass on

this issue. Here’s why:

When board members ignore this chain of

command, they interfere with the ability of

the CEO to effectively manage. For example, if

the board overturns its administrator’s recent

employee discipline decision, his authority to

handle personnel issues is undermined—forever.

November 2016 Vol. 33, No. 3 Editor: Jeff Stratton

continued on page 4

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Troubling incident: The case

for board term limits 2

Tips for clarifying board role

with employees 3

Ensure a board culture that teaches

respect for role over time 5