Tips From The Trenches

• Published date: 01 February 2018
• Date: 01 February 2018
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/ban.30623

February 2018 • Volume 34, Number 6 7

DOI 10.1002/ban© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company • All rights reserved

Tips From The Trenches

Ask board members

‘gut-level’ questions

Sit down with each board member and ask them

why they choose to serve on the board. An exercise

like this gives the administrator the opportunity

to clarify issues about who does what with board

members, and prevent role conflict.

“Why are you here?” questions

for board members

• What are the things that please you the most

about being a member of the board/administra-

tive team?

• What are the things that please you the least

about being a member of the board/administra-

tive team?

• If you had to identify a main source of moti-

vation for being a member of the board/adminis-

trative team, what would it be?

Questions about board member

expectations

• In regard to the other members of the board/

administrative team and how they perform the

responsibilities associated with their positions,

what are your expectations?

• In regard to the administrative staff and how

they perform the responsibilities associated with

their positions, what are your expectations?

• What can the other board members and ad-

ministrative team members expect from you as a

member of the board?

• If you had to prioritize one, two or three op-

erating principles critical to the successful func-

tioning of the board/administrative team, what

would they be? ■

Limit board ‘pop-in’ visits

A Texas board places these restrictions on

board member “pop-in” visits to the organization’s

office to prevent any members from micromanag-

ing employees. They are:

1. Board members will not visit the office or

sites for the purposes of observing or assessing

staff performance.

2. Board members must notify the administra-

tor of their visits when they are not attending a

scheduled activity. ■

Take charge of new members’

training

If you don’t train new board members, no one

will. Administrators should schedule one-on-one

training with new board members as soon as they

are selected.

Train them thoroughly at the beginning of their

board service and it will pay off in the future.

No matter how good or experienced a new board

member is, if you don’t give them the training, it

will take them longer to get up to speed at board

meetings.

You will empower your newest board members,

and by doing this, they will also see you as a leader. ■

Avoid these board recruiting

problems

Two problems often sink many nonprofits’ board

recruiting efforts right from the start. Try to avoid

them.

1. Asking board members to provide names of

prospects, leading to the “friends and neighbors”

pool of board prospects.

Invite board to attend your

administrative team meetings

Boost board trust and confidence with this idea:

Let board members know they are welcome to

come and sit in on your leadership team meetings.

Be sure to share the administrative team meet-

ing agendas with the board in your written report.

You can also accomplish the same thing by

inviting the board to attend special staff functions

such as staff in-service day activities and retire-

ment events. ■

2. Hitting up overextended professionals. Too many

organizations go back to the same names in the com-

munity, the ones who might already be sitting on 10

boards. That might land you a “name” board member,

but one who is not interested in your cause and is

already strained from overcommitment. ■