How To Make Your NFP Board IMPLODE:

If you wish to ensure maximum dysfunction with your Not-For Profit (NFP) organization, there are two strategies that clearly stand out that are guaranteed to make your board fail every time:

1. Make certain to load your board up with an many directors as your room will hold. And then add a few more. This is what we call “the more, the merrier” principle, and while it may hold true for holiday parties and family get-togethers, it is certain to torpedo any serious board work.

The research is in, study after study has found that the most effect boards comprise of 8 –11 directors. The business world knows this, and many of the most successful multi-national corporations suffice with a number in this range. So why is it that when these same business people enter the NFP world, suddenly they insist on a board of 15, 20, 30 or more? What changed?

True, NFPs tend to be more complex than your average business. They have more stake holders, they have more political considerations, they may also engage in more activities of a wider, more diverse nature. However, thinking that we can overcome these challenges by having more directors is a mistake.

Organizations that elect many different people from each separate demographic and cultural sector to ensure representativeness are really only incubating a form of mental entrenchment which is more likely to lead to longer-than-necessary board meetings and frustrating stalemates. Rather, each director ought to be encouraged to see themselves as responsible for representing all the different views and opinions within your organization, not just their one constituency. In this case, the adage holds true: “less is more”.

2. Give your Executive Director (ED) a meaningful project and make them responsible to see it through to completion. Then, remove from them, any authority which would actually allow them to complete the task. Responsibility without authority is guaranteed to deteriorate board effectiveness as your directors will be left wondering why their ED is so ineffective.

This is akin to being asked to be responsible for tomorrow’s weather. Unless your staff are given the proper tools, in this case the authority to make decisions and delegate work, don’t be surprized when the results disappoint.

One of the hardest things for boards and committees to assimilate is that fact that when you hire a professional, it requires that the board and committees give up some of their power and authority so that the professional has the space and authority to do their work.

Boards that insist on retaining all their power and authority are also those that micromanage, whether they realize it or not. Such boards would do best to hire an administrator or clerk, rather than a professional ED.

The highly trained ED comes with experience and knowledge.They approach their work with a sense of professionalism and look to partner with their board, not simply implement their directives.Hiring an over-qualified individual for the will ultimately undermine the board and exasperate your employee.

Keep both of these in mind the next you wish to devastate your board’s efficacy and efficiency. Following the above guidelines will guarantee your NFP board to implode!