“If I hear one more [board member] suggest MacKenzie Scott as a funding source I’m gonna lose it!”
Source: An Executive Director of a not-for-profit enterprise on Reddit.
The rest of the Reddit conversation was insightful. Various Executive Directors of nonprofit organizations complained about board members. Their comments told of board members who felt compelled to give them advice – even if they had only cursory understanding of the organization’s day to day operations, including its fundraising challenges.
I believe that board members have the best of intentions when they offer advice. But good intentions don’t always translate to added value. And if the board doesn’t have safeguards in place – that advice can hamper operations. I’m quite certain that s opposite to the intent.
You’re probably wondering – how could advice hamper operations?
When it is perceived as something more than advice.
Let’s say I offer advice to your Executive Director. They could choose to follow the advice, ignore it, or take a completely different course of action. Because I have no authority over your Executive Director, they are not compelled to follow my advice. Instead, they may consider it, weigh it against other information they may have, and make their decision accordingly.
But when the board gives advice, another dynamic comes into play. Most, if not all, Executive Directors know that not following the board’s advice, is a risk. Why? It’s not because the board’s advice is inherently so valuable. It’s because board members are likely to view advice not followed as an afront to the board’s authority.
As the Executive Director’s boss, the board has authority over the Executive Director. It sets direction for the Executive Director and gives them their marching orders. Both the board and Executive Director should be clear about the board’s authority.
But authority doesn’t make the boss smarter, wiser, or better informed on management issues.
Yet, when the Executive Director gets advice from the boss, it isn’t treated the same as advice from other sources. If the Executive Director chooses not to follow the board’s advice and follow a different course of action, they usually have to spend time justifying why.
The same applies to board committees. Setting up board committees to give the Executive Director or other staff advice is a recipe for interference in operations.
Of course, an Executive Director can and should get advice from any source that can be of real assistance. A wise Executive Director knows that they don’t have all the answers and that the entire staff team may not have all the answers. Knowing their limitations and parking their ego by reaching out to knowledgeable sources is a sign of a competent Executive Director.
What if some of that expertise resides in one or more board members? For example, a board member has marketing expertise that the Executive Director would choose to tap into, given the choice. Is that off-limits?
If your board clearly recognizes that individual board members have no authority over the Executive Director, while the whole board has all the authority, then tapping individual board members for advice shouldn’t be a problem.
Such role clarity requires appropriate policies. Policies should clearly state that the Executive Director has only one boss: the board, and that individual board members have no authority over the Executive Director or other staff. It also requires the board and its members to be disciplined and act in accordance with their policies. If a board member is off-side with those policies, there must be no doubt that the board will address the issue.
What if the Executive Director doesn’t seek advice from a board member – but that board member wants to offer it regardless? Doing so, is okay, but I offer some cautions to the board member:
- Be clear with both the Executive Director and yourself that this is advice only. There is no obligation for the Executive Director to follow the advice or to report back whether the advice was followed.
- Offer advice only when you have something of value to offer or when solicited by the Executive Director.
- Don’t be fooled into thinking this is your job as a board member. Setting direction and oversight on behalf of the ownership is the job – not advising management on how to do their job.
And whatever you do, don’t suggest that the Executive Director approach MacKenzie Scott as a funding source!
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