When I started as an Executive Director, figuring out how to engage and work with a Board of Directors was challenging. Any articles I could find often either dealt with the legal aspects of the ED/Board relationship or offered examples that didn’t apply.
So now that I’ve served on a couple of boards, I have changed my approach. I was always very grateful for people’s time, but now I focus on how they can support the organization. I find specific tasks they can help with and get them to focus on that. While that’s happening, they’re learning about governance, risk management, strategic planning, and other ins and outs of NFP management.
I’m not sure this approach is perfect, but it allows me to focus on supporting the whole board while getting things done with the help of specific board members. This approach works because of the size of the organization I work at, the phrase “this is a working board” used when recruiting new directors, and the reality that, without the board taking on tasks, our organization wouldn’t be as successful as it has been.