Educating Rita, Mark, Thomas, and
Eduardo…
How to transform the board you’ve got into the board you want.
The Beginning
It all starts with the nominating committee. The purpose of nominations isn’t just to identify
potential chamber directors. Rather, it is the critical stage that begins the education and
orientation process of future chamber leaders. Right up front, it is
the means by which the chamber can detail the roles,
The number one lie: “You
responsibilities, and expectations of chamber leadership.
won’t have to do anything
when you get on the board.”
By having the committee provide this information to all board
candidates, the message has the additional power of coming from peers—not staff.
The committee should inform nominees of the time and financial expectations, plus discuss
additional requirements for committee participation, fund-raising, and others.
Since the direction of your chamber is determined by its strategic mission, it is important to
review the chamber’s strategic plan and show each nominee how his or her skills complement
its goals.
It’s not uncommon today for the nominating committee to require a written pledge of the
nominees stating that they intend to fulfill their duties. After all, as one chamber exec so aptly
stated, “Great boards make great organizations. But where do you think the great board
comes from?” A great board is made up of individuals who are educated, informed and
passionate. You can make sure of the first two; the passion is up to them.
The Methods
How do you get your new board member motivated and moving in the right direction? It’s
that often misunderstood, under utilized procedure—orientation. While many chambers
disregard orientation because the board or chairperson thinks it isn’t important, it is the key to
a successful first year. It is the ultimate tool that allows you to keep up the board momentum
and to ensure that even your newest member is on the same page as his or her peers.
Successful methods for orientation vary as widely as chambers. What works for some, may
not work for others. Among others, the following techniques have been very successful:
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Annual orientation meetings
Top notch, easy to follow orientation manuals
Mentoring—pairing up a new board member with a seasoned member
Staff support—providing a staff link to the chamber for the “silly” questions
Strategic plan highlights
Videotaped overview of the chamber and the board
Assigning committee work immediately; give them a job to do
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Breakfast/Lunch with the Chairperson—very impressive; often considered a real
privilege
Request “sequential” opinions on select topics—at least one per meeting so everyone
will have a voice
Board retreats
Invitations to social events throughout the year (e.g. Holiday party)
It’s not hard to be on the board, but you
do have to open your e-mails from the
chamber at least once a week.
The Meeting
Keep it short. Keep it simple. Keep it focused.
Here’s your opportunity for staff to explain board responsibilities, the board-staff relationship
and organizational goals. A well-planned orientation meeting should take 2 to 3 hours but
make a lasting impact. It should not be squeezed into the coffee break at a meeting. Nor
should it take all day. That’s what your board retreat is for. Let your staff do their own
presenting and give the new member the overview they need to do the job.
The Manual
The orientation manual transfers specific knowledge to volunteers. Give them the
information and tools they need to be good leaders early in their term.
Few volunteers understand the mechanics of boardmanship. While each director may be good
at running a business or the best in his or her profession, they may feel uneasy with agendas,
rules of order, nonprofit finances and governance. Reassure the new members that the manual
has the answers needed for good governance and can reduce their anxiety (and calls to the
staff with questions that can be answered by its contents).
Once you create a manual it is easy to update annually. These are some items to include in
your manual:
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History Fact Sheet
Bylaws
Calendar of Events
Board Roster with photos
Staff Roster with photos
Committees, Chapters
Budget
Strategic Plan
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Mission Statement
Forms
Rules of Order
Member Benefits/Services
Policies
The most common format for an orientation manual is a three-ring binder. The table of
contents can serve as the orientation agenda. Other formats include a virtual manual hosted
on a website or a CD-ROM with all contents.
The Agenda
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Boards think of orientation as a static presentation about the organization’s history and
purpose. They spend one hundred percent of the time listening and not discussing leader
responsibilities. However, successful board orientation should include an open exchange, as
well as the opportunity to ask questions.
Orientation discussion should be allocated as follows:
30% history, purpose and operations
30% board roles and responsibilities
15% on board risks
Orientation - Strategic Focus
25% goals and how to achieve them.
Goals
25%
Risks
15%
Purpose
30%
Roles
30%
The Barriers
There are obstacles to governance that should be discussed at orientation. Nothing should be
held back.
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Sacred Cows – Anything that is regarded as being untouchable. For example, the board
member who never shows up but has been on the board for a year. Or a pet project that
has cost the organization time and money with minimal return, but is favored by a small
group.
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Size Matters – The average board size is 19 persons. Larger boards can be unwieldy and
costly. Nonprofit boards are downsizing to expedite decision-making.
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Personal Agendas – Ask leaders to check personal agendas at the door. The actions of
the board are for the well being of the organization and must be supported by everyone, no
matter how individuals voted.
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Finances Count – Spend extra time with the elected treasurer to build their confidence in
understanding and presenting financial reports. You want a treasurer who can satisfy the
leadership that he or she has the complete picture of the assets and that all the necessary
safeguards are in place.
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Respect for Chair and Agenda – All discussion and motions go through the chairperson
who maintains order while running a fair and efficient meeting. The purpose of an agenda
is to focus on important matters and to avoid sidebar chats that are distracting and could
create antitrust or libel risks.
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Run Like a Business – Successful nonprofits are complex; some have even become
management companies themselves. Many boards oversee a combination of foundations,
political action committees and for-profit companies. Remember the term “not-for-profit”
is only a classification and does not mean the organization should not make a profit or
build reserves. It is imperative, then, that the board runs itself by the business model.
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Be Futurists – The board’s role is not to micro-manage the organization, but rather to set
the course to guide the organization to best serve the chamber profession. Keep the
leadership focused on the future. Help them monitor trends and provide reports to
anticipate and make assumptions about members’ needs.
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Obsession – If there is one obsession at the board table, it should be on the mission,
vision and value. Work and resources should be directed at the goals in the strategic plan.
The plan is your organization’s roadmap.
You’ll know you succeeded when your new
board members seem like they’ve been with
The Result
you for years.
Sitting on a chamber board is a privilege. Some chamber executives think you can bring on
anyone as a new board member and “re-educate” that person to do what you need doing. You
can’t. In essence, your board will only be as good as your nominating committee. But you
can “educate” a new board member. The result will be an individual who is excited,
energized and committed to the chamber and its future.
Robert C. Harris, CAE, conducts association strategic planning and leadership development.
He can be contacted at bob@rchcae.com or 850/570-6000 in Tallahassee, FL. Additional
information about board orientation is posted on his website at www.nonprofitcenter.com.
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