Board and Professional Staff-Their roles with each other

Much has been written or spoken over the last few months about the relationship between the board and its role with the professional staff of the association. While that personal matter is still underway and will be resolved at some point in the near future, I still get asked what my view of the role of the board is with the organization.

I was on the board of directors as VP for Programs during a transition between Executive Directors. It was a watershed opportunity for the board to move beyond its traditional role of being operationally oriented. The board truly wished to move beyond that stage and towards one of policy and vision orientation. For the most part over the past 8 years, it has done so. The tranisition from operational to policy/vision has not been easy, but along the way it has grown along with the organization to be a successful in its oversight and view of the big picture. The growth of the sections, the sound foundation of the regions along with all the new products and services developed by the national office has led to great success stories. The recent reorganization of the board to include at large members as well as the development of the leadership councils have taken that focus to a new and important step.

Yet, along the way it is critical that the board and the Executive Director has common goals and objectives. Based on the strategic plan of the organization the board should and for the most part all the time, stay out of the way of the operational and on the ground elements of the association. But ultimately the board is responsible for the organization both fiscally and its mission orientation. If it deems it necessary to provide oversight in selected areas of engagement, it has that right. Not in a fashion that is meant to be dictator but rather as a means to express members interest and desire and collaboratively develop plans to meet those needs. One set of ideas or projects is not better nor worse than the other...Listening and engaging in collaborative planning and assessment is critical. It is not just the function of the staff, but in an oversight fashion, that of the board as well.

There in lies an important factor...The non profit board hires an executive director and that person is directly supervised by the board. The rest of the staff is supervised by the ED. Clear and transparent lines of authority as well as supervision is critical. One can not predict nor plan for problems when they occur. But having a process in place for review, appeal and sound reflection with the mission of the organization as the foundation is critical. The board and ED relationship is bottom line a trust relationship. Both sides need to trust each other that they are working in the best interest of the organization and its members. Without that trust both sides will stray from the direction of serving members, where ever they may be from and perhaps not see the forest from the trees.

Thanks for this opportunity to share my thoughts with you

Yours in interpretation

Tom