Is your Board Sustainable?

Over the past two weeks, I’ve spoken to several NPO leaders and during each conversation, the topic of sustainability came up. By “sustainability” I don't mean earth-friendly, “green” practices. The sustainability I am referring to is about an organization's ability to remain viabile and relevant over time. Organizational sustainability is a huge topic, so for this post, I will just focus on board sustainability.

While an organization’s mission doesn’t change over time, the function of the organization does. As an organization grows, its board of directors needs to diversify and change in order to meet the organization’s expanding needs. An effective board reflects the current organization, yet is also structured to support the organization’s future goals.

NPOs can usually trace their beginning to a small group of likeminded individuals who came together with the purpose of achieving a specific mission. Many times, founding boards consist of spouses, family members, or friends – people who are directly connected to the mission and are passionate about seeing it achieved. For some, this may be the first time they’ve served on a board or worked in the nonprofit sector. Founding boards are usually small and board members are charged with the responsibility of carrying out the day-to-day operations of the organization.

As an organization moves from its grassroots structure to a more professional composition, the board’s make-up must change to reflect the organization’s growth. It isn’t enough to only have board members with a direct connection to the mission. A healthy board needs to include members with differing viewpoints, diverse expertise, and varied experience. In addition, board members should be able to help the organization develop a broad network of prospective donors and community partners. As staff members are hired to manage the organization, the board’s focus needs to shift from carrying out the day-to-day activities to providing governance and oversight.

Remember, sustainability doesn’t mean preserving the current state throughout time. A sustainable board is one that changes over time to ensure an organization’s longevity and viability in the future. At any point in time, a board should simultaneously reflect the organizations past, present and desired future state.

Your board can be sustainable at any phase of its existence, as long as it remains open to change.

So , is your board structured to endure?

Conflict – it isn’t always a bad thing.

When talking with NPO leaders and board members, one topic that always comes up is conflict and how it interferes with the productivity of an organization. While certain conflict can paralyze an organization, some conflict is a good thing. Conflict can spur creativity, help to perfect an idea, and prevent groupthink.

The main types of conflict are: relationship conflict, task conflict and process conflict. Relationship conflict is emotional and occurs on a personal level – it does not belong at work and is not beneficial. Task conflict is disagreement about the work being done, and process conflict is disagreement about the strategy being taken to achieve a specific task.

Although there are different types of conflict, people tend to think all conflict is bad and avoid it at all costs. So, how can you ensure your board or team experiences good conflict?

1. Monitor the size of your board or the number of people you have on a team. You need enough people to meet the needs of your organization, but not so many that you over represent a particular group, or allow members to feel like they can become inactive.

2. Invite different perspectives – literally. If everyone is in agreement, then ask people to come up with alternative conclusions or solutions.

3. Appoint a Devil’s Advocate at each meeting. This person will encourage people to look for problems and offer alternative viewpoints to the group.

4. Structure discussion guidelines to prevent board members from arriving at a solution prematurely.

5. Establish a procedure for protecting differing viewpoints. You want people to know they can offer a novel idea or perspective without fear of rejection or ridicule from the group.

6. Develop a 2nd solution for each project or initiative. This forces people to discuss alternatives in a constructive way.

7. Be aware of the clock! Discussions shouldn’t drag on forever, but the group shouldn’t attempt to arrive at a conclusion because of time pressure. Take the time to be thorough and plan ahead to avoid making hasty decisions.