Members of an industry association get excited only when their Board proposes initiatives that will likely benefit them and their businesses financially or materially. The most often asked question during
A Municipal Council Member uses his knowledge of rules of order (parliamentary procedure) to advance proposals of questionable merit or to stall or block other initiatives. In another setting, the
A smooth-talking CEO has mastered the art of telling the Board what it wants to hear: “There is nothing to worry about. It was handled this morning,” or: “It’s not
A locally based community services organization receives a pitch from a philanthropist: “I’ll donate up to $100,000 to match any funds that you raise on your own.” The Board gets
Sometimes it’s necessary for a board to fire the executive director. Occasionally the decision is clear to everyone, such as in instances of embezzlement or unethical behaviour. But more often,
Size Matters It’s usually easier for 12 people to agree on a course of action than for larger groups to do so. Although the average not-for-profit board size is 14,
Executive Directors can spend a lot of time complaining about their boards – wanting them to leave them alone. But imagine, if you will, what would happen if you waved
While there are many methods of building a pipeline of potential Board members and leaders, one that is very effective is to create an ‘emerging leaders’ or ‘rising stars’ group.
Picture this. You’ve just completed a two-day annual planning workshop with your Board of Directors, set against a backdrop that encourages free thinking, new ideas, lots of time for networking,
The board types described here range from those that are heavily involved in operations (usually in small organizations with little or no staff) to those with little or no operational
