Take the Bored out of Board Meetings
Ensure board meetings are effective, not boring
In the work world there are few things worse than meeting just for the sake of meeting, and this is doubly true in the nonprofit world where most board and committee participants are volunteers. Board and committee meetings are the lifeblood of nonprofits. These meetings are where most of the work and problem solving for the agency gets done, and they are a great opportunity to build relationships and network.
If you are on a board and you want to impress your Executive Director and help make your organization’s board meetings more engaging and productive, do the following:
Read the materials before the meeting. I will admit that early in my career there were a few meetings as a volunteer board member where I showed up without having any idea what was in the board packet. Don’t be the person in the room who doesn’t participate because you have no idea what is going on!
Show up. You are on the board because your thoughts and opinion are needed! When there is poor attendance the energy is sucked out of the room for everyone. Lack of quorum is a waste of everyone’s time and severely limits an organization’s progress.
Be engaged during the meeting. You showed up and you read the materials! Fantastic! Now, please put your phone or laptop away. This is not a good time to check email or box scores. Be sure to stay engaged and ask questions. Part of the reason you are on the board is for your perspective – be sure to share it!
Stay positive and solutions-oriented. Nonprofit boards tackle some really difficult societal issues every day. Look around the room and take heart in knowing that you are not the only one who wants to make a positive difference. Staying solutions-oriented helps prevent organizations from getting stalled.
Get to know the other members. Show up a little early and give yourself some time to hang out and chat. This is an opportunity for you to network and get to know other people in the community. Find out where everyone works. Do they have kids? What are their hobbies? It is impossible to help make your community a better place if you are doing it solo, and everyone in that room has something unique to offer.
Follow through. If you volunteer to do something, write it down and do it. If you find that you are unable to complete the task, talk with the Board President or Executive Director so they can offer suggestions or find someone else to fill in.
If you follow these six simple steps you will be the type of board member that seasoned Executive Directors dream about. Better yet, you will help set the example for what is expected of other board members and help develop a board culture that is positive, engaged, and not at all boring.
Christi Cakiroglu has more than 20 years of nonprofit experience and has staffed or volunteered with more than a dozen boards. CC Consulting Solutions allows her the opportunity to support nonprofit leaders and build healthy boards and strong organizations through board development, capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and executive coaching. For more information visit www.ccconsultingsolutions.com.