The Board’s Role in Navigating a Changing Environment
When change comes at you so quickly that you feel like you have whiplash, as I know I have felt many times over this last month, you want to leverage the power, networks, knowledge, and support of your board to help you navigate it while retaining your sanity and your organization’s strength.
How can your board help?
Keep them informed. Your board has the legal responsibility of organizational oversight, so if something comes out of the government that has the potential to impact your organization, you have a duty to let them know. Even if you do not think it will necessarily impact you, let them know that as well. Show them that you have your pulse on national events through the lens of your organization and help them do so as well. A well-informed board can also act quickly when and if the need arises.
Engage their expertise. You don’t need to have all the answers for everything. Hopefully you filled your board with experts on a wide variety of topics; leverage that expertise. Even if you don’t know how a certain piece of legislation or executive order may impact you, someone on your board probably does – or knows someone who does. Ask them! People like to feel useful and love to give their opinions. So, give them that opportunity. Afterall, you have a board to expand your knowledge base.
Engage their networks. You may not have thought about having a civil rights lawyer or advocate on your board, but you may find that useful. Someone on your board may know someone who can provide very specialized advice to help you through a difficult time or answer specific questions about a piece of legislation or executive order. Ask them who they know and to connect you to them for specific advice, questions, or conversations.
Engage their advocacy. Your board serves your organization because (hopefully) they have a passion for your mission. Let them share that passion with the news media, elected officials, and anyone who will listen if a particular action will have a large negative impact on your organization or the clients you serve. (Make sure you prepare them with background information and talking points as needed.) Most elected officials want to get re-elected. They do so by meeting the needs of their constituents. Tell them your needs and demand action! While you have an important voice and perspective, your legislators will listen more closely to 100 or 500 voices telling them the same message, so mobilize your board and their networks to advocate on your behalf. Even better, do board members personally know a legislator or media personality? Use those connections to further amplify your message.
Seek their support. Leading a nonprofit is hard work in the best of times. It can feel downright lonely and overwhelming in times like these. Turn to your board or a few compassionate board members when you need to vent or a metaphorical or actual shoulder to cry on. They should care about your mental health as much as the organization’s fiscal health. (Same goes for your personal and professional networks, the latter of whom probably need your support as much as you need theirs.)
Develop plans to navigate these changes. Work with your board to revisit your strategic plan which may need some updates in this changing environment. You may need to close a program, open a new one, expand staff, or make a whole host of other changes. Do not feel like you alone need to develop these solutions. While the board will – and should – turn to you and your staff as the content experts, rely on their expertise, brainstorming abilities, and critical thinking skills to bring a pseudo-outside perspective to your problem and help you develop the best solutions possible for your organization. And help you find the resources to implement them.
All these suggestions assume that you have a knowledgeable board and that you have a strong, trusting relationship with your board. If not, begin to build those things today as they will help navigate today’s challenges and tomorrows.
Serendipitously, we ran a series on navigating change in your organization last fall which you can access here for more tips and suggestions on ways to prepare your organization for change and managing through that change.
