In this issue: 

• Show me the Rule

• Checklist for a productive board meeting

• Not a team player?  Quit wasting everybody’s time!

• Good idea!

Dear Executive and Board Members,

Show me the Rule

A very close friend of mine has a favorite saying, “Show me the rule,” used most often when someone tells him he can’t do something or must do something.  It’s not just a streak of stubbornness, but actually a very important personal principle.  His theory is that people hide behind false beliefs, or avoid doing something they really don’t want to do anyway, by citing a vague rule or a law that prohibits it. 

As I chase around the country talking to boards, I hear things like, "We can’t take a board planning retreat away from our offices because we’re subject to the open meetings law."  So?!  The sunshine laws of most states that I know of don’t prohibit retreats away from the office.  Just follow the law—post the agenda, notify the media, allow the public to see and hear what you do, or whatever the law requires.  Learn the law instead of making up your own law!

“Sarbanes-Oxley says we have to create a board audit committee.”  No it doesn’t!  the Sarbanes-Oxley law applies only to publicly-traded corporations and has nothing to do with nonprofit corporations.

“We’re a nonprofit organization, therefore we can’t be involved in lobbying for political causes that are important to us.”  Wrong!!!  That’s not what the law or the IRS says.  Nonprofits can’t endorse a candidate, or spend two-thirds of the budget on political activity without incurring the wrath of the IRS, but you can educate legislators about legislation that impacts you or your constituents.  Learn the rules!

Bottom line:  Smart boards act on fact, not on supposition or guessing.

Checklist for a productive board meeting

Control!  It’s the first, and maybe the most important, ingredient in pulling off a productive board meeting. I’ve watched boards debate with visitors to their meetings.  I’ve seen board chairpersons ignore several sidebars going on while a motion is debated.  I frequently witness board meetings that completely ignore common parliamentary procedures. They're out of control!

The very reason boards meet is to deliberate issues and take action, but all too often the board meeting is all sound and fury, resulting in little or nothing productive.  Boards don’t want to have unproductive meetings, they just don’t spend the time to figure out why they are that way and solve the problem.

Here’s a checklist to help you identify a few ways to better control your meetings:

All new board members are trained to:

____read and understand budgets and financial statements. Inability to read, understand and ask appropriate questions about financial paperwork is the biggest anchor on a board meeting.

____understand basic meeting procedures.  For example:  We attend all meetings on time.  Only one person speaks at a time.  We show respect for each other at all times.  We always focus on the mission.  We stick to the agenda.  We understand all power and authority belongs to the full team, not individuals.

____know board policies concerning meetings.  The attendance policy must be enforced. We must have a quorum to do business. The public speaks only during a public forum period.

____understand their responsibilities and liabilities. Is your board required to follow the sunshine law or the public records law?  Does each board member understand the duties of care and loyalty? Do all board members understand they can be held personally liable for their actions?

The executive and president talk strategy before every meeting, and come prepared with:

____answers to anticipated questions from board members.  The board chair should know the board well enough to anticipate their need for information about the agenda issues.  Invite board members to call the exec or chairperson with questions as soon as they get the agenda before the meeting.

____background and support materials on all agenda items. The board cannot discuss important issues without background and facts. If you’re constantly tabling issues because of lack of background, there’s a clue here.

____specific recommendations for the board on all agenda items. The exec is paid to provide expertise to the board.  Written recommendations on all issues before the board will speed the meeting significantly.

We have the tools for a good meeting such as:

____a well-designed agenda and support materials.  The agenda is the road map for the meeting.  The map maker can make the trip easy or hard.

____ability to deliver board packets and other materials electronically.  Electronic delivery allows you to get materials to board members faster and sooner so they have more time to prepare.  A well prepared board will result in a better meeting.

____updated board books with policies, minutes of previous meetings, and other necessary materials.  Struggling to remember what we did two meetings ago is a big time eater.  A well-organized resource book ready for quick reference saves time.

 ____note pads and pens. Yes, every board member should come prepared with basic tools like note pad and pen--but they don’t.  Place them at every board seat before the meeting or waste time at the meeting chasing down something to write with.

We create a good meeting atmosphere that includes:

____the chair reads the mission statement as the first item after calling the meeting to order.  No better way to focus the purpose of the meeting and keep it on track.

____board table, or tables, arranged so that board members can easily see each other, and look like a team.  Even public boards should not get into the “performance stance” where they face the audience and perform rather than doing business as a team.

____the chairperson positioned at the head of the table in the power position and the executive next to the chairperson.  The end of the table opposite of the chairperson should be left open for presentations from non-board members. 

____name plates in front of all board members.  Of course they know each other, but nice nameplates give the meeting a businesslike atmosphere.

____rules for appropriate behavior.

• __meetings will start on time with board members in attendance on time
• __no sidebars
• __cell phones off or switched to vibrate
• __discussion only on agenda items

____clear motions before any debate.  An Illinois exec places small three by five papers, with a duplicate attached, in front of each board seat. When board members make a motion, they write it on the paper, hand a copy to the secretary and keep a copy.

____light refreshments available throughout the meeting.

Not a team player?  Quit wasting everybody’s time!

I would be the first to say that most real progress and change in this world is caused by people who stand apart from the norm—the pusher, the agitator, the person who sees things a little differently than the rest of the world. And that generally holds true for change in nonprofit organizations. 

But here’s a warning for that person on your board.  Want to make changes?  That’s great!  We need people like you.  But keep in mind that this is a team.  If you don’t understand how a team works, you’re going to waste everybody’s time and accomplish nothing productive.  Here’s how it works: 

• Change takes a majority vote.
• Disrespect your teammates and they’ll shut you out so you will never get a majority on your side.
• Embarrass your teammates before the public or constituents and they’ll resist everything you do.
• Fail to listen to your teammates' positions, and they’ll never hear a thing you say.

Good idea!

As I travel around the country working face-to-face with boards I’m always surprised by the creativity that board members bring to the job.  While leading a recent board development workshop for a Pennsylvania nonprofit, I suggested they begin every meeting by having the chairperson read the mission statement to focus on the real reason they are meeting.  The chairperson went me one better.  He says he always asks board members to tell the rest of the board one good thing they’ve heard about the organization since the last meeting. 

  “It really sets a positive tone for our meetings,” he explains.  “And it has the added advantage of getting board members to actually seek comments about the organization from the community, because they know I’m going to ask them for something at the next meeting.  Board members need to be advocates, connecting our organization to the community and connecting the community to the organization.”

My staff is busy filling up my calendar with workshops and planning retreats for fall and early winter, and I’d love to get you on the schedule.  Call me at 800-735-9471, or e-mail to mail@cain-consulting.com for a no obligation proposal for your board.

October

• Sioux Falls, SD
• Albuquerque, NM
• Jacksonville, FL
• Plainfield, IL
• Nebraska City, NE
• Rock Rapids, IA
• Scottsdale, AZ

November

• Milwaukee, WI
• Detroit, MI
• Sharon, PA
• Orlando, FL

December

• Chicago, IL
• Atlanta, GA
• Charleston, SC
• Orlando, FL

Dan Cain