06 Apr When Your Board is “Difficult”

By Jackie Sue Griffin, MBA, MS

A difficult board can cause your nonprofit a number of headaches, from annoyances like slowing the work and meddling in day-to-day operations to full-blown migraines like damaging the brand and reputation.

Here are a few fixes:

1. 1. As the organization’s executive leader, you must be assertive about maintaining focus on the mission. You’re the constant role model, aligned to the organizational morals and values in place from the very beginning. Oftentimes organizational failure can be traced to the moment the board begins to wander from the beliefs that built the company.
   2. Implement firmly set and carefully explicated board rules from day one. Emphasize that accusatory, passive-aggressive or combative behaviors have no place in the organization or its meetings.
   3. Confront issues immediately. Ignoring a problem shows a lack of leadership and can create bigger conflicts when other members start to take charge because they sense a lack of authority in the organization.
   4. Speak directly to any person or persons exhibiting behaviors that are causing rifts or tension amongst the members. Show courtesy and address them personally with an unbiased perspective. Your aim is to understand fully where they’re coming from.
   5. In some cases, tension may be caused when one or more members are simply uncomfortable with change. The goal here is to find a path to consensus and moving forward.
   6. Aim for honest, open dialogue and require inclusion. Not only can this be a learning and growing experience, it also fosters diversity. By accepting differences, your board also opens the door to new ideas and possibilities.
   7. If your board has started to insert themselves into operations, their micromanaging can cause issues. This can be resolved by reminding them that the role of the board is to focus on the organization’s strategic and oversight issues—governance rather than operations.
   8. Instill a strong sense of accountability and the understanding that mistakes may happen, but they can be avoided if properly planned and discussed as an organization.
   9. Board members who are disengaged and not participating may be a sign of lack of interest—or feeling discouraged to engage in open discourse. Check with your quieter members to ensure they feel safe to share ideas and express themselves during meetings.
   10. The board should aim to move forward together as an organization. If a member is deeply unsure of growing with the company’s capacity, maybe it’s time they move on to other ventures better suited to them.
   11. Annual self-evaluations ensure that the board is reminded of their boundaries and provides feedback as a positive component to their future success.
   12. In the case where a board member is no longer fulfilling their agreed-upon obligations to the organization as per their position description, be sure to follow organizational policy in completing their board service termination.