I spoke with someone who has served on many boards. She told me about a frustrating experience that led her to resign before her term was up. It got me thinking about my own history. I have served on more than 20 boards. In most cases, I stay for as long as I can until I “term limit” off as they say. But I have also left boards early and for different reasons. Years ago – before we all did Zoom or Teams or Meet – I was on a national board. Most meetings were on the East Coast, and… Read more
After my last post which encouraged board members to ask hard questions, several readers asked what questions? Board members need full information to make good decisions. And that means asking lots and lots of questions – the ones that break out of group think, that uncover hidden issues, and that get to the essence of unseen problems or opportunities. I started brainstorming questions and came up with a very long list. So, I decided instead to share just a few really key questions. I organized them in five areas: finance, program, funding, staff, and board. But you will see that… Read more
