Nonprofit Q&A

It probably is a petty complaint. But let’s look at it from the Development Chairman's position: when she gets information from someone other than the source, she looks foolish, uninvolved and uniformed. It might even undermine her credibility with the board president or her peers on the board.

Then there's the issue of boundaries. Is it possible that you crossed the line of professionalism with the board president? I don't mean that you acted unprofessionally, but were you approaching your board president as a friend or as a president? See the difference?

Here's how this scenario might look from the development chair's point of view: Sally has served on the board for two years. She's been active, generous with her time and money, and has good organizing skills. She is approached to take on the difficult task of Development Chair -- a job very few people want, by the way. She has lots of good ideas and is eager to work with board and staff to properly fund this organization that she cares so much about. The board president is elected at the same time. That president happens to be good friends with the development director and they spend a lot of time taking about common projects, including fund raising plans. Maybe some minor decisions get made during these talks.

During a board meeting the president announces some of these plans. Sally is caught off-guard. She's learning about them at the same time as the rest of the board. She can't answer questions about the plans. She can't contribute to discussion. Depending on her personality, she might feel hurt, furious, confused or rejected. She certainly will feel undermined, superfluous and irrelevant. There will be animosity toward you and probably toward the board president.

It doesn't seem quite so petty in this context, does it?

Board and staff are separate parts of the whole, each with their own hierarchies. Each group needs to interact freely, but within certain boundaries. If we expect board members to contribute their time and energy, they must be allowed the authority to act within their realm. Board members are peers and should report to each other. As senior staff, you report to the board -- to your development chair in this case. Information should flow in a proper order -- up from staff, down from the board leadership.

I've always said that board work is the most difficult -- as a board member and as a staff who manages it. Even the most innocent comment can derail the board's effort. It takes finesse, tact and careful strategy to keep all the players in balance and working in unison.

From time to time it is possible to serve with or work for friends. How we handle those relationships will affect how our peers, our subordinates and our bosses view our professionalism and how successful we are in achieving our goals-- both for our agencies and our careers

And when you've mastered that, you're ready to run for Congress!