{"id":590296,"date":"2021-07-07T17:15:33","date_gmt":"2021-07-07T21:15:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joangarry.com\/?p=590296"},"modified":"2024-06-19T11:04:39","modified_gmt":"2024-06-19T15:04:39","slug":"tough-questions-board","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joangarry.com\/tough-questions-board\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Tough Questions Every Board Member Should Ask"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our Board Treasurer and Director of Finance were presenting our $5mm budget and back then (late 90s) there was always a conversation about the cost\/benefit of direct mail.<\/p>\n

Fair enough. After all, snail mail can cost a lot to send and the direct return is not often that great.<\/p>\n

But then a board member brought up that \u201cpiercingly strategic\u201d question. Yes, that\u2019s sarcasm.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what is the cost of a first class stamp?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

We have a $5mm budget and this board member\u2019s primary concern is the cost of a first class stamp? Talk about tripping over pennies on your way to dollars.<\/p>\n

Two big takeaways from this story\u2026<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Board members should ask questions.<\/li>\n
  2. Board members should not ask every question.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    So I thought I\u2019d offer ten suggestions about the kinds of questions they should<\/em> ask.<\/p>\n

    But BE FOREWARNED!<\/p>\n

    In this list, there is not a single softball question. And some of these questions may get the Executive Director\u2019s hackles up.<\/p>\n

    Whatever hackles are.<\/p>\n

    <\/h2>\n

    YOU NEED YOUR BOARD TO ASK TOUGH QUESTIONS<\/h2>\n

    You might believe your board members don\u2019t understand the work as well as you do. And you may be correct.<\/p>\n

    But there\u2019s a negative consequence to this belief. You approach board meetings like it\u2019s \u201cshow and tell\u201d. No time for questions. Or you discount their questions because you feel they\u2019re not well informed.<\/p>\n

    That\u2019s a mistake. Why?<\/p>\n

    A board that asks challenging and provocative questions…<\/p>\n

      \n
    • is well informed.<\/li>\n
    • is engaged.<\/li>\n
    • raises your level of play.<\/li>\n
    • sees things you miss.<\/li>\n
    • sees around corners and helps you avoid trouble.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Plus, their questions can lead to a discussion of what is possible rather than simply what \u201cis\u201d.<\/p>\n

      I believe that a thriving nonprofit is like a twin engine jet<\/a>. A high performing board should see themselves in the list of roles above.<\/p>\n

      10 TOUGH QUESTIONS YOU WANT YOUR BOARD MEMBERS TO ASK (I MEAN IT!)<\/h2>\n

      1. <\/strong>How are we measuring our success?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Monitoring the success of programs against the mission is a key responsibility and boards don\u2019t push enough on this. Many Executive Directors talk about how hard it is and will default to lots of anecdotes.<\/p>\n

      Program evaluation doesn\u2019t have to be hard<\/a>. Sometimes it can be as simple as pre and post surveys. But E.D\u2019s don\u2019t prioritize this enough and boards have a definite role in introducing more accountability.<\/p>\n

      2. <\/strong>What is the plan for revenue diversification and how can we be a part of the solution?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Too many nonprofits live or die by special events, and it\u2019s time for board members to start weaning organizations off of gala\/ticketed event revenue.<\/p>\n