Twenty Tips for Working With Your Board Nonprofit Day 2013

Facilitated by: Rick Capozzi, Founder/President CapozziGroup [email protected] 814.280.3954

2 Twenty Tips for Working With Your Board The enduring paradox for Executive Directors is to actually lead the board while still allowing them to exercise their essential leadership roles. It can be an art, but one that is truly fulfilling when it works. This session will provide twenty valuable tips on making the process of working together one that both you and the board will look forward to. You will learn to:      

Develop a board member mindset Assess how to give them what they’re looking for to get what you need Determine how to choose the best approach in almost any situation Review what not to do in front of your board – ever Interpret the subtle feedback you are receiving when presenting new ideas Discover how to win over that board member who is just never happy.

Why are you here and what do you hope to gain from this session?

With a partner or small group, what do you see as 3-5 of the basic responsibilities of a nonprofit board?

Purpose and Legal Duties of a Board of Directors According to The Nonprofit Board Answer Book*, the basic responsibilities of a nonprofit board are: 1. Determine the organization’s mission and purposes 2. Select the chief executive 3. Support and evaluate the chief executive 4. Ensure effective planning 5. Monitor and strengthen programs and services

6. Ensure adequate financial resources 7. Protect assets and provide financial oversight 8. Build a competent board 9. Ensure legal and ethical integrity 10. Enhance the organization/s public standing

*Board Source, The Nonprofit Board Answer Book, Third Edition, (Jossey-Bass 2012), pages 3-4

3 “From a legal standpoint, trustees, officers, or board members of a nonprofit board are held to these three standards: 1. Duty of care 2. Duty of loyalty 3. Duty of obedience” *Board Source, The Nonprofit Board Answer Book, Third Edition, (Jossey-Bass 2012), page 6

What are the benefits to you of having a board? Also, think about what are your challenges in working with your board?

Twenty Tips for Working with Your Board All boards are different and all people presenting to boards are different. These tips are designed to challenge your thinking, regardless of your role (even if you are on the board) on how to make that relationship be as positively productive as possible.

1. Know the mission, vision, values, etc. of the organization. Link them to what you are doing (or desire to do). This should be at the top of all you do. (Also, make them regularly visible.)

2. Work with your board to define priorities from a big picture perspective. Use strategic planning, budgets, etc. to focus on what matters and refer to those sources when working with your board.

3. Find out what matters to your board. Know them as a group as well as individuals. What are their skill sets? What are they passionate about? Who on the board is all about the numbers and who is all about the relationships? What are they looking for from you? Then you can address each more specifically. Also, know and use their names.

4. Follow the protocols and be willing to break them in the case of a legal/ethical violation. If you are not the Executive Director/CEO, make sure that you have at least informed the person in that position if you will be communicating directly with the board if that is your standard operating procedure. Exceptions would occur in cases such as when the ED/CEO is in violation of the law. This is not likely to happen more than once or twice in your career. Please make sure you have done your due diligence and thought it through before breaking protocol.

4

5. Know your budget. Regardless of your position, know your budget. Stay on top of it and keep those responsible for it or affected by it informed. Many boards are a lot more open to a request for funds when it is presented along with what changes would need to be made to budget and how the expense would be covered or cost justified.

6. Feed them. This is literally and figuratively. Make sure their physiological needs are met in food/snacks/drink. Then make sure you meet their needs for information. Are you able to present an executive summary to any information you are or will be presenting? Give the summary first – and then the details. Answer their questions before they ask them (anticipate).

7. Keep them in the loop. Periodically copy them on feedback emails, photos of projects in the works, video footage from events, quotes from clients/customers/beneficiaries, thank you notes, etc.

8. Ask. Many times people don’t get what they want from their board simply because they don’t ask. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want or need. Also, “No.” sometimes means you just need to give them more information (or sometimes more time). Ask how you can better serve them. Do not ask them how to do your job. (They may tell you.)

9. Get/Keep yourself educated and up to speed. Read industry publications. Attend seminars and conferences. Network with others in your position or provide your type of services. In your busyness, don’t lose sight of your professional development. If you aren’t growing, your organization probably isn’t either. Your board may not always be excited as you would like about funding your growth, but they probably will benefit from the results.

10. Be passionate and enthusiastic. Your passion can be contagious. Sometimes enthusiasm will sell an idea through to your board even when the numbers aren’t all there. Also on this theme is to stay positive.

11. Engage them and put them to work. There is probably a very good knowledge base within the membership of your board. Tap into their knowledge and their networks. This should help to build your relationship with them as well as benefit your organization. Have them help to nurture relationships. Do not expect board members to overstep their personal or business relationships though. Also, casually invite them to stop in and/or to attend events, etc. Formally, invite them to the events, functions, meetings, etc. that you really need them to attend.

5 12. Be responsive and follow-up. If a board member suggests that you contact someone in their network, make sure you do and then provide feedback on the outcome. If they ask you for a piece of information during the heat of the meeting, make sure you write it down so that you remember and follow-up promptly. A periodic thank you note (when appropriate) can also be a nice touch. 13. Interact/collaborate with your board. Don’t just talk at them. Often times a person gets nervous and uncomfortable when reporting to the board. This tends to also make the board nervous and uncomfortable. Relax. They should be there to help you. Don’t just spew all of your information. Engage them. Interact with them. Ask if what you are presenting makes sense to them and also ask if they have any questions, feedback, or ideas. Also, be sure to present using terminology the board is likely to understand.

14. Eliminate the noise. In communication, “noise” refers to influences on effective communication. This includes both physical and psychological influencers. Physical noise could be music in the background, a loud piece of equipment, or acknowledging someone outside of the conversation. It is more likely the psychological noise you need to tune into. Psychological noise has more to do with preconceived notions, stereotypes, biases, and assumptions. Anything you can do from being conscious of how you dress (including sunglasses on your head or a blue tooth headset) to allowing your adversary on the board to get to know you, can all have an influence on reducing “noise.”

15. No surprises. If you have bad news that will be coming to the attention of the board, typically the sooner the news is communicated – the better. Bad news does not season with age. Sometimes, just a brief call to alert at least the President/Chair of the board can help to prepare for the details of what is going to be forthcoming. Never let a board member find out something on the news before they have been informed.

16. Build their trust. Never, ever lie. This also includes guessing at an answer that you aren’t sure of while trying to look like you do. If you don’t have an answer, admit it and let them know that you will get the answer and get back to them by a particular date/time. Also, if you report to the ED/CEO, don’t do an “end-around” and go to individuals that you may have a relationship with on the board in an effort to get your way. You may lose trust with everyone.

17. Help your board not to micromanage. A common complaint about boards is that they micromanage. Most boards know they shouldn’t… and they typically don’t want to, but sometimes the outcomes in the organization lead them to believe that they need to. Oftentimes, you can address this proactively and make everyone happy by creating a culture and having the type of interactions with the board that confirm that you need their governance, not their micromanagement. Sometimes you have a greater degree of influence than you realize.

18. Remember, your board is not the enemy. Be loyal and faithful. Even if you have a less than cooperative board, be very cautious about what negative statements you make about your board. It is surprising

6 how often it gets back to them. Likewise, it may take some time, but making the effort to improve the relationship can yield benefits for many years to come.

19. Be coachable. Good board relationships involve a give and take from both sides of the table. Be teachable and willing to learn from the input of the board. You may be surprised how much it will improve their opinions and trust in you.

20. Have Zero Tolerance For Unproductive Board Members – Sometimes Boards make a bad recruiting choice. Other times good Board Members have business or life crises which diminish their capacity to serve. Either way non-performance is never acceptable as it eats up your time as well as saps the morale of remaining Board members. Don’t fear pressing your Executive Committee to take action

Best Practices In small groups discuss your best practices that may include how you have successfully (or not) used any of the above or discuss additional tips to add to the list.

Notes for Action Steps Share with a partner specifically what you are considering doing? (Ask for their feedback.)

7 About the speaker – Rick Capozzi Starting with being the youngest School Director ever elected to the Bald Eagle Area School District while still in his twenties, to having served for over two decades on several education, ministry, and nonprofit boards, Rick Capozzi has experience seeing people get it right -- and wrong, when presenting to a board. Since 1991, Rick Capozzi has been delivering personal growth and development training as well as providing global marketing services. The world has been his classroom. As an international speaker, consultant, and author, his travels have taken him to South America, Mexico, Canada, Japan, throughout Western and Central Europe, and to all but 9 states in the USA. He delivers as many as 160 speaking engagements per year. Delivering Tangible Results Rick has worked with groups from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, elementary schools through higher education, local churches to international ministries, and individuals to entire companies. His focus is primarily with soft skills such as time management, etiquette, nonverbal communication, memory, life balance, creativity, personality, and presentation coaching. In addition, he is a popular facilitator in strategic planning and vision casting. His knowledge of the art and science of communication are what earn him requests for frequent return visits and consistently high evaluations. He is the author of two inspirational/motivational books. Rick also has a passion for missions. In the last two years he donated nearly five weeks to serve in Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovakia in Central/Eastern Europe as well as in Bolivia, South America. During these trips he did everything from teaching business leaders how to stay optimistic and motivated to teaching English to children and youth in the jungles. He also assisted in distributions of solar powered radios and provided consulting services. Highly Requested, Always Progressing A native of Franklin, PA, USA, Rick earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Communication in 1985 from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. He worked in sales and marketing while doing further research in numerous aspects of personal growth and development. In 1991 he released his first public seminars on Motivation and Memory, which remain two of his most frequently requested topics. During his tenure at The Pennsylvania State University as a Learning Strategist with the Human Resource Development Center, he designed, developed, and/or delivered some of the department's most popular and highly evaluated programs. A Devoted Community Member Rick has invested heavily in helping others with their personal growth and development. He believes in giving of himself through board service, as well as having served as a Chamber Ambassador, a Sunday school teacher, a youth leader, a prison ministry volunteer, as well as, a dad and husband. Making a Positive Impact His mission in life is to make a positive impact on the world by helping people realize and develop their potential so they can live happily and positively impact the lives of others.

Thank you for your active participation. If there is anything I can do to help you or your team in your personal or professional development efforts, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with me. Here to serve, Rick Capozzi