Trudy Schroeder
Random Notes
By Trudy Schroeder
I have seen beautiful things happen when people work together in harmony to help an organization fulfill its mission. There is something almost intoxicating about doing something good for your community as a volunteer on a board. Astounding things can happen that change life in your community for the better.
The best signal to you that you have joined a board that is healthy and functional, is that there is a feeling of positivity and accomplishment on the board. You can see that committees are functioning well and accomplishing goals for the year. Board meetings are well organized. You receive the meeting materials well in advance of the meeting so that you have time to read the reports and documents and determine your position on the key agenda items. You may have questions or need clarification on certain items, and there is time to request additional information before the meeting if it is needed.
At the meeting, the agenda is clear, the board chair is both relaxed and yet attentive to time and the agenda. The executive director and board chair have clearly discussed the agenda and determined the best way to present materials and gain valuable feedback from board members. While there may be significant questions on some agenda items, the atmosphere in the meeting room is professional and respectful at all times. The chair manages the conversations and protocol items of the meeting very confidently. The rules of order for the meeting are fairly applied to all committee members. If there are people who tend to dominate the discussions, the board chair skillfully uses the rules of order to ensure that the more introverted members are also heard . The meeting is well managed within the scheduled time set aside for the meeting. The organization shows that it is respectful of the time of all of the members. This can be achieved while still encouraging conversation and questions on all matters up for decisions.
There is clarity from the board treasurer and the organization’s director of finance on the current state of the finances of the organization. The whole board is very aware of both the opportunities and the risks involved in meeting and exceeding the budget targets for the year. The budget for the coming year is presented in a clear and timely manner with adequate supporting documentation for new ventures or areas where there will be a significant change in the budget.
In a healthy organization, there should be a clear linkage between the activities of the board and the organization on fulfilling the mission of the organization. People should be clear on the mission, vision, and values of the organization. The strategies that will be used to move forward the accomplishment of the mission and the vision should be clear to everyone, and wins and accomplishments should be celebrated at the board level. It is wonderful to see a board that appreciates and recognizes the work of the staff members that work in the organization.
Unfortunately, I have seen staff members who are very used to only receiving complaints and criticism from the board. This makes the board meetings a very unpleasant experience for everyone. I am a strong believer in the organizational wisdom of praising people in public, and questioning and perhaps providing constructive criticism in private. Nobody likes to be embarrassed in public, and meetings should not turn into attach sessions designed to humiliate a staff member or another board member.
If you have joined a board and you find yourself becoming increasingly passionate about the work of the organization, you know that you have started to reap the substantial benefits of participating in a community board. As you learn more about the organization you may find yourself attending more of the organizations public events, participating as a volunteer in special programs, researching and reading about the area in your spare time, and changing as a person because you have a greater understanding of an issue or area.
When you are part of a successful organization that may have launched new programs, built a new facility, vastly improved its community image, been recognized for its work in a local, national, and perhaps even international way, you share in the accomplishment of the organization. I have seen people become passionate about opera, symphonic performances, poverty reduction, feeding the hungry, educating young people, preserving heritage buildings, creating community gardens.
One of my early mentors in community board participation once told me that he initially became involved in boards because he thought it was his duty, but he quickly learned the satisfaction of doing something good, and he said that he always made a couple of new friends in the process. That is a winning combination.
Trudy Schroeder provides project planning and management services to the community through Arts and Heritage Solutions.
