Nonprofit-KnowHow
Connect with us!
  • Home
  • Is This For Us?
  • Meet the Author
  • Results
  • FAQs
  • Blog
  • ORDER!

Onboarding: Where Board Productivity Begins

6/22/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Are new board members productive within the first two months of their term? Or does it take a year or more before your board members are "catching on"?

The board of a nonprofit is one of its primary assets. This is certainly true for smaller and start-up organizations without the resources to hire all of the staff needed. In these cases, the board often fills, not only the governing role, but also much-needed staff roles in areas such as bookkeeping, marketing and legal counsel. 

But the board is also a primary asset for larger organizations with a full complement of professional staff. The board in these mature organizations is essential to capital campaigns, mergers and acquisitions and other major strategic initiatives.

Clearly then, having new board members take a year or more to get up to speed is a huge waste of talent and resources. Not only is this bad for the nonprofit, it's also a drag for the volunteer board member.


So what's the answer to board members reaching their peak potential early in their terms? Onboarding.

The primary cause of board members taking a year or more before becoming productive is a lack of effective new member orientation. Too many nonprofits don't do board orientation at all. This is a shocking gap, causing new board members to muddle along, "figuring it out over time." The long-term result? All sorts of problems, including board apathy (nonattendance), micro-managing, and even negligence.

Of those nonprofits who do board orientation as standard operating procedure, much of what's being done isn't hitting the mark. A lot of what is called "board" orientation is actually focused more on what staff are doing and need to know. This is simply because staff members are designing and giving the orientation. The board's orientation should look substantially different from that of the staff because the job is not the same.

If these are issues for your board, consider the following:


1. Initiate a board-led orientation process for new board members. Having it board-led will help ensure that the material included is what a board member needs to know. Another plus is that current board members will feel more engaged and get to know new members from the outset. (If you need help, Chapter 3 of Nonprofit-KnowHow gives exactly what to cover.)

2. Create a board partner program that pairs a seasoned board member with a new one. This way, as the new member is getting up to speed, s/he has someone to turn for questions and support along the way. The experienced board member can also check-in to ensure that the new member is feeling good about their role and participation. (Chapter 3 also describes this process.)

3. Conduct an annual board self-evaluation to determine what more should be included in onboarding process, as well as other ways the NPO can optimize board effectiveness. (Chapter 1 of Nonprofit-KnowHow includes a comprehensive Board Self-Evaluation.)


The bottom line here is, for board members to add value they've got to understand the job and the nature of the organization they serve. And this understand must be from the board perspective. Lack of understanding is a big culprit in underperforming nonprofit boards. Therefore, energy spent on effective onboarding processes reaps huge dividends, including board productivity from day one.







0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture


    Get the KnowHow!


    Nonprofit Navigator

    The place to find topical and highly practical know-how, tips and resources exclusively for nonprofits - get the Navigator delivered to your inbox today!

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    RSS Feed


    Author
    Rebecca Reynolds, author of Nonprofit-KnowHow,  is the author and editor of Nonprofit Navigator, the Nonprofit-KnowHow blog. Contact us if you'd like your nonprofit to be featured or to be a guest blogger on the Navigator!


    Categories

    All
    Advisory Boards
    Boards
    Business Planning
    Capital Projects
    Collaboration
    Conflict Of Interest
    Customers
    Events
    Executive Director
    Facilities
    Finance
    Fundraising
    Guest Blog Posts
    Leadership
    Leadership Succession
    Meetings
    Nonprofit-KnowHow
    Nonprofit Sector
    Npo Documents
    Outcome Measures
    Pinterest
    Staff
    Strategic Planning
    Vision-Mission
    Welcome

    Archives

    October 2018
    April 2016
    December 2014
    October 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012



    Blog Roll

    A Call to Contemplation
    Acumen Fund
    Blue Avocado
    CausePlanet
    GuideStar
    Nonprofit Marketing Blog


Privacy Policy
​Contact Us

​
Rebecca Reynolds Copyright 2013 - 2019
​ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Photos used under Creative Commons from Dave Hamster, pabloverdugo, Katri Niemi