Great Ideas, No Results? How to Make Non-Profit Board Discussions More Effective

Our board has great ideas but the discussions don’t go anywhere. What should we do?

A few things could be happening here. Board members who care about the mission and the organization don’t always know the best way to direct their efforts. An annual work plan for the board and a strategic plan helps focus the efforts of the board, but doesn’t translate into actions. Involve the whole board in action planning, and assign actions to the board as well as committees. Remember that ideas without a plan are just a dream.

Sometimes boards develop a habit of making FYI type of comments or opinions that don’t fit the topic at hand. The Chair should remind the board that comments should be relevant to the agenda item. If board members are routinely making comments that are tangential to the agenda item, discuss that privately with the board member, as it is a practice that leads to a disengaged board. Commonly, new board members think that their role is to give personal opinions, or the opinion of an external agency, but it is important for board members to make contributions that are in the best interest of the organization at all times, not only during a vote.

Sometimes, board members join a board having great ideas, but aren’t sure what the board’s role is in actioning ideas. This commonly looks like long meeting minutes of general discussion with few motions, and the same topic being discussed year after year. The purpose of a board is not to create a To Do list for the Executive Director. Addressing this issue is best done by having a board orientation, ongoing board education and a board evaluation.

Effective non-profit boards move beyond good ideas by focusing discussions, clarifying roles, and turning planning into clear actions that advance the organization’s mission.

For more information on non-profit board operation, check out our other posts on various board governance topics at https://www.npgs.ca/blog