BONUS LESSON 41 – Summary and Index to 40 Blogs

Our final blog! Welcome to Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom Blog, a 40-week journey through the book, Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom, by Dan Busby and John Pearson. Over the last 40 Wednesdays, we've featured 40 guest writers and their favorite snippet from the week's topic. Here are some final thoughts from Dan and John—and a click-on menu of all 40 bloggers and 40 lessons.

BONUS LESSON 41 - Summary and Index to 40 Blogs

Now...foster a ripple effect of enriching boardroom experiences!

THE BIG IDEA FROM THE BOOK: As Busby and Pearson wrote in their introduction, “We are grateful for the growing number of boardroom resources (many highlighted in this book) that help boards focus on their ‘customer,’ mission and vision, policy issues, spiritual discernment, Kingdom outcomes, sustainability, and so much more. Today, every board member must be a lifelong learner."

They added, “We are prayerful that this book will be one of several catalysts your board will use to catch the vision for good governance. We are hopeful that you’ll help foster a ripple effect of enriching boardroom experiences that honor God. Like many, we believe that ‘as the board goes, so goes the organization.’” 

JUST A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE INSIGHTS from 40 lessons:
• “Would you trust a surgeon who stopped learning?”
• “Pious shoddy is still shoddy.” (Elton Trueblood)
• “If you need a volunteer, recruit a volunteer. If you need a board member, recruit a board member.”
• “Some motions should never gain unmerited oxygen!”
• “Never throw red meat on the board table.”
• “When dysfunction reigns, healthy board members head for the door.”
• “The actual achievement of audacious goals is very uncommon.”
• “When the Spirit nudges your board, does He hear a busy signal?”

Watch for more governance insights and resources coming in 2018 and 2019, including the updated Second Edition of Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom, Lessons From the Church Boardroom, and (you-guessed-it!) More Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom.

CLICK-ON INDEX TO ALL 40 LESSONS:
ECFA is grateful to our 40 guest bloggers who shared their insights and color commentary on all 40 lessons over the last 40 Wednesdays. Click on one or two lessons—and share them with your board members today!

PART 1: THE POWERFUL IMPACT OF HIGHLY ENGAGED BOARDS
1) Wanted: Lifelong Learning Board Members (Ralph E. Enlow, Jr.)
2) Ask the Gold Standard Question (Tim McDermott)

PART 2: BOARDROOM TOOLS, TEMPLATES, AND TYPOS
4) Do Unwritten Board Policies Really Exist? (Bob Andringa)
5) Before the Board Meeting (Ed McDowell)
6) Eliminate Hallway Whining (Pat Clements)
7) Typos Matter! (Jim Galvin)
 
PART 3: NOMINEES FOR THE BOARD MEMBER HALL OF FAME
8) Listen to the Wisdom of Many Counselors (Wayne Pederson)
9) Serve With Humility and Experience God’s Presence (Reid Lehman)
10) Prioritize Prayer Over Problems (Jeff Lilley)

PART 4: EPIPHANIES IN THE BOARDROOM
11) Tap! Tap! Tap! (Steve Macchia)
12) Vision Growth Must Equal Leader Growth (Mike Pate) 
13) If You Need a Volunteer, Recruit a Volunteer (Dan Davis)
14) If You Need a Board Member, Recruit a Board Member (Bruce Johnson)

PART 5: BOARDROOM BLOOPERS
15) Cut Your Losses (George Duff)
16) Date Board Prospects Before You Propose Marriage (Terry Stokesbary)
17) Sidetrack Harebrained Ideas (Tami Heim)
18) Do Not Interrupt! (Holly Duncan)

PART 6: BOARDROOM TIME-WASTERS, TROUBLE-MAKERS, AND TRUTH TELLERS
19) Never Throw Red Meat on the Board Table (David Wills)
20) Apply for a Staff Position and You Can Deal With That Issue! (Rich Stearns)
21) Back Off the Ledge of Dysfunctional Mayhem (John Ashmen)

PART 7: BOARDROOM BEST PRACTICES
22) The Most Underrated Board Position (David McKenna)
23) Focus on Mission Impact and Sustainability (Steve Moore)
24) Ministry Fundraising 101 for Board Members (R. Scott Rodin)

PART 8: BOARDROOM WORST PRACTICES
25) Align Board Member Strengths With Committee Assignments (Erika Cole)
26) Spotting, Catching, or Exiting a Falling CEO (Ed Morgan)
27) Report Once and Report With Clarity (Mike Pate)

PART 9: HOLY GROUND AND OTHER LOCATIONS
28) Slow Down and Wait on God (Jerry White)
29) Think and Pray Outside the Box—and the County! (David Curry)
30) The Truck Driver Was No Match for the Faith-Filled Board Chair! (Gregg Hunter & Ed McDowell)

PART 10: BUILDING A 24/7 BOARD CULTURE
31) Cut the Cord! Invite Board Members to Exit When They Don’t Live Your Values (Al Lopus)
32) Loose Lips Sink the Boardroom Ship (Rick Alvis)
33) "Good Is the Enemy of Great" (Thomas Addington) 

PART 11: BOARDS THAT LEAD AND BOARDS THAT READ
34) Envision Your Best Board Member Orientation Ever (Michael Batts)
35) Is Your Board Color-Blind? (Danny de Armas)
36) Decrease Staff Reporting and Increase Heavy Lifting (Bob King)
37) Don’t Stretch Credulity With BHAGs and Stretch Goals (David Schmidt)
38) Great Boards Delegate Their Reading (Kent Stroman)
39) Invest “10 Minutes for Governance” in Every Board Meeting (John Walling)
40) A Board Prayer (Dan Bolin)

FOLLOW THE ECFA GOVERNANCE BLOG:
Visit ECFA’s Governance of Christ-Centered Organizations blog, written by John Pearson, and inspire your board to be lifelong learners.

Visit the Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom webpage and order extra copies for your board members.

ORDER THE BOOK

LESSON 19 - Never Throw Red Meat on the Board Table

Welcome to Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom Blog, a 40-week journey through the new book, Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom, by Dan Busby and John Pearson. Each Wednesday, we're featuring a guest writer’s favorite snippet from the week's topic. David Wills is our guest blogger this week for the first of three lessons in "Part 6: Boardroom Time-Wasters, Troublemakers, and Truth-Tellers.”

LESSON 19 OF 40 - Never Throw Red Meat on the Board Table

Boards need advance preparation to fully address complex issues.

THE BIG IDEA FROM THE BOOK: In Lesson 19, we are reminded that healthy boards are well-prepared boards.

Max De Pree in Leadership Is an Art says, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.”  When board members walk into the board room they should well understand the reality of what they are about to experience. If they don’t, they will each walk in with their own reality and this creates “time-wasters and troublemakers.”

MY FAVORITE INSIGHTS from Lesson 19, pages 94-98: 
•  “If a board must create its own starting point, it can be a very painful process that ultimately diminishes productivity.”
• “[…some] issues are so complex that they require wisdom and discernment to decide how to properly prepare them for the board.”  

MY COLOR COMMENTARY:
Discernment or Dynamite? When decision-making precedes discernment—you are in the danger zone.

There is a continuum that, if broken, will lead to poor outcomes. It goes like this: Discernment leading to Decisions leading to Direction which results in a Destination.  Of course, abiding in Christ and leveraging the gifts and experiences He gives us will determine how well we discern things…the sagacity factor.

The currency of great boards is great discernment.

Throwing red meat on the table often undermines discernment. This leads to poor decisions and an unfulfilled board. Board members will be uncomfortable coming back if this happens often. In addition, it will create an unhealthy meeting environment. Sort of like what is described in Ecclesiastes 5:2-3 (NIV):

“Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. A dream comes when there are many cares, and many words mark the speech of a fool.”

Red meat creates many words. Sometimes an explosion of words.

Additionally, healthy boards are very good at taking complexity and moving it toward simplicity. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. said, “I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity.” Red meat creates complexity. This is not what an organization’s leader needs from the board. 

That is not to say we don’t put complexity before a board. Quite the contrary. Boards thrive on generative conversations that lead to simplicity, good decisions, and sound direction.  

Let’s shoot for the “no surprises” standard. The organizational leader and the board chair should have a roadmap several weeks before the next meeting. This will allow for content to be delivered in such manner that the discernment process begins well before the meeting. Let the board know in advance what decisions are required so they are prepared to make wise ones. Point them to the critical sections of the board material.  In some circumstances, calls and meetings may be needed to prepare the board for maximum discernment.

Red meat is raw meat. The meat you serve your board should be well done…in advance! 

THIS WEEK’S QUOTES & COMMENTARY BY DAVID WILLS:

David Wills serves as President Emeritus of the National Christian Foundation and has been with NCF for the last 20 years.  As an organizational leader, David has served on dozens of boards and has both served (ugh!) and received more raw meat than he cares to remember.

 TO-DO TODAY: 
• Engage the board chair early.
• Develop a road map for the meeting and the outcomes that are required.
• Engage board members as needed prior to the meeting—to set the meeting up for success.

NEXT WEDNESDAY:
On April 4, 2018, watch for Rich Stearns' commentary on Lesson 20, "Apply for a Staff Position and You Can Deal With That Issue! Help board members not to cross the line into operational details."

Subscribe to this blog by submitting your email (just above the date/day). Visit the Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom webpage and order extra copies for your board members.

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