Bridging the Gap Between
Staff and Board Priorities

By Terri S. Turner, Operations and Client Services Director
Midwest Region

Everyone – executive staff and board members – agreed:  the building was in disrepair; facility and equipment upgrades were imperative; revenues and cash reserves weren’t deep enough to allow for capital improvements; and fund development had been paralyzed for more than a year.

With the recent economic crisis waning, the board voted to move forward with the capital campaign they had been deliberating for years. “At last,” thought the executive director. “Finally, our objectives are aligned.” 

Quickly he sent out requests for proposals from fundraising consultants. After reviewing the  resulting proposals, the executive management presented the three top proposals at the next board meeting. Much to their surprise, the board decided to slow the process. Anxious about “spending money to make money” and uncomfortable asking for money during economic uncertainty, they tabled the campaign for discussion at the next meeting.

“What happened?” the staff wondered the next day. “I thought we agreed that a capital campaign was a strategic priority.”

In this scenario, the choice to move ahead provided a clear vision of where the organization wanted to go. However, no time was spent on how to successfully implement that decision. In a recent study conducted by the American Management Association and the Human Resource Institute, only 3 percent of respondents rated their companies as very successful at executing organizational strategies, while nearly two-thirds (62 percent) described their organizations as mediocre or worse.

Consider the following steps for increasing success in aligning executive and board priorities.

Participation in setting strategy
Both planners and “doers,” especially those on whom the organization relies to implement projects, should have a say in developing the details from the early planning stages. In this case, the key prospective “doers” – the volunteers who made up the board and who would be executing the campaign by serving as volunteer solicitors – agreed on the vision, but may not have been fully aware of the details of implementation from the earliest stages.

The most important aspect of syncing agendas is to involve the right people before strategy is set. Complete buy-in comes with participation in early discussions. All stakeholders must own the vision as well as the process.

Commitment to, and clear understanding of the project
Not everyone at the board meeting will be personally involved in new projects that are given the green light. However, everyone should understand the project, accept the project and be committed to its success. This is not always the case. It is not uncommon to hear: “I know what the CEO says he wants, but I have no idea what that really means.” 

For example, when the board approved moving ahead with a capital campaign, the executive leadership thought that meant contacting consultants for help, but the board may not have considered working with consultants.

Verify that everyone is “talking the same talk”
Even when everyone hears the decision at the same place and at the same time, there can be disconnect in the interpretation of the plan to move forward. Executives and board members should not assume that “everyone is on board” with a plan once a decision has been made. One way to verify consensus is to ask executives and board members to write a two-sentence description of the decision and its strategy for implementation. Randomly select a few to read their statements. If they differ or are in conflict, further discussion would be required before taking action. Understanding the substance of strategy is key to confirming like priorities among staff and board.

Define roles and responsibilities
An effective board spends time focused on the future of the organization by contributing to the strategic direction. They add to management’s thinking by providing the skills, attitudes and behaviors to insist on short-term results with long-term visionary thinking, rather than micro-managing staff or second-guessing management decisions. Often, competing priorities are a result of struggles between a board’s oversight responsibilities and the day-to-day role of management. Defining roles and responsibilities can alleviate conflict and help prevent miscommunication.

The next time you are surprised or caught off guard about the outcome of a plan, review these steps. Ask: Did everyone participate in and understand the plan of action? Can I verify that everyone was on board with the decision and strategy to move ahead? Did everyone clearly understand their role in moving forward? The answers will surely provide insight and new solutions for future decision-making and strategic implementation.