Leading truly effective organizations with volunteer board members and community stakeholders requires a clear definition of the distinctive roles of the various parties and the boundaries between them.  In the board/staff/ stakeholder partnership, a proper division of labor is essential. Misunderstandings and lack of knowledge of the various roles and responsibilities will, over time, erode the trust, mutual support and good communications that are essential for any partnership to succeed and accomplish its goals.

Many board members are taught by the last board they served on or they are “making it up as they go.” They lack understanding of how the board/staff/stakeholder/community relationships should be managed.  The role of the Executive Director and staff in supporting the board is often vague and ill-defined. This creates ambiguity in how the board and its committees are managed, often resulting in dis-engaged and ineffective board members. Many executive directors are reluctant to provide appropriate guidance to the board, fearing they are overstepping their bounds.  Board chairs often don’t know their “job descriptions” and how to appropriately execute them.

This workshop is highly interactive, featuring an audience response polling system to engage the audience and test knowledge of topics, allowing the presenter to customize the material to the needs of the group.  The session explores “whose responsibility is it?” regarding the various components of leading and running a library, and sets the stage for a practical, candid discussion regarding role clarification and improving effectiveness in your organization. Board members learn their roles and responsibilities, along with the specific activities of the board chair.  How the Executive Director can best support the board is also explored, with specific strategies to more fully engage board members. 

Speaker: Debra Thompson is President of Strategy Solutions, a consulting firm that dedicated to facilitating creative solutions to ensure the sustainability of public, private and nonprofit organizations and creating healthy communities.