Being a New Board Member Can Be Intimidating

Does this seem familiar? There is a participant who regularly takes part in the programs and services of the non-profit. They are a regular donor, contributing to fundraising campaigns. Eventually they start volunteering at events, selling tickets, and helping distribute promotional material. When the next annual meeting comes around, they join the board of directors.

At the first board meeting, the recruit becomes very aware that the role of the board is quite different from their interests as a general member. Talk of who is going to put up posters is replaced with big picture governance discussions. Direction from senior staff on what tasks need to be handled is replaced with long-form monitoring reports to be approved. Now the new board member feels unsure they can do the work and regret sets in.

Here are 3 steps to take the pressure off a new board member.

The board is a team, with a collective skillset. No one is required to have all the answers on their own.

No individual board member has power over anyone else at the non-profit. The board team can only make decisions by majority vote at a legally called meeting. Every board member has a role to play, but they play it together.

To help a new board member be successful, support them to focus their time learning to be a member of the board team, and to build collective, not individual, skills.

It isn’t possible to represent everyone.

Board members are elected from the members, clients, or stakeholders. That can put a lot of pressure on a board member to feel like they need to somehow, magically, know what everyone wants, and bring all that information to the table for meetings. A board member is one piece of the sector the non-profit serves, not a representation of everyone.  

To help a new board member be successful, encourage them to draw on their own unique knowledge to contribute to collective discussions.

Focus on governing.

A board member will interact with more than just the other members of the board. If a non-profit can employ an executive director, CEO, or general manager, it has an important linkage to the day-to-day work of the organization.

To help a new board member be successful, guide them to focus on their primary job of governing, and not the day-to-day operations.

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A first-time, or inexperienced, board member may not understand how to step into the role. They may focus on superficial tasks of acting like everyone’s boss, trying to speak as though they know what everyone wants, or begin to meddle in operations. Left unsupported, a new board member like this will quickly experience conflict, burn out, or simply do the wrong work.

When a first-time, or inexperienced, board member is supported and guided in the right directions, they become a valuable piece of the non-profit leadership team. They will learn to embrace teamwork, will understand how to share their own unique perspective, and ultimately how to govern without the stress of needing to figure it all out themselves.

An executive director plays an important role to help a new board member let go of the stereotypes of how a non-profit board operates and embrace a less stressful experience. Training for new board members can include the 3 steps, and a special request can be made to a training facilitator to cover those areas.

When training isn’t affordable, an executive director can build the 3 steps into recruitment information or include it with initial board orientation documents.

If you give these 3 steps a try, I’d love to hear how it worked for you. Or if you have steps of your own to make the new board member experience a little easier, let me know. Please use the form on the right side of the page to send me your thoughts.

-Christie

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Hi, I'm Christie Saas, former board member, current Executive Director, and non-profit volunteer. I remember well, those early years when I lacked the training, the confidence, and the work-life balance to focus on becoming the best non-profit leader I could be.

Fast-forward past many bumps in the road, lessons learned, and you’ll find me still in the trenches, but a little wiser, a little calmer, and a whole lot happier. I love my work and I want to help you love yours too.

I created ChristieSaas.com so non-profit leaders never need to feel alone. I’m here to help. If you’re a brand-new non-profit leader, or a little more seasoned, someone who’s looking to make a meaningful contribution and still have time for a full life away from the job, you’re in the right place.

© Christie Saas 2023 All Rights Reserved

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