Board/Executive Director Tensions
In any traditional workplace, some level of conflict or tension is inevitable at some point. Often, this workplace conflict occurs between the board of directors and the executive director.
It should come as no surprise that when power is shared, tension arises – and the board of directors’ oversight role introduces a level of tension to the board/executive director relationship due to the fundamental sharing of power at its core.
There are no firm guidelines about where board oversight leaves off and executive management begins. Nd in this grey area, struggles for power and authority naturally emerge.
But I would say that 99 times out of 100, the workplace conflict that arises between the board of directors and the executive director boils down to a simple question:
Who is ultimately in charge here?
The power struggle and conflict between the board of directors and the executive director represent this question, as one body may ultimately prevail in the decision-making process.
This process doesn’t have to be as difficult as it may have been in the past. There are plenty of tools for handling the conflict between the board and the executive director to maintain or establish a peaceful and productive workplace.
To help begin the process of resolving workplace tension, these are some of the questions whose answers will bring some clarity to the situation.
What does it look and sound like when these natural tensions become unhealthy?
- When workplace tension becomes unhealthy, the members of the board might start saying to themselves:
- The executive director gets so defensive when I ask her for something.
- The executive director will not allow us to exercise proper fiscal oversight.
- The first time I heard about our funding cuts was in the newspaper.
- The executive director doesn’t recognize my authority.
- I’m not sure the executive director is right for the job, but I don’t want to say anything that would offend him.
The Executive Director’s Perspective
- Or, the Executive Director starts saying to themselves:
- The board is questioning everything I do.
- I can’t even order stationery without the board wanting to get involved.
- I don’t want the board breathing down my neck when things are so tough right now.
- The board chair doesn’t recognize my authority.
- The board doesn’t trust me.
Why is There Tension in the First Place?
To summarize, that tension is caused by:
- Lack of information or clarity about roles and tasks.
- Change
- Board and executive director roles shift.
- The organization’s needs have changed and/or are unclear.
- Board practices do not support their oversight work.
- Board members lack focus.
- There are no appropriate mechanisms for evaluating the executive director.
- There is no way to effectively communicate priorities and decisions from the board to the executive director.
- Incompatible assumptions and styles.
- Some executive directors do not want to be held accountable by the board.
- Board members behave in ways that make collaboration difficult.
- Personalities clash.
Roles In Moving Forward When Managing Board/Executive Director Conflicts
As always, how you proceed will depend on the actual cause of the tension(s).
What follows are some alternatives based on those causes:
1. Are you the board chair?
- If you are part of the conflict with the executive director, assign another board member to take the lead on the situation and be willing to follow their leadership.
- If you believe the conflict is rooted in board members’ poor understanding of their role(s), propose a board self-assessment process.
- If you think that the conflict is due to personalities, meet individually with the people involved to mirror your observations, and help to broker a relationship between the executive director and the board member(s) involved.
- Obtain more information about the executive director evaluation from external sources, and propose a process to be implemented back to the executive director and the board.
- Initiate a strategic planning process to clarify the organization’s direction and identify the type of leadership required to achieve its goals.
- Seek assistance from a knowledgeable nonprofit professional or a board member from another organization that has faced a similar challenge.
2. Are you on the executive or personnel committee?
- Talk to the board chair and work with them to develop a solution.
- Report your observations in executive session and work with other committee members to plan a way of addressing the issue.
- Seek assistance from a knowledgeable nonprofit professional or a board member from another organization that has faced a similar challenge.
- Get more information about the executive director evaluation and propose a process back to the executive director and the board.
3. Are you a board member?
- Talk to the board chair and work with them to develop a solution.
- If you are not directly involved in the conflict, consult with the executive director to understand their perspective on the situation and develop a plan for addressing the issue.
- Name what you are seeing at a board meeting to get people to acknowledge the tensions and start to find a way to work on them.
- Seek assistance from a knowledgeable nonprofit professional or a board member from another organization that has faced a similar challenge.
4. Are you the executive director?
- Talk to the board chair, particularly if s/he is not involved in the conflict, and ask them to speak with the board member(s) involved.
- Give the board chair and other board leaders information about board roles, board self-evaluation, the difference between management and governance, conflict resolution and other materials that might help diffuse the tension.
- Be sure to acknowledge positive board member activities and contributions publicly. Sometimes all people want is to be stroked a little.
- Talk to a peer to see how they have handled a similar situation.
- Talk to the board members involved from an objective, task-oriented perspective rather than a personalized, confrontational perspective, to see if a workable solution can be reached between you.
- Make sure that you are giving people what they legitimately need to fulfill their governance responsibilities, including financial information, program performance information, and policies for internal controls and personnel.
How Outside Expertise Can Help
Here are some ways that consultants or other outsiders (including funders) can help to resolve a conflict situation. These outside professionals can:
- Assess the situation and have frank conversations with those involved, discussing the role they played in creating the conflict, and the role they must play in resolving it.
- Coach the parties involved to help them develop a new perspective about (and more effective response to) the situation.
- Act as neutral mediators who work with the parties involved to sort through the issues until the real cause of the tension is identified, and then help those involved come up with a plan to address those issues.
- Offer alternatives for addressing the issues and help people get past their “either-or” thinking.
- Defuse some of the tension by letting people vent and give their concerns a full airing.
- Change the nature of the conversation from accusations into productive questions about the needs of the organization.
- Facilitate meetings among the people involved to help them reach an agreement.
- Educate the board about appropriate governance roles.
- Educate the executive director about how to work with the board.
What About the Cost?
Seeking professional help to resolve a conflict typically requires financial investment.
Although organizations are often reluctant to let their funders know that there are internal problems, many groups find that a long-term funder is willing to help a grantee secure the expertise they need to work through the situation. Funders feel that they have made an investment in the success of the organization and will sometimes step up in a crisis.
In fact, sometimes it is the funders themselves who call on the board and executive director to address underlying issues that they see as a threat to the future stability of the organization.
Putting it All Together
Now that we know some of the potential causes of workplace conflict between the executive and the executive, we can begin to address the tension. By asking specific questions to pinpoint the root of the tension, a path to resolution can be paved, leading to a healthier and more productive work environment.