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Boardmanship Insights

Building the governance team requires trust, communication
and good boardmanship skills

Dr. Ted Flickinger IAPD Executive Director

Rarely do you find an outstanding agency that has a dysfunctional governance team. An excellent working relationship and team effort among the board and executive are necessary for an efficient and responsive agency. Here are a few tips for board members and building that team.

•The secret to developing relationships is communication. Executives must effectively distribute information to board members and make sure they understand it. Executives should follow-up, ask questions, and determine the best way to communicate with board members.

•Conduct orderly meetings. Don't allow anyone to be rowdy or uncivil.

•Create social situations in which board members can get to know one another on a personal basis. It's sort of like "breaking bread" together. Invite the executive and staff to the social events.

•Attend workshops offered by IAPD and hold your own in-house board workshops to focus on roles, responsibilities and ethical conduct.

•Develop a strategic plan with a clear mission and goals. Focus on the long-term needs of the agency. Let the executive worry about the short-term goals.

Rarely do you find an outstanding agency that has a dysfunctional governance team.

•Never play the "gotcha" game by asking embarrassing questions of the executive during a meeting. Give the executive time to prepare for a question you have about agenda items.

•Vote with the majority unless you have a conflict of interest, major philosophical difference or moral objection.

•Attend the agency's special events and programs and show your support for the agency.

•Publicly and privately compliment the executive and staff when you observe work that is outstanding. A board member should never criticize a staff member or fellow board member in public. (And a staff member should never criticize a board member in public.)

•Be careful about giving policy statements in public, especially to the press. Simply explain that you are one board member and that policy decisions are developed by the entire board.

•It is the job of the executive to make sure that the board members see the big picture and make informed decisions. They need the facts so decisions are not made for personal reasons.

How Does the Executives Gain and Retain Respect from the Board?

The executive must realize that, regardless of how often board members come and go, he still works for the board. Some executives withhold information from their boards, manipulate their boards, and see their boards as adversaries (the "we" and "them").

It is unethical to withhold information from the board and will almost always guarantee a bad relationship. Instead, the executive should see the board as being the "eyes and ears" of the community: a sounding board, a source of information, advisors. Where there is mutual respect, there is better governance. Don't have secrets. The board member should be the first informed on issues, and never blind-side the executive or staff. A team is built by creating trust.

6 | Illinois Parks and Recreation

B O A R D M A N S H I P    I N S I G H T S

Board Members, Never Bypass the Executive

Board members must understand that in order to maintain excellent communications and the chain of command, they should always funnel their concerns and questions through the executive. When you bypass the executive and make requests of staff, the following can occur.

•The board member/executive relationship can be damaged. The executive feels like the board member went behind his back and didn't trust him. It breaks the chain of command.

•A staff person might have an answer to a specific question, but can't put it in the same perspective as the executive. The executive understands the big picture. A staff member's input might be biased, protecting their area of interest or not knowing how a particular situation affects the agency as a whole.

•Staff may also have opinions on matters that conflict with the executive's and that puts the board member and staff in an awkward situation. •

TEST YOUR BOARDMANSHIP SKILLS 1. Is your goal as a board member to: a) promote better park and recreation opportunities for the residents? b) serve the special interest group that helped get you elected? 2. A citizen alleges wrongdoing within the agency. Do you: a) ask the executive to investigate the claim? b) conduct your own investigation or get others to do so? 3. After a sensitive personnel issue has been discussed in a board meeting executive session, do you: a) respect the confidentiality of the meeting and the employee involved? b) discuss the issue with others to get their input? 4. After voting on the losing side of a controversial issue, do you: a) accept the decision and support it? b) take your case to the media and public? 5. You are aggressively pursuing board approval of an issue. Do you: a) discuss it with each board member and the executive? b) ask citizens to pressure key board members to vote your way? 6. Generally in dealing with the public and the press, do you: a) speak favorably about the agency, but acknowledge its weaknesses? b) belittle the agency' programs and staff? 7. A fellow board member wants to know how you're going to vote on a critical issue. Do you: a) indicate that you never reveal how you're going to vote before everyone presents their concerns and recommendations? b) make a deal to swap votes with your fellow board members? 8. You have a major proposal for the board to consider. Do you: a) discuss it with the executive in advance and introduce the proposal at one meeting for discussion at the next meeting? b) expect immediate action on the proposal? 9. In preparing for board meetings, do you: a) review the agenda and supplemental materials and request any additional information prior to the meeting? b) review the material during the meeting while interrogating the executive on the contents? What are the results? If you have marked all responses with the letter "A," congratulations! You have excellent boardmanship skills and a good attitude. If you selected more than three answers designated by "B," you probably need to assess your behavior as a board member. Your agency may be in turmoil. You could be labeled "the board member nobody wants." •

Upcoming IAPD Events for Board Members and Executives

August 15
Understanding the Park District Budget Process
Hazel Crest Park District

August 18
Park District Conservation Day
Illinois State Fair

August 28
Boardmanship
Hoffman Estates Park District

August 29
Boardmanship
Park District of Oak Park

September 8
Fall Commissioners Seminar
Des Plaines Park District

September 18
Legal & Legislative Workshop
Darien Park District

September 19
Legal & Legislative Workshop
Morton Grove Park District

January 24-26, 2002 IAPD/IPRA Annual Conference Hyatt Regency Chicago

Go to
www.ILparks.org for
more details.

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