The Micro-Management Syndrome

If you asked association Chief Staff Officers (Executive Directors, General Managers, CEOs) what one thing a Board does that drives them bonkers, I guarantee a huge majority would respond with "micro-management".

But over the years, as I have pressed further when this assertion arises, I often find that the Chief Staff Officer is actually inviting Board interference into operational matters by virtue of the type of information they include on the Board agenda.

The Board agenda should be chock full of information it needs to govern, not information the staff needs to manage. There is a distinct difference between the two.

If a Board is truly governing, it has policies in place to guide the Chief Staff Officer in day-to-day operations. It also has in place a comprehensive strategic plan that guides operational priorities for organizational outcomes. With these two critical pieces in place, Board agendas should include reports from the Chief Staff Officer that do two things: provides evidence of compliance with with Board policies, and, updates the Board on the status of the goals and priorities outlined in the strategic plan. These two types of reports and discussion should be at the top of every Board agenda.

Where I often see a void, however, is a Board not making it clear to the Chief Staff Officer what types of information it expects to be provided with on an ongoing basis. A "Board Information Needs" policy makes huge sense - after all, if you haven't made your needs clear, how can you hold someone accountable for filling those needs?

A Board Information Policy should compel the Chief Staff Officer to provide the Board, at minimum, with:

• an update on the status of the goals and strategies in the strategic plan
• reports on compliance with Board policies (based on a frequency determined by the Board for each individual policy)
• information on internal or external trends that may impact the organization and perhaps compel the Board to revise or re-prioritize their goals and strategies
• member or stakeholder issues or concerns
• information and articles on governance that might help the Board improve their performance

Boards should ask themselves what type of information they need to do their job, how frequently they need it, and in what form. Responding to these important questions in the form of a Board policy on information needs is one of many steps that not-for-profits can take to reduce micro-management and help the Board assume its governance responsibility.

Sandi L. Humphrey, CAE