All for One and One for All: Decision Making at the Board Table
“All for one and one for all.” Taken from a T.V. series I watched as a kid, this very simple slogan carries a message of great importance, especially for nonprofit boards.
By design, nonprofit boards have numerous members. This is because 1) there is more board work to do than one person can accomplish, 2) boards provide organizational oversight, a function which is better performed by multiple people, 3) multiple perspectives strengthen a board’s ability to determine an organization’s strategic direction.
The third point - the importance of multiple perspectives - is all about inclusiveness. Creating an organizational culture that encourages the expression of diverse opinions and celebrates differences is foundational to developing strong, vibrant, and effective boards. Inclusivity is the antidote to groupthink.
Amanda and I were wrapping up a strategic planning process recently by reviewing process outcomes with the Board Chair and Executive Director of a client organization. A new board member commented that he had some important suggestions to make that were contrary to the finalized plan. It was an interesting situation. Asking him to conform would signal that the expression of different perspectives is not welcome at this board table, and yet reopening the completed planning process to include his ideas would undermine the work that had been accomplished.
How do you proceed in such a situation? It comes down to viewing the Board as a unified body, as well as honoring the individuality of each board member. The following concepts will help achieve this balance:
The voices of each individual board member carry equal weight (All For One)
One member, one vote. Length of service or Board position does not give added weight to any one voice. To modify George Orwell’s phrase, on Boards, some people are not more equal than others.
Pertinent information should be provided to all board members as part of the decision-making process, and time at the board table for all opinions to be voiced and heard.
Board decisions are binding on all members (One For All)
Board decisions should be made as outlined in the organization’s bylaws.
The choice facing board members who initially lobbied for an alternative outcome is to then actively support the resulting decision, or to leave the Board.
Core values should guide every aspect of the organization’s work
Core values are not generic, but should represent the manner in which the nonprofit organization conducts its business on a daily basis. It is important that the shared values of an organization guide the tenor of discussions at the Board table.
The Duty of Care is a legal responsibility, an essential component of board governance. It mandates that a thorough and deliberate process should be conducted prior to formal decision-making. This ensures that each individual member can express their opinions before then being asked to support the collective whole.
In Board service, “One for All” does not work, neither does “All For One”, but putting these two phrases together is immensely powerful. All for one and one for all!