Before the Ball Begins: Asking the Big Questions Before the Contract is Signed

We’ve been doing a lot of special events “pre-counseling” these days – helping groups figure out if they should do their annual event, what they could get out of it, and what, exactly, would make the effort worth it in these times.

In fact, we’ve been having these conversations so often, we created a list of 10 questions every group should ask as part of this assessment process.

What I want to talk about here is getting to that dialogue – having the guts to back away from the “peach vs. plum-colored tablecloths” discussions, or even from the fascination of “let’s-have–chicken-this-year-because-it’s-cheaper-than-salmon.”

Events bring out the detail-oriented dog-with-a-bone in each of us.  In fact, often the most valuable board or committee member on event duty is someone who relishes wrestling with the details, creating the total picture, tracking all the micro-decisions that add up to a really fabulous event.

And although that kind of person will sigh at the inception of yet another event, they truly love getting down in the muck and making it happen.  So even in these times, they’re ready to work twice as hard to pull your event off.

But sometimes, and especially in these times, that kind of “put-your-head-down-and-get-to-work” stance isn’t what’s called for.

With events, it’s all too easy to lose your shirt if you don’t get it right.  And that “it” is not just the hula hoop versus karaoke machine details of event production – it’s the match of audience, activity, and goals. 

That’s the conversation that has to happen this year.

Every year – good to have.

This year – essential.

You Ought To

“You know what you ought to do? You ought to get a celebrity to endorse the Center – that’d get you a lot of publicity!”

“A lot of people who care about social justice would be interested in knowing about your counseling of ex-offenders.”

“If you have a reception, people would come to the gallery and see the work.”

What’s wrong with those sentences coming out of the mouth of a board member?

You got it – the word “you.”

When board members are really at the table, they’re on the same side of the table – rolling up their sleeves and bringing their personal networks and energy to bear on the organization’s behalf.

When board members are in an advisory stance, they’re on the opposite side of the table – giving you the benefit of their wisdom and perspective, yet leaving you to scramble to put the pieces together.

It’s a subtle but critical shift – from outside helper to inside collaborator …from someone with advice on the way things ought to be, to a fellow searcher for the right path…from an advisor to a member of the team.

You can tell which stance I prefer – it’s a question of “put up or shut up.” Really, truly, it takes so much effort to move a nonprofit forward, that you’re at a tremendous disadvantage if not everyone who’s on your team is really on your team.

No, let me rephrase that. We in the nonprofit sector need all the help we can get. We need everyone rowing the board forward, not just telling us how to grasp the oar.

So the $1,000,000 question is – how do you turn around this energy? How do you move board members from “pronouncements on high” to getting their hands dirty?

The general answer is: the same as when you want a major donation out of someone – you seduce them. You make them fall in love (with your program, not with you), and once they’ve drunk the Kool-Aid, they’ll be a full-fledged member of your team.

This is an ongoing process – wooing your board members so they feel a part and not apart – and the lack of that is a major cause of board member drift and eventual deadwood status.

They need to be burning with passion for your work, and it’s up to you – no, it’s up to us – to imbue them with it.