I heard from an associate working with a nonprofit board recently who shared:
This may seem petty, but was a big deal to the clients. The center, like many places, has a policy that tells clients if you mess up the common space, you clean it up. Well, I think after the Board meetings, the common space in which the Board meets tends to be pretty messy with coffee cups, plates...that type of stuff sitting on the table. So a representative of the clients attending a board meeting asked the Board to just be conscious about that type of stuff. The clients basically asked the Board to observe the rules they are subject to.
One of the Board members responded, stating that the Board could just meet off site at a local hospital conference room where the Board used to meet. Funny thing is...they would DEFINITELY have to clean up after themselves should they meet there. Another Board member stated Board members are the superiors to the employees, clients and volunteers and that coffee and food should be prepared for the Board when they arrived.
Petty? I think not! These board members need to take some time out and think about the fundamental beliefs and values that guide them as board members. This type of attitude is not just insensitive, it suggests to me that the wrong people are "on the bus". Instead, I want board members who care passionately about the clients, who see the clients as the driving force to what brings them to work together. I also want the Board to view employees and volunteers as extensions of themselves -- individuals who also come to the table with passion and a desire to make a better world for the clients. The attitudes expressed in this dialog do not represent caring, passionate people -- the main ingredient to a board that will do whatever it can to achieve success.