Questions Executive Directors Should Ask Board Members in Their First 30 Days

When you take on a new executive director role, it’s critical to start building rapport with your board of directors. A productive relationship between the board and the executive director is crucial for the success of the entire organization. However, many leaders are slow to invest in this relationship because of the many competing demands on their time. To help make it easier, I’ve gathered the key questions new executive directors should ask board members in their first 30 days on the job.

Asking these questions will not only clarify and streamline your working relationship with the board of directors but will also demonstrate your commitment to building a productive and collaborative relationship.

Questions to Ask the Board About Communication

After serving as an executive director five times, I’ve come to appreciate that everyone has different learning and communication styles. What worked with your board in your last executive director role may not work in this new role. So instead of wondering or floundering, simply ask!

Question 1: How do you prefer to hear from me between board meetings?

Some board members detest emails. Others would rather have more information than less — and they want it hot off the presses. Others would prefer an email digest. There are plenty of collaboration software platforms to accommodate what your board wants.

Simply asking this question of your board members shows that you want to learn how they work (instead of expecting them to only adapt to you). This will be greatly appreciated — and will build good-will for those times when you do need to change current practices.

Question 2: How hands-on do you want to be with the finances?

Many board members would prefer not to deal with audits, financial reporting, and spreadsheets, but due diligence is still needed.

To start, ask questions about what worries the board of directors has about financial management or revenue. For example, some board members just want to know if cash flow is strong. Others love the horse race of monthly performance numbers, while others simply want to know how much is in the bank.

Once you understand your board members’ concerns about and interest in your organization’s finances, you can ensure your financial reporting to the board addresses these areas.

What kind of information do you want included in my board reports and/or presentations at board meetings?

Every board member may have different ideas. Accommodate as much as you can, within reason. Then let the board know how you will present information and get alignment that it is appropriate and satisfactory.

I strongly recommend a standard template for board reports and presentations so norms and expectations can be set. But remain flexible.

Ask Board Members About Their Needs

A successful nonprofit organization requires a functioning board of directors. Yet too many boards fail to understand their roles. This can lead to overstepping on one extreme (for more on this, check out the “Get in Your Lane” infographic from my free Executive Director Toolkit) and a lack of engagement on the other. To help your board be as high-functioning as possible, start with the following questions.

Question 3: Do you feel you have what you need to succeed as a board member?

You want board members to know you are on their side and that, as paid staff, you want to make board service easier and more pleasant. Did they get an adequate orientation? Do they need more advance notice for board meetings? Do they need help fundraising?

Probe this topic and help them be successful.

So you can go into the conversation with ideas about what board success might look like, check out this roundup of 100+ easy board fundraising tasks and this board orientation checklist.

Question 4: Where do you feel under-utilized? Do you have talents or connections that aren’t being cultivated?

This is a vital question and one too few nonprofit leaders ask board members.

Board members want to feel needed and useful. Listen carefully and cultivate board members accordingly. For more on building a rockstar board, check out my comprehensive board trainings and tools.

Question 5: What one thing would you like to see more of in your board experience? Less of?

This sort of question gives board members a chance to share their unspoken expectations and frustrations. By asking and listening, you may be able to identify areas where you can work with your board to chair quickly and easily improve board members’ experiences (building goodwill in your favor). Be sure to confirm that you can share answers (either individually or as a batch) with the board chair.

Question 6: What do you expect from me and our relationship?

Rather than waiting to see what works (or stumbling into the mire of what doesn’t), you can save heartache and stress by asking upfront what expectations board members have of their relationship with you as the executive director.

In asking this, you may find that some of your board members are less experienced or haven’t been through an orientation. They may not even know what an executive director does!

In one of my executive director roles, a board member became very angry with me because he felt like he was being picked on by another board member. He thought my job was to keep the peace. But board meetings belong to the board, and the executive director is sort of a guest. Once the board member realized it was the board chair’s responsibility, we found our way to working together much better.

Ask Questions About How Board Meetings Are Working

Often, when nonprofit leaders think of the board’s role, they imagine only the board meeting. Yes, there is much more to the role — but board meetings are very important! So ask upfront how they are going and how they can be better!

Question 7: What would make our board meetings more rewarding and productive?

This question is sure to get you a lot of conflicting opinions about what makes a good board meeting. Some board members want board meetings that are fast, efficient, and take as little time as possible. Others may value unstructured social time to connect with other board members and staff. Listen carefully to your board members’ responses and see if you can synthesize board values about meetings into something actionable.

To give your board meetings a quick and effective boost, check out my all-in-one Board Meeting Toolkit.

Question 8: What could the organization do better to help you be an even better ambassador and communicator for the organization?

Believe it or not, some board members may have trouble articulating what the organization does. Very often board members have only a broad or high-level understanding of the work. This will inhibit them from talking about wins, tactics, organizational history, and challenges that need funding. Once you have identified the gaps in your board members’ knowledge, you can work with the board chair and your staff to address them.

Other Topics to Discuss with Board Members

In addition to board questions, you should also discuss the following with board members early on:

• Discuss executive session. Ideally, the board would only use executive session to discuss executive director compensation or disciplinary action. Boards and executive directors are partners. The secrecy of executive session breeds worry, stress, and mistrust. To learn more, check out my article on what can make executive session toxic.

• Get alignment early on about how board members interact with staff. For example, staff should NOT receive assignments from board members. Even when working closely on projects or committees, role clarity is essential for staff so they know they have only one boss, not a dozen. See my “Get in Your Lane” infographic from my free Executive Director Toolkit.

Asking Questions Shows Your Commitment

Many executive directors struggle with board relationships. But when things get challenging for your organization’s work or operations, you need your board to have your back. Taking a little time upfront to ask board members about their preferences, experiences, and goals, can go a long way toward getting your board of directors in your corner. Just remember: When you ask board members questions, be sure to listen to their answers!

If you’re dealing with a particularly thorny board challenge, check out my one-on-one and group coaching programs. Leading a nonprofit is hard work — and we all need extra support sometimes!