Before reading this, I would have believed it was the job of the top executive officer (e.g. an ED, CEO, president, etc.) to set the org’s agenda. It sounds like that’s what you’re currently doing at your org. That would seem right to me. And I THINK I still believe that? Although you’re making me question it.
You say, “I, as the founder, have a lot of control—but not a clean mandate, not an explicit delegation.” To me, you having a lot of control sounds right. But you lacking a clean mandate would seem like a problem to me. I’d think you should ask the board to give you “a clean mandate” and “explicit delegation” to make these kinds of strategy and goal decisions. E.g. write up some kind of document for the board to sign officially delegating that power to you.
THAT SAID, your post is pointing out that all nonprofits are different and so we shouldn’t assume the same thing is best for all of them. So now, I guess, I don’t know! Maybe at your organization, it is somehow right for the top executive officer NOT to have a clean mandate and explicit delegation?
I’m just thinking, in my limited life experience, things seem to go best if there is ONE person who cares a lot, is very focused, and works hard to make things happen according to a single plan. A top executive officer (e.g. you, or someone you hire to fill that role if you don’t want to) seems best poised to be that person. But I don’t know if my life experience gives me an accurate sense of how the world works. And I take your point that maybe what is best for one organization to achieve its goals is different than what’s best for another organization to achieve its goals.
My board isn’t the reason for the lack of clarity—and it certainly is my job to set the direction. I don’t think any of them are particularly dissatisfied with the way I’ve set the org’s agenda. But my conclusion is that I disagree somewhat with Holden’s post that partly guided me in the past couple years, in that it’s more situational, and there are additional useful roles for the board.
Before reading this, I would have believed it was the job of the top executive officer (e.g. an ED, CEO, president, etc.) to set the org’s agenda. It sounds like that’s what you’re currently doing at your org. That would seem right to me. And I THINK I still believe that? Although you’re making me question it.
You say, “I, as the founder, have a lot of control—but not a clean mandate, not an explicit delegation.” To me, you having a lot of control sounds right. But you lacking a clean mandate would seem like a problem to me. I’d think you should ask the board to give you “a clean mandate” and “explicit delegation” to make these kinds of strategy and goal decisions. E.g. write up some kind of document for the board to sign officially delegating that power to you.
THAT SAID, your post is pointing out that all nonprofits are different and so we shouldn’t assume the same thing is best for all of them. So now, I guess, I don’t know! Maybe at your organization, it is somehow right for the top executive officer NOT to have a clean mandate and explicit delegation?
I’m just thinking, in my limited life experience, things seem to go best if there is ONE person who cares a lot, is very focused, and works hard to make things happen according to a single plan. A top executive officer (e.g. you, or someone you hire to fill that role if you don’t want to) seems best poised to be that person. But I don’t know if my life experience gives me an accurate sense of how the world works. And I take your point that maybe what is best for one organization to achieve its goals is different than what’s best for another organization to achieve its goals.
My board isn’t the reason for the lack of clarity—and it certainly is my job to set the direction. I don’t think any of them are particularly dissatisfied with the way I’ve set the org’s agenda. But my conclusion is that I disagree somewhat with Holden’s post that partly guided me in the past couple years, in that it’s more situational, and there are additional useful roles for the board.