June 25, 2023

Quiz: Is Your Board Micromanaging? Find Out Now!

Effective governance is crucial for the success of any nonprofit. However, when a board begins to regularly micromanage, it can hinder the work of the staff, create operational inefficiencies, and stress the leadership team. How can you tell if your board is crossing the line? Take the Board Micromanaging Quiz to find out! It’s designed for nonprofit leaders and board to take together.

Here’s the Board Micromanaging Quiz

This quiz consists of fifteen yes-no questions. Check out the suggested answers by clicking the answers in orange underneath the quiz. Circle yes or no for your answers. And, share the Board Micromanaging Quiz with your staff and board to clarify roles at your nonprofit.

Board Meetings

1. A board member asks about a staff member’s responsibilities.	y/n
2. When the CEO steps out of the room, the Board assigns a staff member in the room to complete a task.	y/n
3. The Board asks the CEO if staff can take on a committee assignment.	y/n
4. The Board tells the CEO how to fix an operation snafu.	y/n
5. The Board creates a policy to correct an operation snafu.	y/n

Committee Meetings

6. A member voices an opinion about the CEO’s decision on an operations issue and asks for a report at the next board meeting.	y/n
7. A member assigns a staff member to complete a committee task.	y/n
8. A member discovers an accounting process error and informs the CFO how to correct it.	y/n
9. A member discovers an accounting process error, informs the CFO how to correct it, and emails the board chair and CEO afterward to explain what happened.	y/n
10. Three board members decide they would like to discuss an HR policy at the next board meeting and ask the CEO to put it on the agenda.	y/n

Individual Encounters

11. The Chair shares ideas on an internal challenge without asking if input would be helpful.	y/n
12. After confirming that the input is welcome, the Chair provides ideas on an internal challenge.	y/n
13. A board member asks a staff member to send program information to a new contact at a networking event.	y/n
14. At a networking event, a board member grills a staff member on why the nonprofit runs a program the way it does. He frowns at the answers.	y/n
15. The Board Chair passes on three employee supervision recommendations developed during the CEO’s evaluation.	y/n

Answers

No matter the score, how can you reduce board micromanaging and increase governance? Discuss the differences between governance and management with your board and explore the gray areas. For example, consider a situation where a CEO couldn’t fill a development director position because the board’s work-from-home policy was too rigid– a gray area. By discussing the pros and cons, the board decided to relax the policy after the initial three months.

Resources in this Series

Don’t miss theses posts:

Quiz: Is Your Board Micromanaging? Find Out Now!– Engage with a self-assessment tool. (this post)

Why Does Your Nonprofit Board Micromanage? Is It You?– Understand the underlying causes of board micromanagement.

Lead More: How to Curb Your Board’s Micromanaging Habit– Get strategic advice on redirecting board behavior.

How to Stop Your Board from Micromanaging: Practical Steps– Concrete, actionable steps to prevent and stop board micromanagement.

Need more help with your board? Karen is available for a mini-consult or more. Click here to email or here to set a time to chat.

Author

Karen Eber Davis

Karen Eber Davis is a nonprofit strategic planning consultant who works with visionary leaders committed to taking their organizations to new heights. She offers customized strategies, assessments, and coaching designed to help leaders lead their organizations to achieve their potential. She is the author of 7 Nonprofit Income Streams and Let's Raise Nonprofit Millions Together.