Communicating with Owners

The board (not staff) should communicate organizational policy decisions to the owners.

Seeking Owners’ Input

To communicate with owners effectively, we have to know who owns the organization. Usually the owners are the members or shareholders. The owners of not-for-profit organizations and government agencies generally include the public.

To represent the views of the owners at board meetings, board members, as trustees making decisions on behalf of the owners, need to understand the diversity of owners’ views. When board members ask owners for their views on major organizational issues they are better prepared to make good board decisions.

Customer Issues

Customers are the people to whom you provide products or services.

Customers care about the quality of the product or service they receive.

Customer concerns are day-to-day operational issues.

It is best if board members do not work out customer issues with owners. Instead, they put the customer in touch with the staff member who can address the individual customer’s concern.

Speaking with One Voice

Once the board has made a decision, it is important that all board members support that decision to the owners. Board members are expected to speak with a unified message outside of board meetings.

Board Member Opinions

Before a decision, board members ask for and listen to the owners' views. When you, a board member, are asked for your personal opinion, share some of the perspectives you are aware of on both sides of the issue.

After a decision, board members share the board's decision. When asked for their personal opinion, they give reasons to support the decision.

 

It is desirable that board members never share their personal opinion with owners, neither before nor after a decision has been made.

Owners generally consider board members to be board members, not just one of the owners. There is a strong tendency for an owner to consider that when board members, before the board has taken a vote, say they are sharing their personal opinion they are really sharing the board’s leaning on the topic. And when a board member shares her dissenting personal view after the board has made a decision, owners tend to be concerned that the board isn’t an effective team - perhaps the board isn’t listening to this board member’s wisdom. Whenever the board presents itself as not being a strong team, the public may question the organization’s future.