In the fog, the cove was pitch black. I couldn’t see the radio tower across the bay, a star, or the shore. Earlier that afternoon, the tide caught us when we’d anchored too close to shore. Now at 10:30 p.m. the tide was rising. We needed to move the boat or stay stuck until the following day. It should have been easy. We… Read more »
Tag: Karen Eber Davis
The Board vs. Staff Game Replacing Divide and Conquer with Let’s Make Millions Together
It started with a threat, from a board member in the midst of a board meeting. “If she doesn’t produce in a year, she’s out of here.” Thirty seconds. Sixty seconds. Silence hung in the room like fog at dawn. I was beginning my third job with a nonprofit. The first two positions were highly-sought-after spots with low-pay and high-perks. … Read more »
Why Does Your Board Micromanage? Learn from My Error and Create a Board that Governs
It was a beautiful August morning. Twenty campers and four counselors outfitted in orange lifejackets paddled silver canoes across a glassy blue lake in northern New Hampshire. We pulled up to a sand spit. As we unloaded, I, one of the junior counselors, muttered, “I wish I had a brownie. We should have brought snacks.” In response, all twenty campers moaned in… Read more »
Surviving Vision Block – How to Turn Your Crushing Experiences into Wins
I was pinned under a 200 pound guy, and he had scissors. The volunteer assignment was simple: help a young man with developmental disabilities to learn a new skill, one-on-one. We were working on learning scissor use. How did I end up flailing on the floor needing assistance? I had a clear goal for my college volunteering experience: Explore different ways to help people reach excellence. … Read more »
Lasso the Future Moving Your Noncommittal Board Candidates Off the Fence
You plan to ask a candidate whom you’ve vetted and wooed for months to serve on your board. You plan what to say if they answer yes or no. But how will you respond if they tell you, “I want to think about it?”
How to Ask Your Board to Help with Fundraising Today And Get Profitable Results
Your board wants to help lead you to greater fiscal health. You want the same thing. Why then do so many CEOs tell me they’re disappointed in the board support they receive when it comes to generating income?
