Professional Development--Part 9: Managing Your Directors

      EMS needs good leaders and managers. What can you do to become one? This is the latest installment of EMS Magazine's Professional Development series, a comprehensive curriculum for forward-thinking EMS providers wishing to improve their leadership and management skills, increase their authority and responsibility within their organizations, and change their field for the better. We welcome your comments on this series and invite ideas for future content. E-mail nancy.perry@cygnusb2b.com.

   You've just landed a new job as executive director for Quality EMS, a commercial agency with contracts in multiple counties, and you feel like you're finally going to be able to make a difference. As you settle into the position, various members of your board of directors call or e-mail you with all sorts of advice, questions and issues. While Dick is focusing on various legislative issues and how they'll impact your agency, Michele seems to be worried about the educational focus in the area, and Ted has his eye on the budget and ways to tweak things to maximize profits.

   Many providers don't realize there are boards of directors in the world of EMS. Some govern EMS agencies, some govern EMS regulatory authorities (regional or statewide), some are in place in national EMS organizations, and some exist at educational institutions. Whatever its scope, understanding the people who make up your board of directors will help you understand its unique personality.

   How do you deal with your board? What are the most important issues on which to communicate with them? How often should they meet? Should staff meet with them? These are common questions when attempting to make sense of the board/staff relationship. This article will deal with some of those questions, as well as the greater issues that surround this unique working relationship.

Survival Strategies

   Below are some strategies to implement if you are to survive this particular interpersonal employment challenge.

1. Know the limits of your authority--Not every management decision needs board approval. There is a relatively short list of items a board cannot delegate to corporate officers or committees of directors. However, when in doubt, management should consult with individual board members (preferably the corporate officers) as to whether a board meeting should be held to authorize a particular action.
2. Organization--Boards should be organized into committees to maximize the real work accomplished. If committees are doing their jobs, more time at board meetings can be devoted to strategy, rather than reviewing details. Also give the various board members projects in their areas of expertise--these can include finance, review of bylaws and/or policies, or even upcoming legislative issues. You can look at this as free consulting, and the board members usually do a good job.
3. We're all on the same side--Remember that you, as staff, and your board are on the same side. On 99% of issues, your interests are aligned. Some boards tend to focus too much on the 1% where they diverge. It can be a healthy sign if, from time to time, one board member disagrees with another about a strategy, etc. However, Machiavellian behavior and the formation of voting blocs among members is often a sign the board is malfunctioning.
4. Shared vision--This is dynamically intertwined with the point above: Your board needs to know the changes you want to implement will be beneficial to your organization/system as a whole. Having a working knowledge of future goals, current strategies and implementation plans will give you the ability to not only communicate better, but know where everyone is coming from. Realize you might be coming from different perspectives of education, experience and thought. Knowing your board members' perspectives will help you to pitch not only your points in projects, but theirs too--thereby accomplishing both your goals.
5. Communication is key--Communicate important issues to the board on a regular basis. These include financial issues, issues that may threaten your entity's stability, letters you will be sending to legislators, and so on. As difficult as it may sometimes be, always communicate with your board. Whether it's done in person, in writing or via e-mail, communication is one of the most basic elements of any relationship. Although I am a big fan of communicating via e-mail, communicate in the manner that works best for you and with which you are most comfortable.
6. Surprises--This point goes hand-in-hand with the point above regarding communicating with the board. Boards of directors hate surprises. Keep members informed of what's happening between meetings. The worst thing you can do is to fail to accomplish certain goals, finalize necessary documents or even accomplish mandated deliverables, then have the board find out for the first time at its meeting or in the package of documents sent right before it meets. Surprise your spouse, but don't surprise your board.

Top Tips for Board Management

• Don't let your board get too hands-on. A certain level of trust must be developed between an organization's board and paid staff. When the board gets too hands-on (examples include making decisions without consulting or even advising the staff), that trust may be broken.
• Conversely, make sure it's hands-on enough. When staff is making all the decisions and the board isn't in the loop and doesn't seem to care, there is a problem.
• Communicate both ways. If either of the entities in this equation (board or staff) feels they are the only ones communicating, there is a problem. Communication is a two-way street, and people need to communicate in a way they feel comfortable with. Even if you just acknowledge an e-mail with a short "I agree" return e-mail, the communication loop remains intact.
• Too much turnover is a bad thing. There will always be some measure of turnover on the board--some members leave, others join. To some degree this is good. But when the entire personality of the board changes from year to year, that is not good. Additionally, there must be some members who have served for more than a year or two to assist with historical reference.
• Take minutes. Paperwork such as minutes with board determinations (administrative, financial or otherwise) is critical. Not only will this inform others of the board's determinations, it is also a paper trail in case things are questioned later.

Conclusion

   A strong team made up of forward-thinking leaders is a necessity if you and the organization you work for are to survive and thrive. EMS has changed immeasurably in the past years. Management personnel at all levels need to be aware of the changes the industry is facing globally and locally, and that those who ignore the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them. Good communication with an educated, informed board of directors could spell the difference between success and failure.

   Next time: In the next installment of this series, we'll look at personal planning.

   Raphael M. Barishansky, MPH, is chief of public health emergency preparedness for the Prince George's County (MD) Health Department and a member of EMS Magazine's editorial advisory board. Contact him at rbarishansky@gmail.com.

Additional BoD References

• Building Better Boards: A Blueprint for Effective Governance--David Nadler, Beverly Behan, Mark Nadler, Jay Lorsch, Mercer Delta Consulting, 2006.
• Nonprofit Boards: Roles, Responsibilities, and Performance--Diane J. Duca, John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
• Boards That Deliver: Advancing Corporate Governance From Compliance to Competitive Advantage--Ram Charan, John Wiley & Sons, 2005.