Questions for the CEO

Should the CEO have his head examined? The size of his headache resulting from the discussion so far might give a clue that at least his method might need to be adjusted.

What will the CEO do next time there's something he wants from the Board? Bury it in the budget? Make a formal proposal? Take a board member to lunch? What are the learnings from this situation?

Will the CEO avail himself of the learnings? Will he sit down and write down what he has learned? Probably not. He doesn't see himself as a student, here, in the learning process. He sees himself as put upon, as underdog, continually having to wrestle the slightest advancement for the organization out of the Board's discussion.

What would you do different in this situation, dear reader?

You know what I would do? I'd take my idea to each and every Board member individually, show him/her the situation now, the need, demonstrate the financial facts of the case, the situation as we now have it; and then show them the vision of what could happen and why, and how it could be made to happen IF we had that donor software and somebody to enter and massage the data. I'd build a case for support with each of those Board members, make sure those questions, all the questions, they have are answered first. I'd ask each one whether they were ready to support the proposal unanimously, and if any said "no" I'd not bring it to the Board until all objections were fully satisfied.

But you'll probably say, "John, that's a pipedream. It'll never happen." And perhaps you know whereof you speak. So tell me, send me an email, how else could you get a decision that's based on deliberative thought, one that involves the Board members and engages them where they are, one that will move the organization ahead in a positive direction?
Boards only do two things: they can brainstorm and they can tell stories
Boards cannot do deliberative thought. Too many impediments.

See you next week for a look at the question recently put to me by a well-known representative of the business press: "Does the economy really have an impact on fundraising? Are there more "asks" out there in the community totaling more than the money that's there to fund them?"