Trust: The Vital Link in the Executive/Board Relationship
This article is fifth in a series of reflections on the Roles and Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards: It’s Time for Some R & R: That’s Roles & Responsibilities - Not Rest & Relaxation
Do you trust your Board of Directors?
If you sit on a nonprofit board, do you trust your Executive? Do you trust your fellow directors?
Often, when talking with executives or directors, one of the first things they will tell me is whether or not they trust the other party, or, in the case of directors, trust one another.
Besides passion for the organization’s mission, trust is the other vital link that holds the executive/board relationship together.
What, exactly, does it mean to trust?
Research on trust over the years has seemingly identified four consistent elements:
𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮: The individual acts in a manner that is predictable when presented with similar circumstances
𝘼𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮: The other party must demonstrate competence in what they do. This is usually about technical skills.
𝘽𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚: The other party acts in a manner that subordinates their needs and priorities to that of the other party and acts for the good of all, not just themselves
𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮: The other party behaves honestly, does what they say they are going to do, and is ethical in their dealings with others
All parties in the relationship need to engender trust by demonstrating the four core elements. Notice the words 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴, 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦, and 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴. It is all about behavior.
Trust takes time to build. Both parties must continually witness and believe that other is behaving in a manner that is aligned with the four core elements.
Trust is fragile.
Unfortunately, all it takes is one incident—or the perception thereof—where someone doesn’t demonstrate consistency, ability, benevolence, or integrity, to destroy or start to erode trust. The minute we begin to distrust, maneuvering, second-guessing, gossip, the assumption of malintent, and resentfulness are likely to enter the relationship.
Boards of directors and their executives cannot afford to operate in such a manner. Such dynamics trickle down into the rest of the organization.
The board/executive relationship is complex. Not only does the executive have to trust the board collectively, but also its individual members. Likewise, directors must trust each other; they must trust the executive, both individually and collectively as a team.
If trust isn’t present in your relationship, which core element is lacking? What can you do to repair it? And (most scarily) are you willing to address it with the other party? Framing such a conversation in the context of the four elements could be useful.