board of management

Can you serve too long on a board of management?  It is a touchy question but one which deserves consideration.

In my opinion it is definitely possible to serve too long on a board. Here are the reasons behind my answer.

  • At some point you will have given all you have to give.   You reach burnout stage and that is no good for you or your NFP.
  • Boards quickly become stale if there is no new blood and new ideas injected into them.
  • When you have worked together for a long time, certain questions stop being asked because board members assume they know each other’s points of view.  What information are you missing?
  • Balanced boards include members from different generations so they can consider how best to spread their message to the whole community, not just one sector.
  • If you are a retiree who is using their skills and experience to help the community, that is fantastic, but ask yourself if you are up to date with technology and what’s happening in the community.
  • If you find yourself thinking “We did that a couple of years ago and we will do it the same way” perhaps you need a break.  Repeating your processes is great if they work but not at the cost of new and original ideas.
  • When the idea of attending a board meeting makes you feel flat or tired, you have lost energy or enthusiasm.  There comes a time when boredom overtakes enthusiasm, and that is the time to leave. 

Some boards solve the problem by offering limited tenure in board positions. This works best for large organisations because they often have people waiting to apply for a spot on the board.

Small organisations often struggle to fill places which is why they end up with a board made up of people who have been serving together for years.  This can become a problem as many simply repeat their processes year after year.

No matter which situation you are in, when it is time to leave the board, just do it. The change can be good for you and for your board, too.