Wrong Person for the Job

Dear Erica,

We are getting to that time of year when we being to think about the leadership of our organizations for next year. Everyone is in the nominating mode in my social service agency and I’m feeling a little stuck. The person they have nominated for vice president (who will one day be president) is, in my mind, totally the wrong person for the job. I am even thinking of leaving the board if he is picked. They are just about to ask him. What recourse do I have?

Losing Patience in Potomac

Dear Patience (or Impatience),

People get nominated for board positions for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes we nominate people because they have talent, institutional memory, commitment or guts. Sometimes we nominate people who have the financial capacity to make a difference in an organization. All of these are valid reasons. I can totally appreciate your concern, and I think it’s important to act fast if you can’t understand why this person has been chosen. I would begin with speaking in confidence (and hopefully in person) to your board president and to a professional. Don’t only talk. Listen. You may not know the person in question as well as they do. Inquire. Find out what they were thinking so you don’t have to ask, “What were they thinking?”

If your issues still hold, then share them in a friendly and constructive way and talk about how these considerations can be addressed. If you really do not feel comfortable then it is your right to opt off the board. You may, however, be a nice guy and give this person a chance to shine or stumble before making up your mind. We humans can be a little too quick to form first impressions that we can’t or aren’t mentally willing to shake. But remember this important piece of advice: if you stay, your job on a board is to be supportive, not divisive. Don’t be the one to tell others that you didn’t agree to his nomination. You can share that now before an election but once a decision is formed, you need to be part of a cohesive team to the public you serve. Partisanship can profoundly hurt institutions that we care about and love.