The Board dilemma: High achievers, curve balls, and the art of being useful

Board retreat season is just around the corner. Agendas we be drafted, strategic planning decks will emerge from hibernation, and someone will order a disturbingly large pastry tray.

If you’re a Board member or senior staff leader, this time of year can bring a mix of anticipation… and tension. You’re all smart, committed people trying to do your best work, but somehow things get cross-threaded.

I’ve seen it often - brilliant, successful, deeply invested Board members who want to contribute meaningfully, but don’t quite trust the staff. Staff who want to do their best work but feel underappreciated or second-guessed. Everyone is trying their hardest... and yet, somehow, it doesn’t feel good.

So what gives?

This blog looks at what happens when the team doesn’t feel like a team. When signals get crossed, curve balls come out of nowhere, and people forget which base they’re supposed to be covering. And more importantly, how to fix it.

The curve ball effect

Here’s one common scenario: Staff bring something to the Board - buttoned up, polished, and ready for approval. The thinking is solid. The deck is beautiful. Leadership has already done the hard work of weighing the options and recommending a path forward.

The Board gets 15 minutes to absorb it all, goes quiet for a moment, and then:

“Did you think about this? What about that? What if we scrapped the whole thing and tried something completely different?”

Now everyone’s on a wild goose hunt, chasing new analysis, revisiting decisions, and spinning their wheels. The Board throws a curve ball not to be difficult, but to get in the game. They want to swing at something—but if staff has already crossed home plate, it’s too late for them to step up to bat.

The work gets derailed - not because the Board meant to cause chaos, but because they want to contribute. They want to be useful. And when people feel under-leveraged, they start looking for ways to assert value - whether or not it’s helpful

Underused and overreaching

When Boards feel like their skills aren’t being recognized or utilized, they can start dabbling in places they shouldn’t. It’s not malicious. It’s human. And it’s often driven by passion for the cause or the desire to support in a tangible way.

But when the Board drifts out of governance and into operations (or pokes holes in solid work just to feel involved) it can tank the staff’s psychological safety. And when people don’t feel safe to bring half-baked ideas forward, we all lose out on the good stuff: creativity, collaboration, and earlier input that actually shapes the outcome.

The power of ORID

So, how do you keep things from going off the rails?

One tool we love is the ORID Framework - a method for clear thinking that moves a group through four different levels of thinking to evaluate or explore a topic. It can help staff and Boards stay in sync about what kind of input is needed and when. Many facilitators use this framework and it allows us to ask questions that guide thinking gently and effectively.

• Objective: What do we know? What are the facts and data?‍
• Reflective: What are our gut reactions? What surprises us? ‍
• Interpretive: What does it mean? What’s at stake? What are the options?‍
• Decisional: Commiting to some kind of resolution

Here’s the catch: Staff often bring the Board in at the D level - asking them to approve something that’s already finished. But the Board wants to be part of the thinking, not just the signing off. If they’re not included early enough, they’ll try to rewind the process, often by asking ten “what about” questions that send the team back to square one.

Bringing your Board in at the right stage is like calling the right play. Don’t ask for a home run when they haven’t even seen the pitch. Let them warm up, read the field, and decide where they can make the biggest impact.

Being clear about where you are in the process and what kind of input you need can go a long way. Try something like:

“We’re at the options and evaluation stage and would really value your perspective on what this means for the organization.”

This keeps the conversation on track—and avoids any surprise fastballs.

Treat your Board like a team

Boards aren’t governance bots. They’re people - high-achieving, passionate, and eager to help, but they can’t add value if they’re not brought along for the ride.

If you want your Board to contribute meaningfully (without going rogue), treat them like part of the team.

That means:

• Bring them in (to governance appropriate conversations) early. Let them see the thinking while it's still forming - not just the polished end product. It may seem counterintuitive (staff want to show their best work), but inviting your Board into the process builds trust and creates space for real dialogue.
• Be clear on roles. Define what kind of input you need, and when. Not everything needs to be a decision. Some things just need reflection, insight, or sense-making.
• Create timelines and check-ins. Don’t wait until the final board meeting to spring a big idea. Think of your Board as part of the rhythm of the work -not just a final checkpoint.
• Prioritize contributor safety. Just like staff need psychological safety, Boards need to feel like their skills are respected and used well. If they don’t? They’ll find other ways to be “helpful”, and that’s when they might start swinging wildly.

This is where “Principles”, the fourth “P” in our Four Ps Framework become crucial. Principles are the shared practices and agreements for how we work together. In Board-staff relationships, these include things like:

• How do we give feedback?
• When do we engage the Board in a process?
• How do we stay in our lanes, while moving toward shared goals?

Clarifying these expectations early creates alignment, builds trust, and helps everyone show up in ways that are constructive and collaborative.

When Boards feel seen, heard, and purposeful, they tend to stay in their governance lane - and they do it really well. Because in the end, you’re all playing for the same team.

The relationship is the work

The dynamic between staff and Board is nuanced. It requires care, communication, and the occasional reality check. You’re not just managing a meeting - you’re managing a relationship between two groups of people who both want to do good work, be useful, and feel valued.

More on boards

If you're still feeling the jitters heading into your first—or hundredth—Board meeting, you’re not alone. These dynamics are complex, even for the pros.

Take a breath, bring people in early, and keep your eye on the ball!

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Check out a few more of our reads on Board dynamics:

Teetering on the Verge of Dysfunction: Not-for-Profit Boards

Three Ways to Build a Successful Board of Directors

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Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash