Every chamber professional gets frustrated with their board (or certain board members) from time to time.
Staff feels let down when board members are not engaged. Or when they drift into operations. Or when they do not follow through.
But many times the issue is not the board member.
It is the lack of clear expectations. People cannot meet expectations they never received.
Board members are usually strong, successful leaders in their own worlds. They know how to run companies, schools, and organizations.
What they often do not know is what a chamber board member is actually supposed to do.
If they think their job is X when the chamber really needs Y, frustration builds fast. It is unfair to expect great performance without giving clear direction.
Yet, many chambers don't have mandatory annual board training sessions. That's a problem.
Many chamber CEOs take a board member out to lunch to onboard them.
A quick welcome to the board lunch is nice and helps build a relationship, but it will never create shared understanding by the whole board.
A 90 minute or so group training once a year sets the tone. It gives every board member the same foundation. It aligns everyone on fiduciary duties, governance responsibilities, and the difference between the board’s role and the staff’s role.
Strong training also draws a clean line between strategy, operations, and committee work.
Once people know the lanes, they stay in them. The chamber runs smoother.
You cannot build a healthy board culture through scattered conversations. It takes a group experience.
It takes a room full of leaders hearing the same message at the same time.
That is how you protect staff from burnout. That is how you reduce confusion. That is how your chamber becomes stronger year after year.
If a board member can't make the annual board orientation and training, even though they know of it months in advance, they can't be on the board. It's that important.
Agree with me on this?