I was recently asked to attend a board meeting for a large nonprofit. The purpose of the meeting was to make a very important decision. The consequences of the decision could adversely affect the clients the nonprofit serves. If we made the wrong decision, it could also adversely affect the reputation of the nonprofit in the community.
Usually we make decisions based on our perspective and understanding of the situation. On important decisions, this is not enough.
I realized the best contribution I could make at the board meeting was to share best practices before making important decisions. Every board member with a vote owed it to the organization to make a well informed decision. Here are the best practices I shared with them.
Every decision you make needs to be aligned with the purpose and long-term sustainability of the organization. Do not allow fear to enter into the decision making process. Every decision has an element of risk. It will be easy to mitigate the risk if you make the right decision.
Take your time. Hasty decisions may have unintended consequences.
Before making a big decision, you should ask yourself better questions. What exactly is the problem and why is it a problem? What led up to the current situation? How did our actions or inactions contribute to the problem? If we performed to our full potential, would this problem even exist? Is it possible the current situation is merely a symptom of a different problem we need to address?
Seek input from other people to see every perspective of the problem. Make a list of the pros and cons of each option and understand how each option affects others. Consider each option logically and feel it emotionally before making a decision.
I hope this advice helps you the next time you need to make an important decision.
