Usually the board serves the board president in accordance with the
bylaws of the institution, and communications to them come out over
his/her signature. You don't have to motivate the entire board, just the
board president, and s/he should take responsibility for motivating the
rest of the board. If you have the support of the board president, it
is appropriate to encourage him/her to chastise the board for their
inattention and initiate proceedings to assemble a new board. You serve
at the pleasure of the board, so they can indeed fire you if you cross
them. Your task is to maintain good relations with the board president
and the executive committee so you can translate their good ideas into
actual plans.
Julia Muney Moore
Public Art Administrator
Blackburn Architects, Indianapolis, IN
(317) 875-5500 x230
-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of G Moore
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 7:40 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Board Advice
I'm sure that this has been covered many times in the past, but I am in
dire need of advice on how to motive my museum board.
We are a new museum (less than one year old) and the board was very
active
in the planning of the museum and the opening. They did not hire me,
the
director until one month before the opening. After the opening, the
board
has shown less interest in everything and I am having a very hard time
regrouping them. It's almost like they feel that since they've hired a
director, they don't need to do anything more - including fund raising.
(By the way I am the only full time employee.)
There's a long history of problems with the board in the past, due to
"control" issues between the board and the small-town government that we
have to deal with. There's almost a divide between some members due to
their "Loyalties." The priorities are not "what's best for the museum"
but "what's in it for me?" Some members have changed. However none of
the members seem to have any experience being on boards, especially
museum
boards. And most don't want to learn about what their roles as board
members actually entail. For instance I have presented them with a
Board
Committment Letter that outlines their duties at four different
meetings,
and they never signed it. Recently,The museum has been awarded a grant
through a state agency that will help with board training, under the
condition that they approve a board resolution of acceptance. I have
tried for two weeks to gather the group together. (I naively thought
that
they would care about the possibility of losing the $20,000 operational
grant. Silly me, I've been trying for four months to get have a regular
board meeting to no avail.)
I feel like I'm beating my head against a brick wall. I feel like I
don't
have their support and there's nothing I can do to make things better.
Some of the members I can't get them to return my calls. There's only
one
or two that will actively help with fund raisers that I have to put
together. I've even had my job threatened by a member due to the fact
that I didn't give in to their professionally unethical requests. Thank
goodness, I had the support of the board president on that case.
As a museum professional who has been in the business for 10 years, I am
so frustrated by the lack of interest and support. My feeling right now
is to find another job. But before I do, I thought I would reach out to
others in the field for advice as to what I can do to better this
situation.
Thanks for your help.
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