We are back after taking a hiatus in July to focus on wrapping up and ramping up several projects. We are excited to dig into this series of posts about data, strategy, and nonprofit governance.
Over the past few months, several of our clients have faced challenges when it comes to engaging their Boards and committees in meaningful reflection on and use of data in their work. In this series, we will tackle:
- Why Boards and committees often struggle to use data well,
- What data Boards and committees should be using, and
- How to engage Boards and committees in meaningful reflection and application of data.
Let’s get into it.
Why Boards & Committees Might Not Care About Data
A while back, I wrote a post about 3 reasons your staff might not care about your data, and some of those ideas apply to Boards and committees as well. Here are five reasons your Board and committees might not care about the data you share with them.
Their work hasn’t been defined in measurable terms.
You’ve heard me say it before: “You cannot measure what you have not defined.” This applies not only to our definitions of success for our programs, but also for our organizations, initiatives, strategies, departments, goals, etc. For any group of stakeholders to identify, gather, analyze, and use data in meaningful ways, they’ve got to define their work in measurable terms. A few weeks ago, I highlighted the ways evaluative thinking can inform all of an organization’s operations, not just program evaluation. That post highlights some of the many ways a Board’s work can be made measurable.
The data they see is meaningless to them.
When their work hasn’t been defined in meaningful and measurable ways, the data that’s left for them to review is often meaningless to them. Organizations are counting what’s easy to count instead of measuring what matters. So, Boards and committees are looking at dashboards and reports full of data that lead them to ask, “So what?”
Data are presented in meaningless ways.
Let’s say, though, that your organization has avoided or overcome the first two challenges. You have defined their work in meaningful and measurable ways, and you’re presenting them with the right data. You’re still not in the clear. When you present Boards and committees with raw data in spreadsheets or tables, they often struggle to find the story it’s telling. With the additional context, experience, and insight we have as staff, we see a revelation, trend, or question where a Board might just see a bunch of numbers. If you want your Board to engage with your data, you’ve got to present it in an engaging way.
They don’t know what they should be using it for.
If Boards and committees aren’t clear on their roles and responsibilities, they might not know how they should be using the data. If they don’t know what you want and need from them, they become passive recipients of meaningless information rather than informed, empowered contributors to your strategy, planning, and decision-making. What a waste! (And you know how I feel about waste!) But, if they know exactly what their charge is, they can tell you what data would be most helpful to them, and they can use data to inform their work.
You don’t put your weight on it.
If you always present your data with a disclaimer, a caveat, a “Yeah, but . . .” because it is somehow incomplete, invalid, or irrelevant, your Board and committees will learn not to put their weight on it. They will dismiss or distrust it. This too, is a waste of time and energy – yours as you gather and report the data and theirs as they review and discuss it.
Sound Familiar?
Do you recognize any of these challenges? Share your thoughts with us and stick around for the rest of the series!
Next time, we’ll dig into some strategies for addressing these pain points.