Here are some ideas for the board and for board members:
- Don't drop the ball now! It's understandable that board members may want to relax once the new executive director is in place.
- Write and send out a press release—either by email or in hard-copy.
- Don't forget that the most important recipients of the press release may not be the press: be sure the press release is sent to funders, donors, significant volunteers, former staff and board members, city officials, and organizations with which yours is in contact.
- Have the Board President or Chair introduce the new executive to the staff.
- At a board meeting, make a list of the influential people your new executive should meet.
- Make a personal donation to the organization now to demonstrate your confidence in the new executive and the organization's future. Bonus.
- Set the new exec up for success by giving positive messages to the community about her/him.
- If you're the board chair, take extra care working with the new executive on board meetings and board packets.
- Take your new executive out to lunch, and listen.
- Look for opportunities, especially at board meetings, to praise the new executive.
- Even the best baseball players work with batting coaches and fielding coaches, suggest a coach—perhaps in fundraising, or public speaking, or general leadership development.
- Don't let all the positive support from board members distract you from the board's responsibility to establish and monitor benchmarks for performance.
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