A powerful process to unlock your board’s energy

 It was the first day back to school after the Thanksgiving break. We were all tired from the long weekend and daunted at the tasks ahead of us on a busy school morning.

Our daughters arrived at the breakfast table slowly. I could see that moving ahead was going to be a challenge. I asked one of our daughters if she could set the table.

“Nooo!” She screamed. “I can’t do it!” And then she disappeared under the breakfast table, hugging our puppy.

I thought about what had just happened. Our daughter sets the table daily. She is able to set the table. But in that moment, something was blocking her.

And I thought about the board conversation I was designing for one of my clients – it was so similar!


Most of us are blocked around something. We have tasks, obligations and work that we love to do. And we have other obligations or tasks we should be doing, but we are blocked.

For some of us, it might be eating more vegetables. Exercising. Networking more. Creating better habits in a certain area. Setting the table!

Nonprofit organizations get stuck too. Certain kinds of work get a lot of attention – perhaps building the mission, vision, and program. And other work that is equally important to the organization – such as planning, fundraising or marketing – may be harder to focus on.

This is the human condition. We all get stuck. The interesting thing is that there’s some energy in that ‘stuck-ness’ – “We don’t want to!” “We can’t!” “We don’t know how to start!” “We don’t do things like this!” When we consider how we’re stuck, we release some of that energy.

Uncovering the root causes of blockages creates the possibility of forward motion. What do I mean by the root cause? Let’s say I’m watering some plants and the water stops all of the sudden. The root cause is NOT that there’s no water – that’s the symptom. The root cause might be that the hose got disconnected, or that there’s a kink in the water line. When we consider root causes, we find solutions.

My consulting team was hired to conduct a fundraising assessment and create a fundraising plan. We gave a number of suggestions about how the organization could improve fundraising processes. They liked our ideas, and they experienced some challenges implementing them.

Based on what I observed, something seemed stuck. So I offered to lead a workshop with board members about blockages.

The conversation followed a Technology of Participation protocol: First, the group reviewed the organization’s vision so we could make sure we were on the same page about why the fundraising work was important.

Second, we discussed the question, “What is blocking us from raising enough funds?” to insure that the question was clear and felt like the right question for the group at this time.

Third, group members had some time to individually write down responses to this question. They were asked to come up with 10-15 responses. Group members were not allowed to use “lack of” – but rather needed to focus on the root causes of the blockages: policies, behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, rules, or habits of working.

We worked in small groups to agree on responses, share them with the larger group, and group the responses. Each group of responses was given a title representing an overall headline, such as “Board Culture” or “Internal Scarcity.” We posted the responses on my sticky wall, a fabric “wall” covered with adhesive spray, so that everyone could see what had emerged. We had sorted our compilation of all the different areas blocking the board and staff from fundraising into categories. Then we sat back and admired our work.

Some board members said they felt overwhelmed. Yet it was empowering to list out the blockages. By gaining some distance from challenges, board members could begin to question the power that these blockages held over their work and processes. In fact, the next steps of the process were to come up with creative solutions to the blockages and create a one-year action plan to implement those solutions.

Back at the breakfast table, I got up from my chair. I walked over to my daughter’s spot and knelt down under the table to speak at her level. “Honey, I know you can set the table,” I said. I grabbed her hand. “Here, let’s do it together.” We walked into the kitchen, got out the silverware together, and our family moved forward with breakfast.

Blockages hold us back from critical next steps. Yet sometimes all we need to move forward is the right person, or the right process, grabbing us and guiding us toward action.

Try this:

• What are some areas where you are blocked, as an individual or as an organization?

• Reflect: What might be the root causes of the blockages?

• What are some action steps you can take?