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Shift Your Board’s Culture: Tips from CEOs

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At a meeting of association CEOs hosted by Ewald Consulting in March 2025, participants discussed how to shift a board governance from a culture of oversight to one of engagement — so board leaders focus on strategy more than operations.

Help a Board Stay Focused on the Big Picture

It can be easy for a board to go down a rabbit hole of focusing on operational details instead of strategic discussion and decisions. Here are some tactics that can help maintain focus:

  • Include time at each meeting for a generative discussion to make sense of industry circumstances, discover patterns and discern problems members face in their work, and to determine the organization’s role in addressing it.
  • Make time for a small element of governance training or a “mission in practice” moment at each board meeting.
  • Budget for the board chair and perhaps chair-elect to attend a governance training seminar along with the CEO each year; ASAE’s Exceptional Boards Conference and/or CEO Symposium are examples of excellent programs.

Additionally, carefully building a strategy-focused agenda for each board meeting can also help the board keep its focus on the bigger picture. One of our Associations Trends Talks addressed this topic.

Bring Discussion Back on Track

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, meeting discussion can go off topic or get stuck in wordsmithing. Every board member should feel comfortable bringing things back to the agenda — and so should the chief staff officer. Participants noted the need to “call board members back” rather than “calling them out” for crossing into discussion of operational items. While subtle, this reframing of the action keeps the positive intention behind it and disarms concern about getting stuck in a “gotcha” moment.

Align Board and CEO/Staff Roles

Clarity of roles is essential in creating a mission-driven, engaged board of directors. Some ideas for creating that clarity include:

  • Careful recruitment of board members can help identify those who demonstrate strategic thinking. Just because someone is a dedicated and hard-working committee member doesn’t mean they will make the transition to board service.
  • Once board members are elected, orientation is an essential step to reinforce expectations for service — in terms of time, talent and (perhaps) treasure.
  • So that the board can focus on higher-level matters, committee members and staff need to be aligned on their respective roles. Committee charters and orientation can help lay this groundwork. Check out ASAE’s Basics of Board Structure for ideas.
  • Use a strategy screen to introduce and evaluate new ideas. This term was introduced by David La Piana to encourage intentional, criteria-based decision making.
  • Board members can benefit from ongoing coaching by the staff CEO and other board members. Make time to have conversations between meetings about how things are going and to plan for upcoming board meetings.

Conclusion

In turbulent times, it’s more important than ever for association boards to consider how they are meeting the organization’s mission and the needs of members. It requires strategic thinking rather than obsession with details.

Want to join our CEO roundtables? Reach out to Paul Hanscom.

Want additional resources to lead your association strategically? Sign up for our Ewald Advantage monthly newsletter.

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Remaining Relevant amid Rapid Change

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Everything Is Changing. Where Should You Focus?

By David Ewald

Today’s associations are feeling the effects of new work styles, changing technology, and policy shifts from the new administration. Staying relevant in this environment isn’t easy, but it is possible. Here are four areas where associations can focus their efforts to remain valuable to members and partners.

1. Adapting to New Ways of Working

Remote and hybrid work are common in many industries, while in others there is a recent “return to work” trend. Still, employees want flexibility, and they expect their associations to meet them where they are—whether online or in-person. This means offering more virtual events, online community forums, and on-demand resources. Younger professionals, in particular, want easy-to-use digital tools and frequent feedback. Associations that embrace these expectations can strengthen member loyalty and reach people who might not otherwise attend face-to-face meetings.

2. Keeping Up with Political Shifts

Government policies can change how associations operate. During the new administration, issues like trade, immigration and international relations are getting a lot of attention. Associations must keep a close eye on any legal or regulatory updates that affect their members. By staying active in advocacy, associations can help shape policies that support their industries or professions. This also means being ready to shift gears when new rules or changes pop up, so members don’t fall behind.

3. Using Technology and Data Wisely

Technology tools are everywhere, and associations should use them to gain insights and improve services. Data can reveal which member benefits are popular, where there’s room for growth, and how to tailor communication. Tools like AI-driven analytics help associations spot trends and give members the right resources at the right time. AI is here to stay, so take the time to learn more about what it can do to improve the experience of your members and the satisfaction of staff. Staff may be reluctant to adapt to the availability of AI tools, which is consistent with the rest of the workforce in the U.S. But these tools can help improve service and also help staff streamline what they do while improving it at the same time. The key is not to rely on technology alone, but to pair it with personal interaction. This balance helps members feel seen and supported.

4. Stay Focused on People

In the end, associations are about building connections among people who share common goals or interests. This could mean in-person networking, mentorship programs, and leadership development opportunities. Simple gestures — like quick follow-ups after events or personalized thank-you messages — go a long way toward making members feel valued. When associations focus on people, they create a sense of community that technology can’t replace on its own.

Summary

Associations that can adapt to new work models, track political trends, use technology effectively, and keep strong personal connections will stand out in today’s environment. By making these shifts and staying focused on member needs, associations can remain key players in their fields for years to come.

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Having Fun While Leading with Confidence

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If you think your board meetings are chaotic, hold my beer. We’ve imagined and dramatized how board meetings, leadership, and just generally being a board member can go off the rails in our Leading With Confidence video series. While what you see in the short video sample below is fiction, there’s a kernel of truth in each of our videos that veteran association leaders will recognize.

We’re not advocating that you try any of this at your next meeting. But what we do know is that making education fun makes it more likely people will watch and learn. Well-run meetings, effective communication, and a focus on mission can elevate an association’s governance and make it more effective. That’s why we produced this series of videos. 

New to Board Service?

When you first join a board, it can be a little intimidating. You want things to go well, and you want to have an impact. Understanding your role, preparing properly and practicing a few habits will help you stand out as a leader and make a difference for your organization. Mistakes can be a great teacher. In that spirit, we present How Not To Be An Effective Board Member, where we explore some not-so-far-fetched scenarios of fundraising ideas getting completely divorced from an organization’s mission and values. 

Subcommittee Purgatory

Committee meetings are part of the job for most board members. It’s where a lot of the work gets done. Subcommittee Purgatory is a cautionary tale of what happens when meetings lose their purpose and become a rote exercise. Remembering purpose turns this dark and comically dismal meeting into a bright, joyful event. 

First-Time Board Chair

Chairing a board can be a challenge — even for board veterans. You’re in charge, but how do you get things done? A good board chair knows how to listen and engage other members in the discussion. In First Time Board Chair, we follow the adventures of a new board chair who learns what not to do the hard way. 

Bring Professional Video Production to Your Organization

Ewald’s Studio E content team produced these dramatized videos with professional actors and script writers from Danger Boat productions. It’s an example of the level of production we bring to all of our videos, including promos to increase conference attendance, recruit new members, workforce development and more. 

We have more videos to help board members. If someone just joined your board, we have the perfect video to share with them: Welcome to the Board is a pep talk for new members, reminding them they wouldn’t have the job unless other people believed they had the skills and know-how to succeed.

For those who may be new to association leadership, we have a video demonstrating the difference between mission, vision and values. Yet another shows how the Superpowers of Associations touch our lives every day. 

All these videos are available free at www.ewald.com/leading. We encourage you to watch, laugh, learn and share as we serve at the intersection of business, government and society to improve industries and professions. 

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