What is a Working Board?

If you are asked to join a working board know that the time commitment will be more than if it was a policy board. I am not a fan of the term working board, all boards do work. It is the same concept as the “working mother” term which I have always found offensive. Anyone who is a mother has work to do. I am more comfortable with the term “works outside the home.” A definition of a working board is typically that there is no staff so the board does everything.
There are some hybrid models, perhaps there is one staff member, but more work than that one person could do. The board then does some of the management. In these cases, the board is not providing oversight because they are performing the tasks. I hear the excuse sometimes that we don’t need all this governance stuff because we are a working board, but I disagree.
It is always important for the group to find the balance between management and the board members, but it is crucial in the situation of board members doing some of the work. It can become confusing, if a board member is answering the phone for a time period, then they are being supervised by the staff member and of course the staff member works for the board. This type of arrangement needs to be carefully thought out. I am sure you have heard that people cannot check their own work. In any situation, working board policy board or any other sort of board it is important that the duties be carefully planned and communicated.