Steer, Don't Row: Governance vs. Operations

Are You Steering the Ship or Rowing the Boat?

We've all been in that board meeting. The agenda gets derailed by a 45-minute debate on the colour of new uniforms. Passionate leaders, wanting to help, dive headfirst into the day-to-day tasks of running the organization. They start rowing the boat.

This common confusion between governing and managing is a major source of frustration and inefficiency in nonprofit sport. The solution lies in a powerful analogy for the ideal board: 

"Nose In, Fingers Out."

The board's job is to have its nose in the business of the organization—to be informed and ask critical questions. But its fingers must stay out of the daily operational details. This distinction between governance vs. operations (terms we'll use interchangeably with "management") is key to unlocking your organization's potential.

The Role of Governance: Steering the Ship

Governance is the board's work. It’s about setting the destination and ensuring the organization has what it needs for the journey. A governing board focuses on the "why" and the "what":

• Setting Strategic Direction: The board decides that the organization should focus on increasing female participation, not how to run the recruitment campaign.
• Ensuring Financial Health: The board approves the annual budget and ensures proper financial controls are in place. 
• Hiring & Supporting Senior Leadership: For organizations with staff, the board's most critical role is hiring, supporting, and evaluating the Executive Director. They manage one employee: the ED.

The Role of Management: Rowing the Boat

Management is the work of staff and operational volunteers. They turn the board's vision into reality by focusing on the "how" and "when":

• Executing the Plan: The management team creates the marketing campaign, designs the program, and handles registration.
• Managing Daily Operations: This is everything from paying bills to responding to parent inquiries and scheduling coaches.
• Informing the Board: Management provides the board with clear reports on progress, giving them the data they need to make informed strategic decisions.

The Reality: What if You Have No Staff?

For many smaller sport clubs, the "Nose In, Fingers Out" model feels like impossible. When you have no staff, your board of passionate volunteers is the management team. The board's job is not only to direct the organization but also to do all the work. You have an "operational board," and that’s a common and necessary reality for many sport organizations.

The danger isn’t in having an operational board; it's in getting stuck there forever, trapped in the details. If your board is always rowing, who is looking at the horizon to steer?

Here’s how to manage the dual roles effectively:

1. Wear Two Hats (and Announce It): Acknowledge the difference in your roles. A board member can say, "Putting on my governance hat, I think we need to discuss our long-term facility strategy. Now, putting on my volunteer coordinator hat, I can report that we still need three people for Saturday's tournament." This simple act creates mental separation and reminds everyone to carve out time for big-picture thinking. 
2. Structure Your Meetings for Strategy: Divide your board meeting agenda into two distinct parts. Start with a 30-minute "Governance Block" dedicated solely to strategic discussions—reviewing progress on the strategic plan, discussing a new policy, or brainstorming a future opportunity. Then, move into the "Operations Block" for committee reports and day-to-day issues. This guarantees you’re always making time to steer the ship.
3. Plan Your Escape from the Weeds: Make it a strategic goal to build enough capacity to eventually hire help, even if it’s just a part-time administrator for 5 hours a week. Documenting your processes and building a small financial reserve are the first steps to making your organization less fragile and freeing the board to focus on its ultimate responsibility: the future. 

From Friction to Focus

Understanding the difference between governance and operations is the first step toward building a more resilient and effective organization. Even if your leaders have to wear both hats, knowing which hat you're wearing at any given moment is transformative. It empowers you to handle today's tasks while still planning for a bigger, brighter tomorrow.

Ready to find the right balance for your organization?

• Reflect on your last board meeting: Was it 100% rowing, or did you make time to steer?
• If you need help developing a plan to move from an operational to a strategic board, let's chat. We can build a roadmap that fits your reality.