Managing Up: Presenting on Communications & Marketing to Boards of Trustees
Prior to working as Director of Communications at Christ School (Arden, NC), I served on the Board of Trustees. During my time on the board, I took special note of the different styles of presentations from administrators. I sat on the Student Life and Advancement and Communications committees.
One thing I always noticed was that the Advancement and Communications Committee’s eyes would glaze over as the various marketing metrics and strategies were presented. It became clear over a number of meetings that many of the committee members needed some basic education on strategies, goals, and key metrics to gauge success.
Here are some of the thoughts and strategies that I developed during my nearly two years on the board and later my five years presenting to the board.
Know Your Audience
On a macro level: What type of board of trustees are you reporting to? Do you have an active board who digs into the operations of the school or business? Or do you have a strategic board who “keeps noses in and fingers out”? Understanding the goals and remit of the board is key to working effectively with them. If you’re new, spend the time to understand the larger direction of the school and how the board fits within that.
On a micro level: What level of marketing and communications knowledge do your committee members have? Know the individuals on your committee and study their background. In the case of Christ School, I reported to the Advancement and Communications Committee. Many of the members had advancement (fundraising) experience, but few had communications experience. Understanding their expertise and backgrounds was key to working successfully with them.
Educating as Much as Reporting
In my written board reports, as well as presentations to my committee, I found success in striking an educational theme. I usually took 3-4 themes and explained them in simple terms. I’d then expand on how we’d used each of those topics in our recent work and cite some real-world implementation examples. The more hardcore metrics I cited and graphs I included, the more I saw eyes glaze over. After a few years of reporting to the committee, they were significantly more knowledgeable on various marketing topics and could speak with some authority to other board members about our work.
You could use the opportunity to present to flex your technical knowledge to the board or committee, but I encourage you to think twice. Mention results and real-world examples, but unless you’re presenting to experts, I have rarely found that a deep metrics dive does much good.
Ask for Feedback - And Truly Embrace It
Asking for feedback (and being truly receptive to hearing it) is key for growth and success. Ask your committee chair how your reports are being received. Adapt, change, and adapt again. The feedback loop is central to what we do with every client here at 38 House.
One of the services we offer at 38 House is research and presentations. We excel at helping educate leaders, boards, or other administrators. If we can help you “manage up” and make the most of your relationship with a board of trustees, reach out! We’d love to talk about it.
