The Dark Side of Community Management

As a practitioner and consultant in the not-for-profit community services sector, I have worked with Boards that:

Tried to get me to fire an employee because he was gay.
Wanted to be involved in assessing clients for financial assistance.
Attempted to fire the two most senior members of the management team – not because of any wrongdoing but as a result of a power struggle between the chairperson and the employees. This action was averted by members who deeply valued the services of the professional staff, threatening to call a Special General Meeting in order to remove the Board from office.
Met monthly to enjoy a carefully chosen meal together. A number of the Board members were related, and were in turn family of the medical director of the service which she founded. This Board did not receive financial reports and clearly had no understanding of its governance responsibilities.
Did not have adequate and appropriate insurance – a fact they realized only after the death of a member of the community in a work related car accident.

These small examples clearly demonstrate the lack of knowledge on the part of the directors of:

Their legal responsibilities on the part of directors
The difference between management and governance
Unresolved conflicts of interest and inability to put the needs of the organization above their own needs and interests
The role of the Board
Their responsibility to identify and manage risk

I could carry on… but that is sufficient to convince you that I have experienced the dark side of community management.