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WHERE HAS YOUR BOARD “SET THE BAR?”
How are your board members recruited?
- With a promise of “you won’t have to do anything” or
- A challenge of “our work is important and we hold ourselves accountable to each other for fulfilling responsibilities?”
How are board candidates sourced?
- By nominating committee members approaching neighbors, family and friends who “won’t say no” or
- By governance committee members strategically identifying, researching and personally visiting with candidates?
How are board member expectations, including board giving, set?
- Are they briefly mentioned in passing during recruitment or
- Are specific responsibilities, including board giving, discussed in detail and agreed to by each candidate?
These are just a few of the governance practices that indicate how high or low your board has “set the bar.” I’m sure you’re familiar with the adage – you get what you expect.
In fact, most Gen Xers, Millennials and some younger Baby Boomers will not participate on a board if their role is vague or their presence and input don’t matter. They will not sit still for boring board meetings with talking heads and countless reports because they have more important things to do with family and friends!
However, when the bar is high, when expectations are clear and the work is important and meaningful, next generations of board members will step up enthusiastically to invest time, energy and resources. The excellent news is that good governance is not rocket science! With intentionality and some good resources your board can set a high bar. They can design a board experience that brings wisdom to your organization and, in return, provides them with meaningful experiences.
To learn more about “setting the bar high,”
check out several of my favorite BoardSource resources:
- Leading with Intent Research Report (Free here)
- Recruiting a Stronger Board PDF (BoardSource members $20 & nonmembers $30)
- Board Book Essentials, 130+ pages, 35 resources (Free and available to BoardSource members only)
