massaging egos and pushing buttons: how to build and sustain an advisory board that soars

So You Want an Advisory Board

That SOARS

Why Here, Why Now?

70% of our kids won’t graduate from a 2 or 4 year college... Bob Schwartz

It takes a Village – really it does, and too many of our kids don’t have strong villages.

Our Potential Business Partners are driven to do something meaningful… Daniel Pink

Our Potential Business Partners need to find or create their future labor force (17million)

Who are you and why are you here?

Cycle of Effective Teams

Assess Goalsand

Current TeamIdentify roles

Recruit

Action PlanInspire toExecute

Follow-up

AB

District

School

Community

The Elements

What are yourneeds today?

Identify the top needs for the year⚫ Build/Strengthen a Board⚫ Internships⚫ Classroom Integration with Industry ⚫ Field Trips⚫ Fundraising⚫ _______________???

Are the Right Players on your Bus? Are they in the right Seats? Do you have a great driver? Who’s holding the map? Who’s asking why we’re going there? Who’s monitoring the fuel and tire pressure? Who’s fixing the brakes every month?

Cycle of Effective Teams

Assess Goalsand

Current TeamIdentify roles

Recruit

Action PlanInspire toExecute

Follow-up

Leadership

Leaders Come in Many Forms⚫ Transformational – Martin Luther King Jr, Walt

Disney⚫ Transactional – Charles de Gaulle⚫ Charismatic – Bill Clinton, Adolph Hitler⚫ Servant Leadership – Ghandi, Cesar Chavez⚫ Quiet Leader – Abe Lincoln, Rosa Parks⚫ Competitive – David Cordish

It’s Not Just About Leader(s)

Dr. Meredith Belbin, 30 years ago, studied 1000’s of teams

Determined what made teams successful It’s all in the balance, based on our

tendencies to think, behave and interrelate with others when needed to perform tasks

It’s Not Just About Leader(s)

Dr. Meredith Belbin, 30 years ago, studied 1000’s of teams

Determined what made teams successful It’s all in the balance, based on our

tendencies to think, behave and interrelate with others when needed to perform tasks

Cards on the Table

Pick a card, one card, that most represents the value you bring to your team, your board.

The Matrix

In the Top 3Balance of Working StylesCommunity DiversityIndustry RepresentationExpertise

THE MATRIX Prinicpal Director Teacher AB Chair AB Chair AB Treas AB Sec AB 1 AB 2

A. Puts NAF in top 3

B: Most Natural Roles

C: Diversity

D: Industry

E: Skills

Cycle of Effective Teams

Assess Goalsand

Current TeamIdentify roles

Recruit

Action PlanInspire toExecute

Follow-up

Recruiting - Lock the DoorsGet in a room and lock the doors; create an actionplan to identify who and strategize steps to recruit

Determine Chain to Tom. Connect First. Determine passions, style, talents, needs, buttons.Offer value added help to them, their companiesGo for “That One Thing”.

That One Thing

just one, to start

Example: We need aMarketing Person Networking: Where???

⚫ Just like dating – go where you have a passion

⚫ LinkedIn Agencies Local larger companies have CMO’s Should I go direct? Board members who work with agencies and

give them $$!!!

Cycle of Effective Teams

Assess Goalsand

Current TeamIdentify roles

Recruit

Action PlanInspire toExecute

Follow-up

Goals

“The Scenario” Insurance and Financial Services Academy – Opened Fall 2009 Large, dynamic Advisory Board headed by 2 co-chairs Experienced, charismatic Principal Task oriented committee; silos No goals, plans or direction

“The Results” Great intentions! Poor execution! Lack of focus; disinterest Little progress

22

9th Grade

10th Grade

11th Grade

12th Grade

Academic Achievement Culture Thematic Experiences

Graduation and College Matriculation

Workforce Readiness for IFS Career

Goal

Activity

Tutoring

Tutoring

Tutoring

Tutoring

Activity

Cultural/behavioral contract

Reward System

Branding

Reward System

Activity

Job Shadowing

Career Assessment

Strategies for Success Class Speakers (11/12th Grade)

Capstone

Outcome

Increased academic performance

Increased performance – GPA

Increased performance – GPA and SAT

Increased academic performance – GPA, CAPT, and PSAT

Increased desire to model cultural behaviors

Increased desire to model expected cultural behaviors

Students model corporate culture

Outcome

Students and parents understand expectations for attending HS, Inc.

Apply education to a real life situation

Identify specific career options and interests

Outcome

Increased awareness of IFS careers

Model Professional Behavior, Demonstrate Success of HS, Inc.

Reward System

Mentoring

Increased desire to model expected cultural behaviors

Provide connection between school and workplace

Classroom SpeakersRelate classroom concepts to real examples

Identify behaviors and strategies for success in the workplace

Internship (11/12th Grade)

Understanding of workplace cultures and workforce skills

Classroom SpeakerIdentify applications of classroom material to the business world

Mentoring Provide connection between school and workplace

Increased desire to model cultural behaviors

Reward System

Classroom Speaker Identify applications of classroom material to the business world

“The Solution” – Advisory Board Framework

Goals – Best Practices

Plan an annual retreat

Engage school principal and leaders –What’s the

Vision!

Align all stakeholders to meet goals of the academy

Engage teachers and staff in planning

Be mindful of scope creep – don’t overreach

Communicate!

www.naf.org – For Business Partners Resources

Cycle of Effective Teams

Assess Goalsand

Current TeamIdentify roles

Recruit

Inspire to Execute Action Plan

Follow-up

What can stop a group of talented, dynamic individuals from moving forward?

Create Raving Fans – not just good board members Platinum Rule

⚫ Our Need to Matter, to be the hero – silent or visible

Connect them with Students, progressively⚫ To feel their own impact

Progressively encourage them to engage others⚫ To feel their leverage

Creating Raving Fans – not just good board members

Touch them, regularly but not too much Provide tools and events to make it easy for

them to engage: tours, breakfasts… Provide options: full board, committees,

councils Structure – together, create clear tasks &

direction for your board members

Cycle of Effective Teams

Assess Goalsand

Current TeamIdentify roles

Recruit

Action PlanInspire toExecute

Follow-up

Scenarios:⚫ Great board, no leader⚫ No clear leader⚫ Competing for ideas⚫ Board meets regularly, nothing gets done⚫ Board has ideas, can’t implement⚫ We’ve identified folks

Follow-up Evaluate your successes and challenge areas Document your stories and share! Celebrate small successes along the way Communicate often with stakeholders The fly wheel effect…

Recruiting a Marketing PersonProfessional Associations

AMA: www.marketingpower.com Business Marketing Association (BMA)

www.marketing.org National Hispanic Professional Organization

(NHPO) www.nhpo.us www.prsa.com

And look at other boards – we love board savvy and experience!

Recruiting a Marketing Person

Board Matching Organizations and Sites www.serve.gov www.allforgood.org www.volunteermatch.org www.bvumaryland.com

Recruiting- Not just filling seats

Step 3: -What is your strategy? - Who should ask?

Degrees of Separation Social Media: LinkedIn

- What to ask for?Direct/Indirect invitation to an event

Summary List areas of Board focus What one action will you take to move your

board forward? What actions or activities will you

recommend to your Board? Did we meet the learning objectives?

Learning Objectives for this Session

Successful academies typically have one or more leaders who inspire, set the pace, lead by example, or otherwise generate energy to ignite others. Sometimes it’s the board chair, sometimes it’s a director, and sometimes it’s an administrator. When several are aligned, a force can build. We’ll identify a range of personal leadership characteristics & styles, structure your board & encourage engagement, ways to find igniters and rope them in, and tools to inspire, support and keep strong board members engaged…

Network of industry supporters AB co-working Inter AB Include all students in all programs – failing Internships should not be first experience

with students Parent participation; conferences, classes,

open house, important role Speaker bureaus Alumni - sm

Communication Culture Club = mindset understanding Share curriculum with boards Students involved – leadership in groups, fb, AB interraction with students Teacher Internships, AB in school Administration committed and particpating