scamardo.sunday.defining your role
TRANSCRIPT
Top 5 Worst Reasons to Serve on a Board
1. Someone asked you to
2. You had some extra time
3. It looks good on your resume
4. Because you served on the board last year
5. There is a good looking person on the board you would like to get to know
Why were you recruited/elected to the position?
Why do you want to serve on this particular board?
What the Job Entails
(Good Board Member Behaviors)
Attend board & committee meetings
Read & understand materials/publications sent in advance of meetings
Treat all info discussed or exchanged as confidential
Ensure appropriate financial, legal, tax, and personnel review systems and procedures
Understand financial information & processes
Review/follow policies and cause new policies to be created if necessary
Respect staff and their time, know boundaries between board & staff jobs
Key Factors in Your Satisfaction of Serving on the Board
Your belief in the issues the organization is addressing
The similarity in your values & those of the organization
Your motivation to execute on tasks required of your position
Your Responsibilities
Understand and drive the mission
Champion the values
Know the laws & operate within them
Be familiar with the by-laws (ie, structure, rules, protocols)
Financial, legal, and programmatic evaluation
Bad Board Member Behavior
The “end run”
Not attending meetings or being ill-prepared
Micromanaging the ED
Failing to assess the ED
How Does Your Board Measure Up?
Qualities of an Effective Board Shared vision for the organization
Shared values of the board & organization frame the goals
Clear & understood mission, shared with the community
Goals & strategies are defined and endorsed
Board assignments are clear, specific and matched to the members
Board meeting follow an agenda, have diverse opinions & decisions align with mission
Teamwork & collaboration
Board recruitment IDs people needed to achieve the goals
Board self-evaluation is conducted annually
Evaluating Your Effectiveness as a Board Member
Do you still have the time, energy & commitment to serve productively?
What benefits have you derived from serving? What have been your concerns or frustrations?
How would you rate your own performance?
What are your strengths and how have you used them in your service?
Thank You
Some content from this session is from:
The Ultimate Board Member’s Book, by Kay Sprinkel Grace