Building the Best Board

It’s happened to the best of us - already overwhelmed by options on the dinner menu, the waiter smugly strolls over only to further confuse by adding tonight’s specials.  As if deciding between the steak and the lamb special wasn’t already difficult, imagine adding 10 more waiters, each with their own specials.  Therein lies one of the many challenge of working with a board.

Making important decisions is hard enough on our own, but when you mix in a panel of contrasting viewpoints – many of which will have appealing aspects, it becomes exponentially harder.  Decision-making is only one of the delicate issues we are forced to deal with as a part of an executive board.  The Administrator has dedicated many lines of text in past to Board Meetings.

Efficient Board Meetings
Better Board Meetings Part 1 of 3
Better Board Meetings Part 2 of 3
Better Board Meetings Part 3 of 3

This article acts as sort of a precursor to those.  Today we’ll focus on how to recruit the best board members and create a solid foundation to make sure your organization makes the best choice for dinner, every time  Here are some pointers on what to look for when putting your board together… 

1)    Form. Define what you want before you go looking, and outline the characteristics you want for an ideal board.  Don’t forget to stay true to these criteria during the decision process. 

2)    Diversity.  Having input from a broad spectrum helps reveal viewpoints that you might not have considered.  Think about complimenting strengths rather than replacing them, which in turn helps foster unity.

3)    Feng Shui. One of the hardest things to do with a board is create a proper balance.  You don’t want the members to be inactive, or make decisions without fully understanding them.  Pick members that are active in your program and obviously, make sure they understand the organization.  Pick members that are not only dedicated to working, but dedicated to the progression of the program as well.

4)    Clearly define terms and responsibilities. It is advantageous to keep terms short (1 year to 2 years long) in order to stay inventive.  Post affiliate responsibilities on your website under the elected member’s names or pictures.  This gives potential candidates an idea of what they should expect.

5)    Look in the right places.  Local businesses, schools, and companies are full of bright minds with plenty of leadership experience.  Don’t feel obligated to offer community members a position if they really don’t fit well with your goals.  It only takes one pin to pop a balloon. 

6)    Watch your numbers.  Number of members plays an important role.  1,3,5,9…  Pick an odd number of members.  This will create a system that will force issues to be resolved.  You are less likely to have a tie in any board vote.  With this in mind, it is also helpful to consider how each member would handle swing votes when filling the board in order to create a fluid membership.  Also, make sure not to oversize the group.  Too many members crowd the decision making process and create “bureaucratic” style delays.  Remember a lot of decisions can be resolved without a vote. 

7)    Let your board choose themselves.  Whatever size you have decided on for the number of members, pick half of them yourself, then let that chosen board formulate the rest.  You can make this process even more effective by opening up discussion through an online forum or using your club’s bulk email tool, so members can converse together without having to wait for the monthly meeting.

Building a proper board is not only good for reducing stress; it truly helps out the kids.  There is nothing worse than a board that can’t decide on anything, or a group that has one or two members that are set on ruining it for the rest.  The only way to solve this is to take a proactive stance and prevent it before it can happen.  The Administrator wants to know what decisions have helped make your board run smoother.   Post a comment below, send an email to sam@bluesombrero.com, or call 404-835-0305. 

Comments

[Nick the Intern]

This article could surely help someone build an amazing board that will accomplish many great things.

[Matt]

The board is the business end of your club. Why would anyone not want to have the most effective board possible? Good job Administrator

[Maggie May]

I hate when votes end in a tie. That may be the one thing most people look over without really thinking about it.