The faces and backgrounds of individuals who choose to sit on an association or other non-profit board vary greatly. As the population ages, there are also more young people choosing to volunteer their time serving on boards.
At the beginning of a recent strategic planning session, members of a diverse board were asked why they were engaged. Answers were quick and focused on the following points:
1. Potential – directors expressed excitement about seeing strong components and puzzle pieces that just needed to be brought together.
2. The Big Picture – observing how policy and lobbying affects change was inspiring.
3. Commitment – agreeing to join a board and fulfill duties required was taken seriously.
4. Learning – being on a board provides opportunity to learn new skills.
5. Connections – networking with the community and industry provides professional, business and personally useful contacts.
6. Challenge – individuals want to grow through challenging themselves to work as a team, set goals, make a difference, and celebrate success!
If your organization is lucky enough to have directors who list the former six reasons for becoming engaged on a board, the chair and Chief Staff Officer (CSO, Executive Director, CEO) should be additionally motivated to provide orientation, guidance, and tools to harness these attributes.
Check back on this blog for tips to unleash the potential of an engaged board.
