Q:
Please settle an argument for us. Some on
our board would like to require that potential
board members complete an application. Others
say that there aren’t enough people
vying for seats to risk scaring away those
that are potentials. They feel a résumé
or a recommendation should be sufficient.
Is it?
A:
I like board applications. They connote the
sense of responsibility that is inherent in
board service. And let’s face it…
if someone won’t take the time to complete
an application can we realistically expect
they’ll do much of anything else? Applications
also provide a way of comparing apples to
apples, since people’s skills and experience
are laid out in a similar manner, making it
easier to evaluate what each is bringing to
the table. This being said, there is nothing
sacred about board applications.
Résumés
will work. Recommendations – preferably
from more than one individual and based on
more than “s/he is a lawyer (or similarly
respected profession)” or “s/he
has sat on several other boards” –
also work. Better is an in depth interview.
And best is having seen the person in action
because that individual has already served
on one or more of your committees and has
attended your events. All of this assumes,
of course, that the individual has skills
that the organization expects to need in the
near future.
Of
concern to me is the assumption underlying
your original question: People aren’t
lining up to serve, so how picky can you be?
You had better be very picky or people will
never line up at your door. The less we expect
of individuals, the less they will give. It’s
Psychology 101: the lesson on self-fulfilling
prophecy. And once some people are not pulling
their weight others become defiant and decide
they don’t need to either. People stop
showing up at all because nothing ever gets
done and they don’t want to waste their
time. Before too long there is no organization.
People
work hardest for those who expect the most.
Best is that they tend to respect and treasure
those experiences more than others. What will
attract people to your doorstep is a reputation
for offering the chance to do meaningful work,
be challenged and work with others like themselves.
