What Makes a Great Board Member?

A good board member is a https://boardroomparty.com/helpful-tips-for-building-effective-board-packs/ devoted volunteer that understands their role as an advocate for the organization, the association and its mission. They are not afraid to speak up and ask questions during board meetings, share their knowledge with the board members and assume leadership roles in committees. They also look for opportunities to enhance their governance skills and learn new ones through leadership classes and workshops.

An excellent board member understands the time commitment required for board work. They plan ahead and make it a priority to attend all board and committee meetings. They are actively involved in their committee assignments, and provide feedback and support as needed. They also seek out ways to make the board more efficient through tools such as scheduling software or an application that allows the sharing of documents with ease and management.

The ability to exercise good judgement is the primary characteristic of a great member of the board. They don’t let small issues to impede a meeting or impede the mission of the organization. They see the bigger picture and offer an outside perspective that is critical to making decisions. They also have a clear perception of the industry’s overall that influences strategy choices, M&A opportunities, hiring and firing and fundraising, legal issues and organizational design decisions. Wisdom is developed through failures, experience, and intuition. Board members who lack it can do your business a disservice.