Starboard’s Blog

As the “new guy” on a few boards in recent years, I’ve come to greatly appreciate those boards that put name cards in front of each board member at every meeting (or have board members wear name tags).  Too often the assumption is that “we all know everyone here,” but it isn’t always just the new people who benefit from name cards or name tags.  Rare is the board where board members have ongoing relationships or frequent contact between meetings with their fellow board members. Seeing fellow board members once a quarter, or even once a month, can leave those of us with short memories searching the recesses of our minds for a name. 

Name cards and name tags may seem like an unnecessary formality, but you can be sure it will mean a great deal to your newest board members, to staff and guests who come in for presentations, and to those who just struggle a bit with names.