A savvy, experienced board candidate—the kind of person you would like to recruit—is sure to ask at some point in the recruitment process, “Why me?” A board that has its act together should be able to answer that question in detail and in a manner that demonstrates they are thoughtful and strategic in their recruitment.
For nominating committees, that means starting the nomination process by looking first at your strategic plan. What skills, talents, and abilities will you need on the board in order to move your plan forward over the next few years? Do you have those kinds of attributes on your board already, or are there gaps? Only after you have done this kind of analysis should you begin to move on to talk about specific names.
Done well—linking your recruitment to your strategic priorities—this approach brings a strategic focus to your recruitment efforts and also ensures that you will be prepared to answer the “Why me?” question when it is presented.
Think about it from the perspective of your potential board recruit. Which is better? “We are asking you because your neighbor said you are a great guy,” or “Over the coming year or two we anticipate we are going to need the experience and counsel of someone like you–someone who has had success in promoting new legislation on the state level and who can help us develop strategies to move some key legislation forward on behalf of the clients we serve.”
Before you recruit, know what you want and then who you want. Answering the “Why me?” question will be easy if you start with a review of your strategic plan and then recruit the people who can help you achieve your goals.
For more information about how Starboard Leadership Consulting can assist you with strategic recruitment of board members, check-out the blog section of our web site: www.starboardleadership.com, or use our contact form to get in touch with us now.