1. Defining Your Role
DR. MONICA SCAMARDO
MONICA@VARIATECONSULTING.COM
2013 Annual Training Conference

2. Top 5 Worst Reasons to Serve on a Board
1. Someone asked you to
2. You had some extra time
3. It looks good on your resume
4. Because you served on the board last year
5. There is a good looking person on the board
you would like to get to know

3. Why were you recruited/elected to the position?
Why do you want to serve on this particular board?

4. What the Job Entails
(Good Board Member Behaviors)
 Attend board & committee meetings
 Read & understand materials/publications sent in advance of
meetings
 Treat all info discussed or exchanged as confidential
 Ensure appropriate financial, legal, tax, and personnel review
systems and procedures
 Understand financial information & processes
 Review/follow policies and cause new policies to be created if
necessary
 Respect staff and their time, know boundaries between board &
staff jobs

5. Key Factors in Your Satisfaction of
Serving on the Board
 Your belief in the issues the organization is addressing
 The similarity in your values & those of the organization
 Your motivation to execute on tasks required of your position

6. Your Responsibilities
 Understand and drive the mission
 Champion the values
 Know the laws & operate within them
 Be familiar with the by-laws
(ie, structure, rules, protocols)
 Financial, legal, and programmatic evaluation

7. Bad Board Member Behavior
 The “end run”
 Not attending meetings or being ill-prepared
 Micromanaging the ED
 Failing to assess the ED

8. How Does Your Board Measure Up?
Qualities of an Effective Board
 Shared vision for the organization
 Shared values of the board & organization frame the goals
 Clear & understood mission, shared with the community
 Goals & strategies are defined and endorsed
 Board assignments are clear, specific and matched to the members
 Board meeting follow an agenda, have diverse opinions & decisions
align with mission
 Teamwork & collaboration
 Board recruitment IDs people needed to achieve the goals
 Board self-evaluation is conducted annually

9. Evaluating Your Effectiveness
as a Board Member
 Do you still have the time, energy & commitment to serve
productively?
 What benefits have you derived from serving? What have been
your concerns or frustrations?
 How would you rate your own performance?
 What are your strengths and how have you used them in your
service?

10. Thank You
Some content from this session is from:
The Ultimate Board Member’s Book, by Kay Sprinkel Grace