A recent national survey of CEOs of Lutheran social ministry organizations revealed a fairly wide-spread concern about the challenges they face in identifying, recruiting and engaging qualified individuals for their boards of directors. Almost universally, CEOs talk about how hard it is to find board members who are committed to the mission, bring important skills and experiences to the table, and maintain a high level of engagement and support throughout their terms of service.

Some boards and their CEOs have found it valuable to map the skills of board members to determine gaps or deficiencies in the composition of the board, highlighting areas of need that should be sought in prospective board members. I have been the author of elaborate matrixes which document the education, professional experience, qualifications and interests of board members. I have created elaborate processes for ensuring that the right mix of age, cultural and ethnic background, professional expertise, church involvement and a host of other attributes are represented. And I have worked to create portfolios of potential board candidates to make sure that a good pool of successor candidates was always available. And of course, as the CEO I always wanted to make sure that I was in a position to recommend just the right candidate for the Nominating Committee to consider. And yet, I can’t begin to tell you how many times I was disappointed when outstanding candidates would decline my invitation! How could they? I needed them! They had everything our board needed!

As I have thought about this challenge, it now occurs to me that a very important perspective was absent from the process. Of course, we know what value we want board members to bring to our organizations, but do we ever think about what value we can bring to them through their involvement on the board? In other words, what’s in it for them?

Reflecting on the various reasons I either agreed to or sought membership on boards of directors, I realized that the reasons varied considerably, depending on the board and its organization. The reasons I chose to join a particular board had more to do with what I wanted from the experience than did consideration of the skills or qualities I thought they needed from me. That isn’t as selfish as it sounds. It just reflects the reality faced by many who are asked to serve on boards and the factors that go into their decision.

Let’s assume that all good candidates are altruistically inclined and have a genuine interest in your organization. They admire your mission and may even be willing to support it financially. But let’s also look at some of the things they might hope to obtain from membership on your board. If you desire greater commitment, engagement, and support from them, consider their perspective and what they hope to derive from their membership on your board. Here are a half dozen values you could cultivate with your board to help meet their needs:

1. Fellowship. I have talked to board members who rave about their experience on a particular board because of the opportunity it provided to interact with like-minded professionals, people like themselves in terms of interests or passions, or colleagues who had become very close friends because of their board experience. Does your organization promote collegial interactions among board members by providing enough free time for fellowship?
2. Education. I recall my mentor describing his involvement on a board of directors as one of the most enriching learning experiences of his life. That board’s meetings always included guest speakers of some significance to educate the board on some facet of the business or the economy. Is board education part of every meeting?
3. Intellectual stimulation. High quality board members do not find fulfillment in listening to operations reports. They wish to be engaged at a high level in such a way that they feel they can contribute their knowledge and expertise while also being challenged by the diverse perspectives of others. Some call this “generative thinking.” Is your board’s agenda structured to give board members the opportunity to use their intellectual capital to advance the organization’s mission through issue-focused dialogue? Are board meetings fulfilling to them intellectually?
4. Connections. Besides the fellowship and friendship that can be cultivated, many board members look at their membership as a way to make business, professional or community connections. For example, when I was the CEO of a large social service organization, I actively sought membership on the local hospital board of directors as a way to become more involved in community affairs and to create points of engagement between our organizations. Do you think about the connections you can offer to prospective board members through their membership on your board?
5. Social Engagement. Board membership doesn’t have to be only about work and meetings. Many organizations invite spouses to accompany their board members to selected meetings and support socializing through dinners, fund-raising banquets, events, picnics, parties, tours of facilities, or volunteer opportunities. I have seen many close friendships develop among board members and spouses which endure well after their terms of service on the board come to an end.
6. Stewardship. High quality board members have an intrinsic need to give of themselves to something that will make a difference in the world. Whether it is money or insight, influence or time, talent or companionship, the best board members are those who, out of the richness of their hearts, desire to give to your organization’s mission. They have a need that you can meet. CEOs should start thinking like fund raising professionals who know that their job is really helping donors do with their resources what they have a passion for. Do you provide opportunities through your organization for board members to fulfill their need to give of themselves?

The bottom line is that searching for high quality board members might be more fruitful if current and prospective board members were actually asked about what they desire to get from the experience, and then organizing their participation in such a way as to provide value to them. I can guarantee that you will have a more highly engaged and committed board as a result.

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