A good board member is a committed volunteer who understands their role as an advocate for the association, its members and its mission. They don’t hesitate to ask difficult questions and discuss their expertise with other board members and take on leadership roles within committees. They also look for opportunities to improve their governance methods and gain new skills by attending workshops and classes on leadership.
An excellent board member understands the time commitment required for board work. They plan ahead and make it a goal to attend all committee and board meetings. They are active in their committees and provide feedback and support as needed. They also seek ways to make the board more efficient, for example, making use of tools like scheduling software and platforms that permit easy sharing of documents.
The ability to exercise good judgement is the primary quality of a successful member of a board. They don’t allow petty concerns disrupt a board meeting, or distract the board from its mission. They can look at the bigger overall picture and provide a perspective from the outside, which is crucial for making the right decisions. They have a solid understanding of the industry in general which can impact strategy options, M&A, hiring and firing decisions and fundraising, legal issues and organizational design. A solid sense of judgement requires a certain amount of wisdom that has been cultivated through experience in challenging situations, and from learning from failures and a sense of the ability to discern. Without it, board members can cause harm to your company.