Hi Every Body,
If you are a Board Member or are considering joining a Board, you should have answers to the following 10 questions. If you are in the contemplation stage, these basic questions will help to guide your decision. If you are already serving on a Board, they will act as a reminder of why you are there, and may even prompt you to make some meaningful adjustments.

1. Why Do I Want To Sit On This Board?

What compelled you to this organization and why are you a good fit? Consider the reasons you want to associate your name and reputation with a particular organization. The company's values and beliefs should echo your own. The association should be complementary and mutually beneficial.

2. Am I Passionate About The Organization?

Good organizations need and deserve board members who genuinely care about, and can contribute to, their inner workings and objectives. Not ones who just take up space. Are you passionate about the organization and it's vision? Don't accept a position just to look good or add perceived value to your own portfolio. If your heart's not in it, it's time to move on.

3. Do The Mission Statement, Vision And Core Values Match Reality?

If not, it is your responsibility to speak up. Part of your role is to give wise counsel, and to ensure that the organization and leadership stay focused and on track. Get input from all levels of the company and engage your fellow board members. Part of the privilege of sitting on a board is to have a voice. Use yours to make a positive difference.

4. What Is The History Of The Organization?

Don't stay in the dark. Make it your business to understand what has gone on within the organization along with the current landscape. What key hiring and firing decisions have been made, and why? Check historical audit statements, forecasts vs. actuals, project timelines, projections and performance. The past is a looking glass into the present and possibly the future. Get informed.

5. Are There Negative Issues That Persist, And Why?

Insist on transparency and honesty. You are there to serve. You can't serve optimally if things are kept in the shadows or are left unchecked year in and year out. Be willing to ask the tough questions and expect timely and intelligent responses and action. Purpose to make a meaningful impact on your "watch". Turning a blind eye serves no one.

6. How Will The CEO's Performance Be Evaluated?

Every officer, especially the CEO, needs to take responsibility for the ultimate success or underperformance of an organization. Without accountability at the top, what precedent does it set for the rest of the organization? As is expected for every other person in a company, there must be clearly established performance guidelines, success indicators, and disciplinary steps--along with routine board evaluations, that must be adhered to. The life of the organization depends on it.

7. How Will The Executives Be Held Accountable?

You need to determine if you care enough about the vision to hold the executives accountable in word and action. As a board member, part of governance is being responsible, regulating, controlling, overseeing and directing. It is both a privilege and a duty. There is no need to apologize for stepping up to the plate and performing your agreed upon duty. It's why you are there.

8. Are You Willing to Take A Stand?

Are you willing to take a stand even if it means standing alone? There may come a time when your conscience won't allow you to rubber stamp a decision that simply opposes your best judgment and the organization's best interest. Be honest with yourself about your fears, and possibly a misplaced sense of loyalty. Sometimes "rocking the boat" is a good thing.

9. What Is My Personal Commitment?

Once my name is on the roster, what next? Can I honestly commit to put the time, energy, thought and availability into the health, growth, disciplines and success of this organization? Will my schedule permit my full attention? Can I separate my friendship with the CEO from potentially sensitive decisions? Am I willing to do what it takes to go beyond the surface, and take ownership on a personal level?

10. What Can I Bring To The Board?

Boards need members who are fully engaged participants. Just being present at meetings doesn't qualify as due diligence. Think about the type of investment you can offer. What time, expertise, resources, or donor connections can you bring to the table? Volunteer, make suggestions or start a sub-committee. Be pro-active. Find ways you can personally be a part of the solution.

The best Boards of Directors are ones whose members are free to exercise the very strengths that brought them to the table in the first place. They are both valued and held accountable, along with the CEO, for their contributions and commitment to the vision, health and long-term success of the organization.

Best Regards.........