Board Training a rural practitioner's perspective

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Board Trainingarural practitioner's perspective

• Sheldon Keyser
• Illinois

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Why do board training? What are the objectives?

• Discussion

Boards go through a maturation process and many
get better in spite of our efforts, or lack
thereof.
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What is the best way to train?

• Classroom or group style?

Power structure is equally distributed.
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Or?

• One on one?

Power structure is concentrated.
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Consider

• What youve learned in a group setting vs. what
  you learned in a one on one setting.
• There are many ways in which to provide
  trainingone on one, classroom style, email,
  letter, telephone, etc.
• Group training may not be the most
  effective-depends on the issue.
• Understand the power structure and how best to
  influence it.

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Keysers hint for success

• The best way to sell an idea is to get others to
  think it was theirs in the first place. And, the
  time to introduce ideas is before decisions are
  made.

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Some universal truths

• When youve met one board, youve met one board.
• There is no cookie cutter approach.
• Large boards have different training needs.
• Effective training requires participation.

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True or False?

• Small boards are preferable to Large boards,
  they are more effective and can get more
  accomplished.

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FALSE!

• Large boards are different they require
  different skills. They can be MORE effective and
  efficient than small boards..

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Large Boards

• Policy board vs. Operations board
• Conflict
• Committee Structure
• Board member duties and responsibilities
• Mission and vision statement

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Mission Statement

• What is it?
• Where is it?
• Why have one?

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Vision Statement

• What is it?
• Where is it?
• Why have one?

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Get them to think

• Sometimes, big picture issues will spark change
  and creativity. It might even create a
  learning board.

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Qualities of Effective Boards

• Listen objectively to publics
• Reformat reality
• Respect diverse opinions
• Understand how to use volunteers
• Model the action they want to see
• Are genuine
• Build the Spirit of Volunteerism
• Plan with the mission and the end in mind
• Take risks

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Qualities of Ineffective Boards

• Micro Manage
• Press personal agendas
• Settle for old paradigm thinking
• Give orders
• Plan based on crisis
• Delegate without follow up
• Keep publics in the dark
• Plan without listening to publics

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Why Small Towns Grow or Die

• Growing communities consider controversy a normal
  part of participatory government while dying
  towns refuse to address regulations, issues, and
  the people who made them.
• People in growing towns hold an objective view of
  politics, while those in dying towns give their
  loyalty to people over issues.
• Growing towns are willing to tax themselves,
  while dying towns are not.
• Growing towns have the ability to expand and make
  room for new members, while dying towns are not
  willing to share power and certain cliques hold
  all leadership.
• Growing towns are flexible and disburse community
  leadership, while dying towns often look to a few
  key individuals for leadership.
• Cornelia Flora, PhD., Kansas State University

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9-Keys To Successful Organizations

• Mission Focused
• Embraces Technology
• Is Value Driven
• Board is well structured and Functions
  effectively.
• Has a balance between Volunteers and Staff.
• Events have High-Value.
• Financial Prudence
• Political Savvy
• Strong Communication

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How To Kill An Organization

• Keep the Sacred Cows alive. (Thats the way
  weve always done it.)
• Maintain a Closed Environment- insiders club.
• Have no spirit of volunteerism.
• Poor communication, internally and externally.
• Board does it all (micro-manages)

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Traditional training agenda.

• See handout

Now that youve seen it, forget that you have.
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Training Purposes

• Educate new board members, bring them in to the
  fold-sell the vision.
• Bring old board members up to speed.
• Communications-internal and external.
• Conflict.
• Improve and build skills. Finance, ethics, etc.

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Summary

• Boards are uniquely different and training has to
  be structured for that group.
• Training may be provided in a variety of ways.
• Know your objectives, create a learning board.

When you get a tiger by the tail, hold on!
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This board has a good spirit. Willard Murray,
winner of Martin Luther King Jr. community
service award.

• Translation Board meetings are fun, we enjoy
  our work and feel like we are accomplishing
  something good for the betterment of the region.
  Personal interests are set aside.

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