Removing “Bored” from Board Meetings & Other Tidbits to Inspire a Volunteer Team
‘Hold on to your realness. Trust your voice. Believe in the difference you make. Because I do.’
…and the crowd goes wild.
When you put your heart, time, talents, and treasures into working for no pay on a non-profit organization (NPO) committee or on that NPO’s Board of Directors/Trustees, you probably, at the very least, want some type of recognition for the work you’re doing…for the skin you’ve put in the game. Am I right or am I right?
Leading two (2) NPO’s as Board President is not what I intended to do when I began volunteering in the metro Detroit Business Community and Storytelling community. However, when there is a need and you love the NPO’s mission, you get in where you fit in. As Board President, I have opportunities, at least twice each month, to lead teams of volunteers. What I’ve learned from these regular and recurring experiences over the last couple of years is that some people apply for Board membership because they’ve been recruited or invited to apply. After several years of Board membership myself, it is clear to me that Board members who are in love with the Mission and Vision last longer, while others who are tied to the individual who sponsored them for the Board have less staying power, in my observation.
Sssssssooooooooooo, knowing that this, here’s how I hype up the volunteers in the organizations that I serve.
[The record should reflect that I have a reputation for community building and I can generally appreciate this push toward Medium Membership that we are in the throws of.]
- Create an immersive meeting environment
The metaverse has spoken and my video meetings will nevva-evva-evva be the same. I’m all in to the immersive meeting scenery in my video-based meeting platforms. Why? Because who wants to sit at a boring table or just see the same ‘ole Brady Bunch-style boxes in a virtual meeting room. Also, the overwhelming majority of people turn on their camera and engage when you create a meeting environment that is new, unexpected, and unlike a physical conference room. Doesn’t this scene below feel cozy? It ’tis and work gets done when it feels less laborious.
2. Give ’em the bottom line up front
Who the heck says that Board meetings HAVE to be long and tedious before you know exactly what the expectation is? I say be straight-up out the gate. Call the meeting to order and tell ’em the real deal, with a smile, and a high-five.
For instance
In a recent Board meeting, my first words were
Our charge is to build and fill the pipeline of NEXT GEN Entrepreneurs into……
When you love the mission and see yourself in the organization’s vision (future), the smiles and high-fives flow.
3. Be honest about the expected transitions
Ya know, NPO bylaws include language about how long a volunteer Board Director or Trustee can serve. You just cannot (and probably should not) stay on Board forever. Be transparent with your volunteer about when their terms are up for renewal, when there are vacancies (especially Officer vacancies) that must be filled, and when volunteers who are timing out will create new leadership opportunities as they step away from the NPO they’ve served so well.
4. Give ’em some skin the game, early
One common theme that I repeat is this…and let me know if this works for you too
There is no sideline — we are all in the game. Every heart, hand, and mind is needed always and in all ways.
5. Be extreme when it comes to quoting notable figures
A leader, simply put, influences others to take action. I love to rock the boat and end meetings with a lil’ somethin’ like this:
Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try. JFK, our 35th U.S. President said that.
And if that doesn’t do it for you, may the force be with you as you learn from a legendary Jedi Master, Yoda, who says
‘Do. Or do not. There is no try.’
I’ve seen it time and time again; it’s Yoda’s quote for the win.
Use the remainder of your time to pass the mic. In advance, grant time on the meeting agenda for each Board member to speak and to take ownership of a portion of the mission/vision/goals that advance the NPO. It’s a team sport, not an individual race.
Conduct occasional check-ins to gauge the temperature of the fire burning within each Board Member. Encourage your team to be candid with you about their volunteer experience long before the passion for the NPO begins to wane. And above all else, regularly thank you volunteers and tell them they are wanted, needed, and appreciated.
One of the nicknames that I can share publicly is ‘The Small Business Cheerleader.”
So, cheers to all of the readers here,
please enjoy my most recent article here on Medium until the next time. It’s about self-breast examinations.
Be blessed and be encouraged. Please smile. You never know who needs it more than you do.
For more spirited, uplifting content from The Small Business Cheerleader, please visit bit.ly/3E3ZPLy
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