How to Build a Strong, Diverse Board
‘You Want Cultural Differences’
BTC Weekly: 7/28/17
Bringing diverse skills and viewpoints into an organization takes time and effort, but the process can be especially valuable, yet often overlooked, within a board.
Tiffany Jana, CEO of TMI Consulting, explains, “I deliberately seek out diverse, qualified people. If I simply allow people to find me, I may end up with homogenous candidates. If I only rely on my network, I may end up with candidates who think just like me. I have to get way out of my comfort zone to find people to complement my skills and abilities.”
This week, we’re sending some resources to help you build the most valuable board for your business — one which is inclusive of multiple perspectives and experiences.
‘Diversity for Its Own Sake Is Insufficient’
In her process to create an effective and inclusive board for TMI Consulting, Tiffany Jana was deliberate, with clear, measurable goals. “Diversity for its own sake is insufficient. You need to know why you want diversity. Answering the why will help you determine goals that make sense.”
A few questions to answer for your company in building your board: Should our company and board reflect the demographics of the community we serve? How will diversity help us achieve our mission? How is diversity reflected and represented in our mission/vision/values?
In this thought-provoking post, Jana shares some insights into the value of working on inclusion and her experience in doing so, even beyond the board level. “The question I get most often about team diversification is, ‘What if I make a diverse hire and they aren’t a cultural fit?’ Don’t hire for culture. That’s how hegemony happens. You want cultural differences! That is diversity, ladies and gentleman. What you really should prioritize is if the values fit.”
“We wanted a team who could contribute their wisdom and knowledge, each bringing their own strong suits to the table that would overall strengthen us as a whole. Without our board, we would not be where we are today,” shares Jodi Scott, co-founder at Sierra Sage Herbs, in B Lab’s free, downloadable guide, “Using Corporate Governance for Accountability and Inclusion.”
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