HDN Board Mentor Program
I recently took part in the HDN (Housing Diversity Network) board member mentoring program. As a complete newbie to the housing sector I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had been on business mentoring programs previously in other roles (non-housing related) and I had found these extremely lacking. Often just showing you how things should be done in theory and not discussing real world examples.
In short the HDN mentoring program was excellent and provided exactly what I needed to improve both my own personal skills and housing knowledge.
The course organiser was Yvonne who worked really hard to ensure I had access to everything I needed. After some questioning she took on board my frustrations with the sector and slightly one sided view that the housing sector was incredibly inefficient and wasteful. Given my commercial background she paired me with a former Managing Director, David Perry, who sits on the board of Yorkshire Housing.
The opportunity to discuss my frustrations with my mentor helped me understand the differences between the housing sector and my commercial thought process. Having an experienced mentor enabled me to much better utilise my skills on the board and reduce the friction and frustration I was having.
The program also consisted of group sessions with presentations from the HCA and experienced housing board members providing great insight into the responsibilities of a board member.
My ongoing struggle is remembering that the board is strategic and oversight and it is not my job to be bogged down by operational detail. Despite the frustrations I may have.
I have no doubt that the HDN mentoring program has made me a better board member.
Find out more about the Board Member Mentoring Program on the HDN website.
