Adding a new member to your nonprofit board is a bit like managing a lift line at a ski area.  A good governance process is hopefully always in the process of adding potential board members to the line and then guiding towards the loading area.  You are checking their interest and measuring their skills in the same way a lift attendant checks a ski pass.  The lift line provides an opportunity to have a conversation about their interest and prepare them for the experience.  Ultimately your goal is to load the lift without having to slow or stop the chair.  The skiers on chairlift have a common goal, to keep it going as efficiently and safely as possible.  If the lift needs to come to a stop it feels like all momentum has been lost.  A long stop feels painful, especially when you are out-of-sight of the loading or unloading zones and have no idea what incident has taken place.  When you add board members who is not prepared or oriented, they typically require assistance and the loading process comes to stop while they get prepared.  Or an unprepared board member stands watching multiple chairs go by without loading before they load themselves, this slows the nomination process for many organizations.  A inefficient loading process can be frustrating and demoralizing to the rest of the board and limit the ski lifts capacity.


How do you use your nominating process as a chance to have a lift-line conversation with potential board members?  How do you prepare them for what to expect?  Do you partner them with an existing board member to ride your ski lift the first time?

(Image: conorneill.com)