Included on my to-do list at the moment is prep work for an In Trust-sponsored webinar on board member orientation. It’s a three-peat for me on the topic, which means I’m scrambling for new ways to make my case. If as my colleague John Pearson tells us, greeters at Walmart receive a better orientation than most board members, the nonprofit sector has some serious catching up to do.
I’ve not heard John describe what it is about the orientation for Walmart greeters that charms him. But as I think about the blue-vested crews and their advance preparation, three lessons of relevance for nonprofit boards come to mind.
PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM
First, and most important, is that orientation happens. This is an obvious point, I know, but one that many board chairs and nonprofit CEOs ignore at their organization’s peril. No Walmart greeter, if my Google research is to be believed, hits the floor without first participating in a carefully scripted day-long orientation. Sadly, the same cannot be said for the majority of men and women serving on nonprofit boards, faith-based or otherwise. Not even close.
No one is born a perfect board member. Every new member needs a thorough orientation to what it means to serve on this particular board, at this particular time, focused on this organization’s particular problems. Whether you’re bringing several new members to the board or just one or two, the approach to orientation should be the same. No board member should take his or her seat without it.
Second, the orientation provided to Walmart greeters is specific to their role. As one of the sources I referenced puts it, the orientation “takes into account the roles that greeters play and the types of customer situations they are likely to encounter in the course of providing effective customer service.” No data dump. No journey through Walmart’s history and back again. No attempt to cover every role, product, and company practice in a single session.
The goal is to orient greeters to the work they’ve been hired to do – why it matters, what it entails, and how it fits within the whole. Specific to board members, it’s essential to keep the conversation on a governance level and away from operational issues. Stress high-level issues and concerns, the big picture, the vision and strategy.
Third, strive for an interactive experience and not a dog-and-pony show. If ever there was a time to remember the Golden Rule, it’s when planning board member orientation. Do unto the new members as you would have done onto you. Scrap the lengthy monologue and make room for conversation, for questions, for discussion, and for fun.
To my point, consider the following from a description of the orientation session for Walmart greeters:
. . . time is spent sharing personal experiences, studying service concepts, and participating in question and answer sessions. This day-long, highly interactive session shows how cooperation among Walmart Greeters and other Walmart staff can help all employees work collectively towards stronger customer relationships.
Substitute your organization’s name for Walmart and swap out “greeters” with board members and you have the outline for a good chunk of your next orientation session.
Oh, the blessed board members who receive such an orientation. This is the case I will make in the upcoming webinar.
For more on building a strong nonprofit board, see:
Seven steps to a well-crafted meeting agenda
Helping the CEO isn’t job one for the board
A five-step cure for boredom in the boardroom