Building A Successful Board
As we enter 2020, now is a fine time for boards to identify what is needed to build a successful board.
What does your club’s strategic plan look like? How is the board trying to develop the club? To help determine the best members for your board, consider the direction your club is moving in, the skills and experience of current board members and who/ what is required to move the club forward to achieve it’s goals.
Lisa Cook, from Get On Board Australia suggests five steps to finding the right director for a Not-For-Profit board;
- Don’t dismiss personal networks but be prepared to look further afield;
- Create a position description that spells out the skills required, duties and responsibilities, time requirement;
- Post the position description on your website as a central source of information;
- Share the information on social media, free job search websites;
- Be open to appointing a first time director.
A club constitution typically outlines the powers and functions of a board and is a good resource in developing a terms of reference and position descriptions. Bowls Australia have a series of position descriptions available to help build a relevant document for your club. Making criteria more transparent ensures all current and potential board members are clear on the requirements.
Bowls has the potential to be a leader in inclusive sport, where bowlers of all ages, genders, abilities and cultures can participate on the same green, same rink at any one time. To celebrate and develop this, consider an inclusive leadership group who can bring relevant skills and a differing perspective to club decision-making.
Image source Training Journal
For further reading:
Five Steps to Better Not-For-Profit Director Recruitment. Get On Board Australia
Strategic Planning and Governance. Bowls Australia
The Importance of Diversity on Boards. Board Effect
Guidelines for Gender Neutral Recruitment. Government of South Australia Office for Women
Building a Not-For-Profit Board. Australian Institute of Company Directors
Tips for the Conduct of the Annual General Meeting. Play By The Rules
Volunteers – Find Them, Keep Them, Back Them. VStar
