- What do you know about our organization?
- What about our mission excites you?
- What experience do you have related to our mission?
- How much time can you commit to the organization?
- Who in your network can you involve in the organization?
The nightmare board member. We’ve all met her. We call her the nightmare board member because we have nightmares about her.
She’s been your colleague at the table. She’s filled out your performance review. And my, does she have a lot of opinions about strategy, operations, and the performance of the receptionist.
Especially for someone who hasn’t stepped foot in your offices or attended a commitee meeting in months.
She checks her iPhone during the program presentation. She asks for explanations she’s already been given multiple times. She badmouths the organization and its leadership outside the boardroom. She doesn’t know an asset from a liability. She has a goldmine rolodex but won’t open it up (not for your organization, at least.) And when discussions of the big upcoming fundraiser come up, you can count on her to ask why you’ve never been able to secure Barbra or Meryl.
How did this nightmare board member find her way to your board in the first place?
But first, let’s discuss a key thing you’ve been doing wrong. Something that got you into this mess in the first place.
Tell the truth. You’ve been in prospect interviews where the prospect couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Right? You’re not interviewing at all. You’re selling.
Top 4 Questions to Ask Prospective Board Members
In-depth questions
These questions help the board of directors envision how you might perform in this important position:
What are some valuable connections that you have within our industry?
The board of directors is likely to take on someone who can provide a lot of meaningful connections to the company. They ask to see if you have any particular professionals relationships that can be beneficial for them. When preparing for your interview, think about which of your contacts would be helpful in this new role. Try to refresh your memory by looking through your address book, contacts list or social media accounts.
Example: “For the past five years, I have been a chair member of our local future women engineer club. Since I am constantly making connections with these talented young women, I have access to some of the best talent entering our field. If we are ever looking to hire a recent graduate, I can almost guarantee some of my club members would be interested in applying. Since I know all the hard work they put in, I would feel confident about hiring most of these students post-college.”
Why does our organization’s mission resonate with you?
The board of directors may ask this question to make sure you are committed to their companys vision. This question also tells them if you have done enough research prior to your interview. When preparing for this question, find out what the companys mission statement, values and overall goals are. Reflect on why you want to support these initiatives.
Example: “Your companys mission statement is, Creating quality goods that are good for the world. As someone who strongly believes that businesses have social and environmental responsibilities, this mission statement directly aligns with my values. I think its possible for us to create amazing products that also happen to be environmentally friendly. From a business standpoint, this is an excellent model to attract customers who support these ideas. From an ethical standpoint, I can feel good about the work I would be doing every day.”
It is important to be straightforward throughout the interview. If not, you might end up taking on someone who really won’t help the organization at all.
An executive director wants to make sure that the board members are top quality, but it’s not always easy to figure out who has that quality and who does not. In addition, you also want to make sure they will fit in with the group. Your board needs to be able to work together to be successful. Otherwise, you’ll end up with that one irritating board member who always gets in the way. In order to prevent this from happening, make sure to ask good questions during the interviewing process. Don’t just sell your organization. Make sure the candidate is a good fit.
BOARD INTERVIEWS: THE WRONG WAY
If you’ve ever heard yourself saying the following in a board interview, you’re doing it wrong:
A therapist once told me something important. Insert the word BUT into a sentence and you invalidate every word of the sentence that precedes it. “I love you, but…”
So what’s wrong here? Almost everything.
You learn nothing about the prospect.
You are not honest or clear about the obligations.
QUESTIONS YOU WISH YOU COULD ASK
So what are the right questions? Before we get to that, here’s what we wish we could ask.
I hope you forward this to your chair of Board Governance right after you read this article.
FAQ
What are the 3 W’s you should look for in a prospective board member?
How do you interview for a board of directors position?
Ask questions that will require answers by more than one board member and could potentially result in an in-depth discussion. Good candidates should be collegial and demonstrate critical thinking skills and a knowledge of the business. Leave the committee thinking, “I could see her on the board.
What questions should I ask in a panel interview?
- Pre-existing passion for the cause.
- Eagerness to participate at every meeting.
- Willing to prepare ahead for meetings.
- Anxious to serve on committees.
- Ability and propensity to give above average financially.
- Strong desire for stewardship to others.
