4 Purposeful Provocations for Association Boards

For the remainder of The Turbulent Twenties, association boards must work together to develop a new, common understanding of the purpose, makeup, structure, and activity of the board.

Boards must accept their volunteer service, put competence before comfort, let go of their orthodox ideas, and put a stop to compositional injustices. Associations can put into practice board agreements that prioritize peer and third-party review of both individual and group performance. They can also base the director experience on ongoing capacity building and intentional learning. Associations can provide orthodoxy maps that show orthodox ideas in terms of their strength, how strongly they are held, and their influence, or how much they have an impact on how people make decisions. And finally, associations can amend their bylaws to allow public directors, who serve on a non-member basis. With the future arriving in full force, the urgent challenge before association boards is crystal clear: strengthen board performance to begin shaping a better future for stakeholders and successors.