What’s In It For Them?
If your club’s board numbers more than a handful of people, you may notice a discrepancy in the level of interest across the board membership. But this is to be expected - after all, there is only one person (sometimes two) who gets to be the club President. The title in itself makes it necessary for the President to stay motivated and focused, since the President will largely be judged by the club’s performance. So, if you’re the President, how do you keep others just as motivated and focused?
Simple - ask yourself: what’s in it for them?
By understanding and knowing why someone has decided to join the board, you, as President, can better tweak a board member’s tasks to maximize their skills and interests. For example, you know that a member has joined your board because of an intense passion for community service. Be sure this person gets to play a leading role in any community service events, or even better, allow this member to come up with some fresh new ideas for possible community service events. Talk frequently with board members to better gauge their interests and don’t be afraid to ask for their opinion on whether or not they’re getting enough out of being a board member.
A strong President will, of course, have the charismatic and persuasive skills to rally a group to work on just about anything. But this sort of “give yourself up for the greater good of the club” mentality will only last so far. Everyone has a personal agenda, and as President, you should not look at this as a weakness, but as a potential for strength and unique contribution.
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