After working with hundreds of private clubs and thousands of club board members over the past 50 years, I am confident I have discovered the secret to being a great board member.
Club members who agree to dedicate hours of their time to private club board duty come in all shapes and sizes. They have all types of career experiences and range in age from the X, Y or Z generations, to the Baby Boomers, to the maturing retirees. Their political and religious beliefs can differ as much as their personal and family use of the private club experience.
Board members will display varying degrees of dedication, passion and commitment as they tackle their roles. Some will lead their assigned committees effectively and others will assume more passive roles.
One trait will set great private club board members apart from “those who also served.” It may not be evident at first and may take careful observation, but if you look closely, you will find a few of these superstars in every private club boardroom.
What is the distinguishing characteristic that sets these club leaders apart? Which trait do the most successful board members possess? Why have these superstars gained the respect of the rest of the board and most members?
The secret that great board members have discovered is the ability to ask the right questions. Not the most questions but the right questions. They have learned to communicate effectively not by dominating the conversation but by asking key questions.
One of those questions might be: “What kind of orientation process will the general manager provide as I begin my duties as a new board member?” The most effective board members have experienced a thorough orientation that gives them the framework to make informed, rational decisions. This orientation includes a complete physical review of club assets and an introduction to department managers.
Another question: “Are the roles and responsibilities of the board members, the general manager and the department managers defined in writing?” Model clubs have clearly outlined the role of board members in club governance and the role of the general manager and department managers in the day-to-day management of the club. This practice discourages “coloring outside of the lines,” which can happen without written guidelines.
A frequently asked question: “Has the club engaged in a strategic planning process, and do we have a written report that is updated on a yearly basis?” The most progressive and successful private clubs have developed a strategic plan that provides a template for ongoing success. Clubs that are not engaged in this process may find that they will be transitioning in the future to semi-private status or become good candidates for takeover by a management company.
An important question often asked: “How can we as board members effectively support the general manager/chief operating officer model of club management?” The best-managed and best-governed clubs have embraced this management concept because many club board members can relate to how effective this model is or how effective it has been during their business careers.
Another frequently asked question: “How can we as board members demonstrate a ‘unity of purpose’ once we have made a decision?” It doesn’t matter whether an issue has been decided unanimously or by a close vote. What matters is that once board members leave the boardroom, they support the decision and leave the details of their discussions in the boardroom.
Outstanding board members will ask many other questions during their tenure, but those five are certainly common in club boardrooms.
The secret to being a great board member is not how much you have to say but how good your questions are.
This much I know for sure.
THE BOARDROOM MAGAZINE – November/December 2024
“This Much I Know for Sure” is a regular feature in BoardRoom magazine beginning Fall 2022. Dick will share some of his reflections based on his 50-plus years of working in the private club business.