Boards of directors are the backbone of nonprofits and corporations, so when these essential leaders come together elbow-to-elbow at the boardroom table, they shouldn’t feel like the board meeting is a “bored” meeting. Sweep in fresh air and ideas by enriching the gathering with compelling guest speakers, choosing venues that naturally uplift and inspire, and challenging board members to share more of themselves with their peers.
Share stories to bring boards together
Board meetings get more energized as board members become more connected to one another. Consultant Joan Garry has a surefire way to instill community and camaraderie. It’s a version of an icebreaker — just don’t call it that, she warns. It’s a word that makes people shiver, and not with delight. Garry has board members write two-page personal profiles illustrated by photos, like family pictures, travel photographs and favorite snapshots from childhood. The profile isn’t a resume or litany of professional accomplishments, but instead gives insight into who they are and the people and experiences that influenced them. To provide an example, Garry wrote her own profile, including childhood photos and pictures of her and her family, as well as stories about how her parents, brother, best friend and partner have influenced her. Before the meeting, Garry sends all the profiles to each board member so they can read about everyone beforehand. She’s found it helps people open up to one another, to share what they have in common, and to ask questions and have deeper conversations.
Kick things off with a guest speaker
A dynamic keynote speaker ignites a conference; having an invigorating guest speaker launch a board meeting can do the same, whether the speaker is motivational or an expert on an issue that the organization faces. Most convention and visitors bureaus are well-connected in their communities and can suggest local experts and link meeting planners to them. Some CVBs, like Visit Albuquerque, have created speakers bureaus — lists of locals from all walks of life who are available for speaking engagements. Albuquerque’s list is quite broad, with links to speakers from the University of New Mexico’s business school and Hispanic research institute, as well as talents like Native American actor Wes Studi, world champion boxer Holly Holm, teen inventor Alissa Chavez, integrative health pioneer Joan Borysenko, and astronaut and author Colonel Mike Mullane.
Put storytellers in the spotlight
Another bit of advice from Garry: Seek the storytellers within your organization.
Instead of hiring a speaker for your board meeting, recruit a leader within your organization to talk to the board about the work they do. For example, if yours is a nonprofit, ask a staff member who works with the people and projects that are the organization’s mission to give a brief talk. You could also invite several people who benefit from the work your nonprofit is doing to talk about how the services they have received changed their lives. Garry tells of a staff member at an organization she worked with who spoke to its board. “Her presentations were informative, moving and powerful,” she said. “Her passion was ridiculously contagious.” You can also turn board members into presenters by having them visit the organization’s headquarters and then make brief remarks about what they observed and learned.
Be inspired by uplifting venues
Some venues, like those on mountaintops or by the sea, naturally elevate a board meeting. Montalto, a meticulously restored, early-1900s country house that sits atop a mountain and looks down on Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, is a high point worth investigating. The home has options. For technology and glimpses of valleys and the Blue Ridge Mountains, there’s a 22-seat boardroom. For a more relaxed setting that includes broad views, settle into the conservatory or parlor. For more mountains and history, the Washington Boardroom at the historic Omni Mount Washington Resort & Spa in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, stares straight out at snowcapped mountains, dotted with skiers this time of year. Water is the inspiration at The Sanctuary Beach Resort on Monterey Bay in California, where the boardroom has ocean views. It’s just one of many inspiring board meeting options in the Golden State. Farther up the coast, in cozy Bellingham, Washington, the boardroom at the Hotel Bellwether captivates attendees with views of bobbing boats in Squalicum Marina.
Seek a venue with shared purpose
A meeting venue that’s connected to an organization’s purpose will also add energy to a board meeting. For a nonprofit aimed at protecting our country’s waterways, a nature center like the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell, Georgia, would be an inspirational choice. In addition to a conference room and a well-equipped classroom, the center offers meeting add-ons like guided canoe trips down the Chattahoochee River. If the meeting is that of a women-owned corporation, the 1,500-square-foot boardroom on the top floor of the Taylor House Conference Center, part of the Inns of Aurora on Cayuga Lake in New York, would be a fine gathering place. Free time could be spent traveling 20 miles up the road to Seneca Falls, which is home to the Women’s Rights National Historical Park and the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and is also where the first women’s rights convention was held in 1848.
