The Board Candidate's Balancing Act
Mark A. Pfister - 'The Board Architect'
Non-Executive Director | Board Director | CEO | Chief Board Consultant | Corporate Strategist | Board Macro-Influencer | Speaker | Author | IBDC.D
Striving For Equilibrium In?Your Expertise, Experience, & 'Proof'
(Originally appeared in the July 14th, 2021?'Across the Board'?digital publication, a Board Director, Board Advisor, C-Level, and Business Leader publication reaching 27,500+ exceptional business leaders in over 70 countries with articles focused on leadership, strategy, and governance topics - sign up?here)
It wasn't that long ago when a majority of experienced as well as aspiring?Board Directors would look on befuddled when the topic of Board Director education and certification was discussed. After all, a Board Director had reached the epitome of their career, right? They had already learned everything they needed to know, hence their appointment to the Board, correct? Not exactly...
Today's leadership challenges have grown more complex to solely rely on past performance and experiences. As many financial disclaimers state,?"past performance does not guarantee future results"?- this is also true of Directors. The formality of Board?Director education and certification has steadily grown over the last decade with it gaining prominence in comparison to expertise and experience. It is fairly common to see modern Nominating Committees, having whittled down a large pool of viable candidates, realize that the?remaining?3?candidates?have similar, if not identical, expertise and experience. Although a great scenario for a Board to be in,?where are they commonly focusing next to make their final decision? Increasingly to the area of?'proof.'
Back in March of 2017, I published?an article entitled?'The Serious Board Candidate & The Career Trifecta'?to clearly show how Board Candidates, aspiring and experienced, can not only make a great impression through an easily adopted formula, but also strategically balance their efforts in the areas of?expertise?(know-how),?experience?(application), and?proof?(education and certification). This?'Career Trifecta'?essentially conveys that you view Board Directorship as a discipline and not a hobby.?It?shows you have a strategy and are deliberate in your quest to further your Board?acumen ...and it is increasingly weighing into?Nominating Committees' final appointment decision.
Your?Expertise?(know-how) equates to your level of knowledge, and the theory behind that knowledge. You want to convey a feeling of how you think, some of it aligning to common industry practices, some of it bringing to the table new or interesting approaches to explore.
Your?Experience?(application of knowledge)?puts a spotlight on how your Expertise has?been applied. You want to give a feeling of your ability to do something well, show how you have applied your Expertise, and made a difference through your Experience.
Education and Certification?(proof) is not just a way of showing your formal knowledge and training as it applies to an industry and vertical, but, possibly more importantly, a way to make it easier for you to be?'sized-up'?in the areas of?dedication and drive?that you, as a Board Director, have?for the Board discipline. As a serious Board Candidate, look for every opportunity?to show that Board Directorship is your career, your passion, and your discipline.
Many Board Directors, however, are still somewhat confused on how exactly to go about their?'proof'?plan. This is evidenced by the listing of loosely linked training, education, and certifications listed within their?Board Documents.?Education and certifications simply for the sake of education and certifications do nothing for you. In fact, when these can't be linked directly to a) your main area of expertise?(what we call your?'Major'?in our?Board education & certification course), or b) your value proposition linked to common?Board Committees where you claim you add value (what we call your?3?'Minors'?in our?Board education & certification course),?it can actually convey that you lack a cohesive plan, essentially undermining your hard work and educational investments.
Start to think about a cohesive?approach?in how you go about your?'proof'?plan. In comparing to?the diagram above,?evaluate the current education and?certification background you have. Are they singularly?focused on your?'Major'? Do you have only?'Vertical' Board Certifications?focused?solely on specific knowledge areas with no?'Horizontal'?Board Certifications?showing your understanding of broader-ranging and holistic concepts? Are you heavily weighted on?'Horizontal'?Board Certifications?and not able to show specialization matching to specific Board Committees? The key is to have touchpoints on each of these 3 areas.
Regardless of your current state of?'proof' affairs, having a plan can quickly get you on the right track. You will find that the mentioned?process?allows for a quick, binary (yes/no) decision to be made when allocating your budget, scope, and time to your continuing education?decisions - all while simultaneously increasing your viability for Board seat appointments. Regardless of where you?currently fall on the curve, it is never too late to get started. Even for those aspiring Directorswho haven't yet earned a certification, but are in the process, it is a great start in showing your intentions and discipline to?the Board Director vertical. For experienced Directors with?existing?certifications, reevaluate areas you may be lacking - and don't be scared to stop listing those education / certifications?that don't convey a balance in your strategic?approach, nor support your future?Board focus aspirations.
Is your?'Career Trifecta'?accurately conveying your passion and discipline?
Reach out to?learn about all of the focus areas for your proper Board Director?'packacking'through our?Consulting &?Advisory?offerings, the?Board Director Education & Certification program,?and?International Speaking Tour?topics.
Mark A. Pfister - Non-Executive Director |?CEO |?Chief?Board Consultant?| Corporate?Strategist | Board Macro-Influencer?| Speaker?| Author - www.PfisterStrategy.com
About the Author:?In addition to serving?on numerous Boards, Mark A. Pfister is a renowned Board Consultant,?'Board Macro-Influencer,'?certified Board Director, speaker, author, and advises public, private, and nonprofit Boards in efficient and effective operations. Known as?'The Board Architect,'?he is also the inventor of the?'Board as a Service'?(BaaS) engagement model and an expert Project Executive?frequently advising on strategic global initiatives in their initiation and operational phases......?<< read full bio?here?>>
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