We have World Cup fever at Association Headquarters (AH) and with the beautiful game being top of mind, we thought we would do a comparison with our non-profit world.
Your Volunteer Board vs. USA Men’s National Soccer Team
The A Players — The Most Engaged Board LeadersEvery board has a Clint Dempsey (he scored a goal in the first 30 seconds against Ghana, while also getting his nose kicked in)! This is someone who is always thinking one step ahead and ready to take charge. We can all use a Dempsey (after all, he is the captain of the team)!
The other person we all need on our board is a John Brooks, Jr. He excels by assisting wherever needed and then comes in toward the very end to score the winning goal (or idea, in our case). Having a Brooks Jr. (or two) to swoop in and assist in securing a win is someone that would be a great A-player on a board.
Red Card — Reasons for FailureDuring a soccer game, a player might get a red card for misconduct, such as being violent on the field, deliberately handling the ball resulting in a denied goal for an opponent, using foul language, etc. A red card gets a player ejected for the remainder of the game. It’s basically the worst thing that can happen, aside from a team loss, of course.
A red card for a board can come in several different forms. Things like lack of focus, trying to be all things to all people, inability to agree to disagree, lack of order and leadership, etc. These are just a few examples of what might bring a board down.
Yellow Card — Reasons for Set-BacksA yellow card is one step below a red card. If a soccer player receives a yellow card, it’s because he is being unsportsmanlike, delays the restart of play, or enters the field without the referee’s permission. These are less serious offenses, but a set-back, nonetheless.
On a board, a yellow card would be akin to a person’s unwillingness to tackle a tough issue and letting it get worse and worse until someone else takes control. Avoid this set-back by appointing a lead to ensure control, allow participation by others, and make sure the issue is resolved in a fair amount of time. Another yellow card in the board room is the refusal to try new ideas and programs. Sometimes the comfortable and safe approach doesn’t always work. We don’t want to stay stagnant, we want to grow and stay relevant, and trying new programs and initiatives leads to a goal!
How many Dempseys, Brooks, red cards and yellow cards do you have on your current board? How can you create the winning team who are mission driven and focused?
