Making a Difference – Becoming an NED
In life, we should always strive to be part of the solution, not the problem. There are so many things that we can complain about in society, but if we are to be responsible citizens, each of us bares the responsibility for playing our part in making things better.
We are all impacted by governance and the concept of a small number of people being in charge of a much larger group of people is the basis on which our society is run. By operating as a board or committee, we experience the systems by which organisations are directed and controlled in so many areas of our lives. We trust small groups of people, (on average 7 to 12 people), to get together on a periodic basis and make decisions about how a whole host of things are governed. Governance spans society from governments and large companies to schools, hospitals, churches or other religious institution.
Groups of men and women, (mostly men and mostly older men), come together and make decisions on behalf of organisations all the time.
You may already be one of those people with a great deal of responsibility serving on a board or a committee and well familiar with what a difference you can make. You can scrutinise, challenge and support and ultimately set the vision and ensure the mission is maintained. The personal fulfilment of making a difference is its own reward.
The concept of the corporation i.e. a corporate body with its own legal identity quite separate from the people that manage/ run it is quite firmly integrated in the way the world is run today. Governments, businesses and philanthropic organisations are run by groups of people who share expertise to make decisions about how best to get the outcomes that they want to achieve. This could be the cabinet of a national political party, the board of directors of a large multinational, the trustees of a charity or the governors of a school. They all rely on this governing structure.
If the board get it right then they can attribute their success to the “wisdom of the crowds,” get it wrong and maybe it was a dose of “group think” or even the . I would argue that even in an autocratic regime, there are still advisors that meet to provide a level of information for the ultimate leader to take the decisions that they do.
If you want to make a difference to your life and / or the life of others, then the way to do it is to get yourself on one of these boards. Your passion, background experience and education will determine your best fit. Anyone can aim to be on the board of a large national charity or be a cabinet member of government, but most of us however will serve more locally and have a say in how things operate at that level.
There are many reasons to volunteer, serve on a board or committee and some of the benefits are listed below. The most important thing is that you are in agreement with the vision of the organisation that you will serve and that you are passionate about the customers, beneficiaries or users of the organisations services.
Benefits of serving on a board:
- Gain new experience
- Meet new people
- Learn new skills
- Share your expertise
- Give back to a worthy cause
- Get paid for your time
- Networking
- Help others
If you want to make a difference, joining a board is a good step. I firmly believe that if you really want to make a long term impact, you need to have some influence at the top or leadership of an organisation. You can influence positively by the contribution that you make. This requires certain skills and experience, background knowledge about the rules of the game and a range of interpersonal skills that include communication, negotiation and influencing.
If you are minded to make a difference in this way, you will need to decide what area it is you want to focus on, how you can get on the board that you choose and then how you can ensure that you have the skills to contribute. You will never get the opportunity however just by thinking about it, why not begin your research today?
You can surf the public appointments on the internet, check out the vacancies advertised for local charities, trusts or schools. If you have political ambitions, perhaps becoming a local councillor may be the goal. There will always be an opportunity that matches your interests, experience and skills. So, take action and make a difference.
Until next time…
