peter zehren.bd dvsty & rv-5.21.15

What Does Board Diversity Have to Do With Revenue?

Z E H R E N C O N S U LT I N G

N o n p r o fi t M a n a g e m e n t a n d L e a d e r s h i p © 2015

Take Aways

1.Building Stronger Board 2.Diversity Strengthens

Revenue3.“Invitation” to Build a Team4. Board Diversity Impact Grid

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Building Stronger Boards

Take

Aw

ay 1

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What Do Strong Boards Look Like?

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What Do Strong Boards Look Like?

Agree with CEO

Focus on Finance

Great Attendance

100% Giving

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What Do Strong Boards Look Like?

• Disagree with CEO

• Focus on Investing

• Challenge Ideas

• 100% Support

Zehren Consulting ©2015

What Do Strong Boards Look Like?

Agree with CEO

Focus on Finance

Great Attendance

100% Giving

• Disagree with CEO

• Focus on Investing

• Challenge Ideas

• 100% Support

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A Strong Board is a Diverse Board

Sharpens Ideas

Views Challenge Differently

Challenges The Way of Thinking

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Steps to Building Strong Boards

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1. New Members 2. Balance Idea

Leaders 3. Team Building4. Diverse

Perspectives

New Members

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STEP

ON

E

• Energize the Group• Force Re-examination• Recruit With Purpose

(Who do we know? vs. Who do we seek out?)

• New Member On-boarding

Balance Idea Leaders

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STEP

TW

O

• Imagine the possible • Open the space for ideas• Where do great ideas

come from?• How many idea leaders

are enough?

Team Building

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STEP

TH

REE

• What questions should we ask to build conversation?

• Ask actionable questions

• Listen: don’t plan how to react

• Dialogue vs. Conversation

Actionable Question

An actionable question begins

to shift the way we perceive or

think about something – and that

might serve as a catalyst to bring

about change.

—– Warren Berger Zehren Consulting ©2015

Diverse Perspectives

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STEP

FO

UR

• Who do we want at the table?

• How do they see our vision?

• How do we view our organization?

• How does the outside world see us?

Diversity Strengthens Revenue

Take

Aw

ay 2

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CASE STUDY: The Organization

• Community Housing LMI families should own the homes they live in.

• NYC with satellite branches in each of the five boroughs

• 25 Year Anniversary

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CASE STUDY: Board Composition

• Over 51% from Community Served

• Bankers: Assigned

• Government Agency

• Satellite Board Chairs

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CASE STUDY: The Challenge

• Attitude Neutral

• Engagement Off

• Gala Fundraising Low

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CASE STUDY: ATTITUDE

• Attitude Neutral• Not Personally

Invested• Felt Staff Responsible• Unwilling to Put in a

lot of Time

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CASE STUDY: ENGAGEMENT OFF

• No Fun Opportunities• Lack of Organizational

Understanding • Uncertain of Time

Commitment

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CASE STUDY: GALA FUNDRAISING LOW

• Board Did Not Give• No One Wants to Ask• Connections With Goal

and Board Missing• Last Years Worker Out

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CASE STUDY: THE PLAN

• Bring on New Members• Increase Engagement• Listening to Ideas• Set Own Goals

• Support Board• Explain Fundraising

Cycle• Collaborate on Strategy

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CASE STUDY: FUNDRAISING CYCLE

©2015Saad & Shaw

Key Reminders:• Ask Only 2-3% of

the whole cycle.

• Most People Are Comfortable Talking About Organization

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CASE STUDY: THE RESULT

• All Members Engaged

• New Gala Sponsors

• Raised 400% More Than the Previous Year!

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Take

Aw

ay 3

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“Invitation” to Build a Team

We begin with the belief that the

commitments and interest of each of us have to be honored

and taken into account by all.

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Why an Invitation?

• Invite board members to be part of the dialogue

• Everyone’s input sought

• All responses honored

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Everyone Leads

“The task of leadership is to provide context and produce

engagement.”

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Peter Block– Community Builder

Tribal Context

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Seth Godin– Marketing Guru

“A leader tightens the tribe…finds areas of common

interest then gets out of the way.”

EXERCISE: Getting to Know You

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1. What is the commitment that holds you here?3. What organizational story do you tell others?5. Tell me something about you no one knows.

Han

dout

EXERCISE: Introduce Each Other

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• I’d like you to meet…..• She/he loves their

organization because….

• One thing we may not

know about her/him is….

EXERCISE: Report Back

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• What did you learn about the process? How did it feel?

• What did you learn about yourself? • What did you learn about the others?

Board Diversity Impact Grid

Take

Aw

ay 4

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What Motivates Board Members?

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• Why serve on this board?

• What are you passionate about?

• How do you want to help “change the world” through our organization?

Engaging Board Members

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• Listen to them• Site tours• Mission moment• Pair them at events

Engagement Tips From Affinity Session

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• Write Thank You Notes

• Make Phone Calls• Ask Them:

Why Are You Here?

How Do They See Your Organization?

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• Resume point• Work through grief• Help the community• Venue to show

leadership• Use their expertise

PROFESSION PERSPECTIVE APPROACHArchitect Building Design a constructSocial Media Director Connecting Share informationEntrepreneur Business Serve a consumer

needVenture Capitalist Investment Opportunity for

growthArtist Creative Foster inspirationGovernment Process Fair resource

allocationBanker Financial Bottom line ROI

Doctor Healing Fix or stop the bleeding

Impact Grid

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THE ART OF CONVERSATION

• Thinking for Yourself• Change the Way We

See the World• Two Thoughts Can Build

a Stronger New Idea

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Diversity by Age

2% 12%

29%43%

14%

Under 30 30 – 39 40 – 49 50 – 64 Over 65

BoardSource Nonprofit Governance Index 2010

Diversity by Race

84%

8%4% 3%1%

White African AmericanHispanic AsianOther

BoardSource Nonprofit Governance Index 2010

Diversity by Gender

Male

Female

52%

48%

BoardSource Nonprofit Governance Index 2010

Take Away Review

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1.Building Stronger Boards 2.Diversity Strengthens

Revenue3.“Invitation” to Build a Team4. Board Diversity Impact Grid

Final Thoughts• Knowing Yourself is

About Openness• Let Go of Ego and See

Best Ideas• Activating Members

Means Listening and Letting Them Do on Their Own

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Peter Zehren XMPAzehrenpeter@gmail.com262 880-1270

Z E H R E N C O N S U LT I N GN o n p r o fi t M a n a g e m e n t a n d L e a d e r s h i p © 2015

Questions?