A company board offers organizations access to individuals with a wide array of experiences and diverse perspectives. Whether a company has an established board or is setting one up for the first time, hiring a new board member and onboarding them is a process that must be undertaken with care and consideration for the needs of all involved.
As experts, the members of Forbes Business Council have ample experience bringing on new board members. Below, 15 of them each share one step a business owner should take when onboarding a new board member.
1. Fully Showcase The Organization
When onboarding new board members, business owners must ensure they know the company’s history, values, goals and challenges. Providing a comprehensive orientation and training, including a responsibilities overview and detailed company financial breakdown, is essential. Give your new board member the tools to contribute their unique perspective. – Michael Shribman, APS Global Partners Inc.
2. Be Transparent And Open
Transparency is key, so be open about the business, the team and what keeps you up at night. Articulate the expectations you have in terms of how you believe they can help your company, but also seek input on other areas they believe are important that could be in your blind spot. This will lead to authentic conversations that allow you to evolve as a leader while also growing a profitable business. – Andreea Vanacker, SPARKX5
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3. Encourage Their Feedback And Input
The true value of a board is to bring to the company perspectives that outside experts have based on their experience and expertise in the marketplace. During onboarding, the CEO needs to emphasize how important this is because the team is focusing internally to address challenges and meet customers’ needs on a daily basis. Each board member must communicate true insights, even if they’re controversial. – Jerry Cahn, Age Brilliantly
4. Share Organizational Goals
Making a one-year plan with goals and focuses is a useful guide to set in place. Have these goals outlined and make sure the new members understand it fully and will work hard to help the company hit these goals. – Jackie Nance-Sons, Native Wildflowers Nursery
5. Provide A ‘Day In The Life’ Experience
Make plans for a “day in the life” experience. Allow the new board member to shadow several staff members, ranging from entry-level employees to senior management, for a day or two. It will provide them with a comprehensive, ground-level view of the company’s operations, culture and difficulties, giving them unique insights that boardroom presentations cannot. – Arvin Khamseh, SoldOut NFTs
6. Put A Comprehensive Orientation Process In Place
When onboarding a new board member, a CEO should ensure a comprehensive orientation process is in place. This includes detailed briefings on company history, finances, strategic plans and key challenges. By immersing them in the company’s landscape, it enables them to provide informed insights and make decisions. – Daniel Danino, Volta Metals
7. Guarantee Open Lines Of Communication
A valuable step that a CEO can and should take when onboarding a new board member is to ensure that there are clear lines of communication. Provide a nonjudgmental environment and an open forum for unique ideas. This ensures that a new board member comes into a comfortable environment and knows what is expected of them. – Chris Kille, Payment Pilot
8. Commit To Consistent Engagement
Neglecting ongoing engagement is a common onboarding misstep. Failing to maintain consistent interactions after the initial onboarding can lead to disconnect and limited contributions. It’s crucial to establish channels for regular updates, provide avenues for questions and concerns and involve them in relevant discussions. Doing this ensures their expertise remains aligned with the company’s evolving goals. – Neena Pandey, The String Code and Indie Roots
9. Provide A Mentor
Organize a mentorship program. Pair the new board member with a seasoned member for guidance. This facilitates a smooth integration, offers a deeper understanding of board dynamics and fosters interpersonal relationships, ensuring the newcomer quickly becomes an active, contributing member. – Jeremy Bradley-Silverio Donato, Zama
10. Have Them Attend Your Next In-Person Conference
If your business is built on strong customer relationships, invite your new board member to attend your company’s next in-person user conference. This is a great opportunity for the board member to actively engage and contribute to genuine conversations with loyal product or service users. The experience will be the catalyst that inspires connections and credibility, resulting in valued feedback and advice. – Eric Allais, PathGuide Technologies, Inc.
11. Provide Accurate And Complete Information
Business owners and CEOs must provide all board members with the accurate and complete information necessary for optimal input. It is also essential that board members convey a complete understanding of all the information provided, and it is the leader’s responsibility to confirm that they do. – ‘Smitty’ Robert J. Smith, Robert J. Smith Productions
12. Organize An Intensive Orientation
One crucial step is organizing an intensive orientation session. This session should dive deeply into the company’s strategic plan, finances, culture and key challenges. Pairing the new member with a seasoned board mentor can also be effective. This mentor can offer context, answer questions and facilitate introductions, ensuring the new member becomes a productive and informed contributor. – Andrei Neacsu, HyperSense Software Inc.
13. Prepare Documentation
Onboarding processes, investment decks, board minutes and company all-hands meetings are great resources to bring a new board member up to speed. This documentation along with a list of helpful connections ensure you extract value right from the start. Communicating your needs directly also creates a clear understanding of how a board member can add value, and sharing advice on business strategy ensures you’re aligned. – Arthur Bretschneider, Seniorly, Inc.
14. Offer Support And Feedback
Realize the importance of feedback. At the very beginning, employees are usually lost in the vast field of new information and work requirements. Offering support and assistance by providing thoughtful and honest feedback will drastically improve their performance and help them get on board rather quickly. – Ivan Popov, Vipe Studio
15. Avoid Rushing The Process
We’ve made grave mistakes when hiring board members too quickly. They came highly recommended and had great experience, but they were an awful fit. You need to ensure they truly believe in your business first and that your values align. Then, when onboarding, they need to understand organizational processes and have all the information about the vision of the company to ensure their actions align with your goals. – Sabrina Chevannes, Complex Creative
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