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Boards as Community Builders
Submitted by Marilyn Wyatt on November 11, 2008 - 10:58.
It was a great time to be in the United States last week. Not only the BoardSource Leadership Forum, but the U.S. presidential elections were taking place. At the Leadership Forum there was an excitement in the air that gave all of the sessions a special charge. I enjoyed the succession of super speakers and social events, spiced up with networking opportunities (best of all with other Global Forum members).
For me the big take-away from the meeting was how much we can learn about governance in big and small ways from other nonprofit leaders, even if they’re working in completely different countries and mission areas. For example, a Native American talked to me about how a simple handshake in her community is done so much differently than in mainstream America. Outsiders who learn to shake hands properly are regarded as showing deep respect for and acceptance of her culture and are welcomed the same way in return.
Isn’t this true all over the world--that working effectively in groups and on teams means learning to take each other’s hands and bind together with respect and acceptance? This at least was the message of the moment in Washington last week, and now back home I’ve continued to think about and delight in this insight. In the nonprofit world all of us in some way take the hands of strangers and offer goodwill and dignity along with more concrete forms of assistance. It’s not hard to extend this image to our boards and realize that, even metaphorically speaking, a board that joins hands around the table has taken the first step to building a warm and effective community within their organization.
Then the next question to ask is: What form does this handshake take?
Please stop by the poll on the home page and let us know whether your organization has a code of conduct. Feel free to post your own message on this site about whether it’s effective or not!
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