“Hi Julie, How are you? I am looking for a paid board position and sharing my cover letter and board resume with you. I shall appreciate if you could circulate these to your connections who you feel may be relevant.”
This was the opening of an email that I received from someone I hardly know and with whom I have never worked.
Did I circulate the (admittedly impressive-looking) resume and cover letter to my 12,000 connections or to those I considered relevant? No!
Boards are jointly and severally liable; that means trust is essential. To credibly recommend someone for a board seat I would need to be able to give concrete and specific examples of why that person was relevant for that board at that time. That would mean knowing the person well.
One of my board colleagues said that getting a board seat is ‘a journey of a thousand coffees’. She is right. You need to get to know people and allow them to know you. LinkedIn helps, but it isn’t enough. Your CV helps but it isn’t enough.
You are the biggest asset you have in your board search. Get out and get to know people. Work with them. Mentor and be mentored. Drink those thousand coffees.
A journey of a thousand coffees starts with a single sip!
Julie Garland McLellan is a boardroom trends forecaster, experienced company director and professional conference speaker.
She features frequently as a commentator on TV and radio and is the bestselling author of 6 books. Her most recent book Not For Profit Board Dilemmas is a practical guide to thriving in boardrooms as the non-profit sector faces immense disruption.
To see Julie speaking live, click here.
For more information on Julie’s keynote speaking topics, visit www.directorsdilemma.com.
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