I remember fondly, the activity of setting up the water pump to draw water from a nearby lake every spring at the family cottage. This activity would ensure that we had enough water on hand for the entire season. My dad referred to this activity as “priming the pump.”

What does this fond memory have to do with valuing Board Members and ensuring future association success? Alot actually!

When you think about your fellow volunteer Board members and the information they bring to the table, consider imagining their brains as a resource filled with valuable information just waiting to be released.

This might seem like a stretch, but not all volunteer Board members know how to tap into this valuable information. To tap into it, it takes a little conditioning or in other words ‘priming of the pump.’

‘Priming the pump,’ refers to preparing volunteer Board members by providing them with information. This action has been known to motivate volunteer Board members, prompting them to reflect and question the future direction of the association.

Many associations consider strategic planning as the time to think about the future direction of the association, however it is most beneficial to consider and discuss the future during regularly scheduled Board meetings.

I didn’t write this article to help volunteer Board leaders with strategic planning. If you want more information on strategic planning, I suggest you read the following blogs

 

This article is  about recognizing all volunteer Board members bring something valuable to the table, and that these members must be encouraged and motivated to open up and share their valuable knowledge and insights. As future success will likely follow.

I recently attended an association Board meeting  and during this meeting we tackled a concept called the “generative question.”

 

What is a generative question?

A generative question launches a “what if” discussion amongst Board members, which encourages them to consider the future.

Here are a few examples of generative questions:

  • Is our current business model viable to ensure long term growth/success?
  • If we were to transition to a for-profit, what would we do differently?
  • Does our association’s mission and vision reflect our current values?

 

Setting the stage by influencing your Board volunteers to get into the right head space, and tackle a generative question(s), is where the ‘priming of the pump’ comes into play.

Remember Board volunteers aren’t always aware or understand their current roles and responsibilities or how valuable their insights and knowledge truly is. Generally, Board volunteers don’t organically arrive at the Board table considering generative questions. Given this, preparing them for these types of discussions is advantageous, because when they arrive at future Board meetings, they are ready for meaningful conversations.

A recommended best practice includes providing the generative question well in advance of the Board meeting, to allow it to ‘stew’ in the minds of members prior to the meeting. The Board Chair and executive director should collaborate and generate relevant generative questions to ask members.  Also, the duo can research and provide articles or other resources related to the question(s) at hand. Such an action would allow volunteer Board members to gain a better understanding and be more prepared to engage in a fruitful discussion.

There are several organizations that can help with gathering of resources for the Board. Here are a few that have Board specific information directed at not-for-profit boards:

 

Each Board’s approach will be vastly different in terms of drafting, sharing, and executing a generative question(s). However, one must remember that the ultimate goal is to ‘prime the pump’ as this will ultimately unleash creative and unhindered thinking leading to satisfaction and success.

The overall key message is to prepare your volunteer Board members for meaningful discussions! Yourvolunteers are busy people, and it is the job of the Board chair and executive director to encourage those other volunteers to share their wisdom and actively engage. Essentially, ‘priming the pump’ can create an environment that will give all volunteer Board members a positive experience and ensure long term future success is achieved.