There are only four ways you are going to gain a board appointment. Research is the most valuable way to distinguish yourself from other applicants, mitigate risk, and secure a board appointment, regardless of the appointment process. Let me explain why.
This is what your existing research probably looks like
The majority of you will be thinking – “yes, I know it’s important, and the research I am doing is just fine”. For a few, that might actually be the case. However, conservatively, over 95% of the applications I review lack the depth of research needed to author a successful board application. Their applications and interviews fall short as a consequence, so they receive the dreaded ‘thank you, but no thank you’ email. Or worse still, dead silence because the board research conducted before applying was non-existent or lacklustre. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
For most, board application research usually amounts to browsing the organisation’s website, reading about the board and its members and Googling to identify any red flags. Sound familiar?
Don’t get me wrong; online research is valuable and a good place to start. It provides the basic details that most boards expect all candidates to know. But stopping there will simply bundle you in with everyone else. It is just not enough to separate you from the competition and secure a spot on the shortlist.
You have to do more
Personal research is deeper, unlocking information you simply can not gain by scrolling a website or searching on Google. This information is something that others will not have because they have not completed this level of research. What you learn during your personal research efforts and how you apply that knowledge truly separates high-calibre board candidates at all stages of the board appointment process.
Those who complete this level of board research invariably find themselves in the final mix for a board appointment. So why is this research the foundation for any successful board application? It can be just one or a combination of many factors, each as powerful as the next. These factors include being seen as:
- more proactive
- more intelligent,
- more informed,
- more connected,
- more passionate,
- and ultimately, less of a risk than the other candidates.
Together, these elements indeed “dare them not to appoint you”.
In my experience, less than 5% of candidates undertake the kind of personal board research that impacts their board application and unique pitch. In fact, I would go so far as to say this figure might be as low as 1%.
This is great news for you
The fact that so few people take steps to go beyond online research and conduct personal research is great news. Even if you do some personal research tasks, you will differentiate yourself from almost every candidate vying for the board position.
Why don’t people do this level of research? Most just do not even consider conducting personal research. For others, the idea of conducting this type of research is uncomfortable and unfamiliar. They perceive it as a challenging task, finding it difficult to motivate themselves. This is even better news because it is easy to do. It can’t be done overnight, but it is simple, easy to implement and powerful.
I will show you how to conduct the two levels of research (online and in-person) that are necessary in my following articles.
In Summary
If you are only prepared to do the same level of (or less) board research as your competing board candidates, you will not be able to differentiate yourself via your board application or interview. As a result, your board application will be lumped together with many candidates who are unlikely to gain an interview, let alone a board appointment. To add to the frustration, you have wasted your valuable time and efforts committed to the application process. Urrgghh.
It is not an exaggeration for me to say that every stand-out application and board interview I have ever encountered was clearly the result of thorough board research. It separated them from the competition and de-risked their appointment in my eyes and the board’s chair.
Even if you are accomplished in this space, look for my next two articles covering Online and Personal research. They are both critical reading and could be the difference between receiving a ‘Thank you for your application but….’ response or receiving an ‘It is with great pleasure that …’ response.
Related Articles
The 4 ways Board Appointments are made
How board applications are graded to determine who makes the cut
About the Author
David Schwarz is CEO & Founder of Board Direction – Australia’s leading board advertising and non-executive career support firm. He has over a decade of experience of putting people on boards as an international headhunter and a non-executive recruiter and has interviewed over one thousand non-executives and placed hundreds into some of the most significant public, private and NFP roles in the world
