Strong ties have value in the Board Appointment process

Malcolm Gladwell aptly put it in his book ‘The Tipping Point’ that… People were nearly three times as likely to have found their job through a “personal contact” than through an advertisement, headhunter or other “formal means.” In other words, success is largely about who you know, not what you know. He termed these connections as either ‘strong ties’ or ‘weak ties’. 

A ‘tie’ represents your connection to individuals or groups – connection of any kind, whether it is an acquaintance, friend, family member or colleague. At least 65% of people are appointed to a board through personal connections, with over 50% of appointments being made via “weak ties”, and 15% made via “strong tie” relationships.  

Whilst weak tie connections have a greater impact, it is clear that strong ties also have considerable value in the board appointment process – though perhaps not the way you think they might. What and who are these strong ties? And, why aren’t they as powerful as weak ties? These are the questions this article will answer.

What are strong ties?

Traditionally, a strong tie is defined as a connection between close-knit individuals. They can be broken down into two sub-categories: friendships and relationships – people you know well or see frequently. 

Friendships are people that you most often know from and within a social setting. In many cases, they will be long-held relationships. In most cases, though, these relationships will have been developed (though perhaps not instigated) outside of a professional setting. 

Relationships are similar to friendships, but are not the same as friendships. They are often based on mutual respect; often professionally driven, and will also likely have begun in a professional setting. They may be a colleague or a professional stakeholder you work closely with currently, or have worked with in the past, and you still know well and see or speak with them regularly.

Why aren’t strong ties as valuable as weak ties?

The reasons that friendships don’t result in board opportunities to the same extent as weak ties do are numerous. In both cases, strong ties are often defined as connections that know each other, or think they do. For this reason, they have often pegged you – but often not as a NED or potential NED. This is the first reason they are not as valuable as a weak tie.

It is often the case that in the mind of a friend, you are also likely unproven as a board director. As such, your friends will likely be unwilling to risk their relationship with you if a board introduction does not work out. Further, friends might be uncertain of your ability – after all, they don’t know you in this type of professional setting. On the other hand, they know you too well and for too long and consider many of your actions as unprofessional.

Relationships are also unlikely to result in a board opportunity since these connections are often professionally driven and typically begin in a professional setting. While you may be close with these people, when you look critically at these relationships, both parties would likely conclude that they are there for business. As such, the relationship is built on the credibility gained through each other’s networks and professionalism. Perhaps, most importantly, these relationships need to be maintained in an office, a club, or some other professional setting. Therefore, you might not know if they truly respect you enough to risk their reputation to vouch for you in a capacity where they have not seen you perform. Or, whilst they genuinely respect you, they may not like you enough to risk their professional reputation. At first glance, your relationships (particularly your professional ones) might seem like a good recipe for getting ahead, but in many cases, the same barriers exist in utilising relationships as those in friendships. 

Whether your strong tie is a relationship or a friendship, the reasons these people are unlikely to help you secure a board role might sound cruel, but they are real. I would like you to pause for a moment and reflect on your friends and relationships. I am sure many are people you love dearly and would do anything for, but would never recommend for a job, let alone a board role. When the scenario is flipped, it is also possible that you are that person.

But, strong ties are valuable

In a previous article, I discussed the delicate ecosystem of a board and the pivotal role of the chair in the board appointment process. When recruiting a new board member, chairs will often ask current board members if they know of suitable candidates. These recommendations are taken seriously because the chair is always looking to appoint someone who will support the delicate ecosystem and culture of the board – and is supported by someone the Chair knows and who is willing to risk their reputation by backing your appointment. Additionally, this can save the organisation time and the expenses of going through a formal appointment process. 

Strong ties are particularly valuable in this case, particularly if your aspiration is to gain a top-listed company appointment or that of a high-profile organisation. This is supported by a study that found that 105 people account for a third of all the ASX 100 board appointments. At this level, it is indeed a club made up of strong ties. Being part of, or known and trusted by, this “club” is often essential to gain a board role at this level. It provides comfort that, should others in the club be willing to put their reputation on the line to recommend you for an appointment, because they believe that you will not upset the balance and delicate ecosystem of the board. For top-listed or high-profile companies, being a known candidate and having strong ties who can vouch for you is almost essential. 

The above is true even for those who do not aspire for an ASX 100 appointment. So, strong ties should not be overlooked in your board search. On this basis, the first step is to understand how they can be used most effectively.

Test them and direct them

To begin with, you need to understand that friendships give us access to individuals but rarely to business opportunities. 

While relationships can (although not often) provide benefits to both businesses and individuals. Both groups need to be evaluated to determine which one works best for you. Essentially, what you need to find out is if your strong ties are willing and able to help you gain a board appointment in ways that won’t jeopardise the tie you have with them, whether business or personal.

The key here is to never put these people on the spot by asking for a job (board opportunity) – or even hinting at one. A refusal to help is likely to offend and can lead to a downward spiral of ’why’ questions. This may result in tears, resentment, and a breakdown of the relationship. Instead, begin by telling them you are looking for a board appointment and asking if they are willing to help. 

If they are, then remind yourself that they will still be unlikely to put you in direct contact with board opportunities. Instead, what you need to angling for is access to people they know who, in turn,  can independently assess and vouch for you for a board appointment and might have access to opportunities. 

Summary

Too many people believe that it is their strong ties that will most likely result in a board appointment. They aren’t. However,  I trust the information above shows you that they are still valuable, but perhaps not in the way you think they are. The next question to ask is ‘How do I leverage these connections?’ I will show you how to do this really easily in my next article.

Want to learn more about leveraging your strong ties and developing weak ties for successful board appointments? Commit just 90 minutes of your time to attend my Private Board Search Event.

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