2020 Lessons to 2021 Successes
2020 taught us a lot of lessons. But what good is a lesson if you don’t change your behavior? As we look to 2021, let’s take the lessons we have learned and apply them to future successes.
Board diversity is more than hollow words
During the summer of 2020, the United States had a national reckoning regarding race and policing with the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Brianna Taylor, and George Floyd. Organizations mobilized to make statements and correct actions.
☑️ In 2021, increase and retain board directors from diverse backgrounds.
Board director morale is critical
In 2020, your board directors entered into an unprecedented global pandemic. They moved to work from home, they had kids at home full time, their friends and family were dying. They were also dealing with the stress from police killings of unarmed Black people. Even with the world being unpredictable, your board directors were not. Your board showed up on Zoom, eventually figured out how to use the mute button, raised funds, encouraged programming changes, and rallied for your organization. Have dinner delivered to your board directors so you can share a meal while discussing business. Show board directors that you value them.
☑️ In 2021, engage in ways to energize your board.
Necessity is the mother of invention
In 2020, we were forced to do business in a new way. And some of these new ways of doing business paid off. Recently, a client told me they raised more funds in 2020 with a virtual fundraiser than in past in-person fundraisers. They were contemplating how they can harness the savings of a virtual fundraiser while throwing a social, in-person event. They would have never thought about this new way of fundraising had they not been forced to think differently due to COVID-19.
☑️ In 2021, don’t be afraid to change the way things have been done in the past.
For more information on board governance and organizational diversity, follow along on Twitter or Instagram. Nikki McCord is the founder of McCord Consulting Group, the only choice for organizations looking to energize, innovate, and diversify their boards and organizations.