Aspiration, Articulation and Application are the three pillars of the Non-Executive Director (NED) appointment process. These pillars are the foundation for not only gaining a NED role but also gaining the right role for you. If you get the foundation wrong, your path to a NED appointment will become unstructured, off-target and frustrating, leaving most with no option but to give up on their board career aspirations.
Recently, we looked at the Aspiration pillar, which included defining board targets that you can and want to be appointed to. A part of the aspiration process was to consider what you have to offer at board level. In the Articulation stage, I challenge you to refine your board value further by developing a pitch you can articulate formally and informally. Your board or NED pitch should be memorable and tailored to the specific organisation, the non-executive director role requirements, and the context of the communication.
What do you need to articulate?
In a recent article, I discussed the Fundamental Attribution Error, suggesting that if you do not give people sufficient context and details, you risk them coming to their conclusions and filling in the details themselves. Boards and Chairs are not looking for NEDs who claim that they can do everything for everyone. If you do not articulate a clear message about what you have to offer (your board value position) and who you can help, you will be quickly forgotten by decision-makers and valuable connections who can help along the way.
Your board value position (BVP) should clearly articulate the value you can bring and how you can positively impact a board’s goals. Essentially, it is your specific and unique skills and experience that you can offer boards. However, to gain a NED appointment, it must also set you apart from the other NED candidates or leave those you are conversing with clarity about who you are and what you can do.
How and when
The foundation of Articulation is your board or NED profile.
Informally, you must be able to articulate it at the drop of a hat in any conversation – your 30-second elevator pitch. With 50% of all NED appointments in the UK occurring through a person you meet rarely or infrequently, the most valuable thing you can do is to tell people that you are looking for a board appointment. It is a surprisingly decisive and straightforward action that creates board opportunities. However, it is only successful if you can clearly articulate your aspirations and value at board level.
If you are going to start telling people you are looking for a NED role, you need to be ready for the subsequent questions like:
- Why do you want to be a non-executive director?
- What sort of roles are you looking for?
- What do you have to contribute to a board?
Formally, your NED profile will be incorporated into your:
- Professional profile
- Linkedin profile
- NED CV
- NED cover letter
- NED interview
Your formal Non-Executive Director (NED) profile should be adapted to ensure maximum impact in different situations. Whilst your core BVP may remain the same, what you articulate should be customised for the situation and organisation. For example, the second paragraph of your NED cover letter should essentially be your NED or board profile. It should be customised for the role you are applying for and clearly demonstrate why they should appoint you.
Top articulation tip – focus on their motivation
When asked why they want to be a non-executive director, most people respond poorly without realising it. The question and response seem straightforward, jumping to the conclusion that the questioner wants to know the respondee’s personal motivations for wanting to become a NED or serve on a particular board.
So, like most people, you may respond with something along the lines of wanting to give back or feeling that it is the next logical step in your career. Others will express how much they like the organisation and then outline their vast executive experience.
Where they go wrong is by focusing on why they should be appointed to a board, not taking the time to consider the motivations of the Chair (the ultimate decision-maker) to appoint you. Chairs are highly cautious. Every new appointment poses some risk to the board’s effectiveness and the Chair’s reputation. This risk needs to be levelled out by a clear return on investment of the appointment.
So before you articulate anything, put yourself in the shoes of the Chair. Consider what he or she wants to hear from a NED candidate. I can assure you it is not what the board or the board role can do for you. Find out what the board’s goals are, plus the challenges they face in achieving them. Then, be clear and confident, based on your skills, experience, and passion, about how you can help.
In conclusion
Articulating your board pitch takes time, commitment and practice. Your approach should not be a copy-and-paste exercise. Tailor your pitch for the role and the board’s goals. Finally, ask for feedback. By following this advice, you will become more confident in your approach and compelling in your justifications for being appointed to a board.
Related Articles
Defining board targets – 8 Questions to ask yourself
Understanding the Fundamental Attribution Error is fundamental
About the Author
David Schwarz is CEO & Founder of Board Appointments – The UK’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.