Association Board Orientation + Training Planning Tips, Ideas, Help

Make the most of your association’s board orientation by having a well-thought-out plan in place to prepare attendees for maximum payoff.

In Part 2 of our Board Orientation series, we focused on how to structure the orientation for a board of directors.

The next step in the process is to plan the board orientation session and prep attendees.

Share the following information before the orientation session:

• Goals (meetings are always more efficient when attendees know what they’re there to do)
• Agenda (shoot for quality over quantity)
• What to bring (for example, “Be sure to bring your board manual and a list of questions.”)
• Tentative list of attendees with an explanation of who they are
• How much time is scheduled for each item
• List of presenters (if someone other than you is presenting)

“If the agenda is your road map, then make sure it has all of the stops listed on it, without too many unnecessary side trips. Let everyone know what’s going to be discussed.” -Gillian Kay, Collaboration & Planning Consultant and Coach

Maximize your board orientation with The Field Guide to Board Orientation. It includes templates and details on:

• Defining goals and mapping the process
• How to structure the orientation
• Preparing attendees for maximum payoff
• Components of a robust board book
• What to include in a post-orientation debriefing

Get The Field Guide to Board Orientation for
a detailed, step-by-step plan. 

SEE ALSO: 9 “Musts” for a Successful Association Board Orientation