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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Lisa – I love your thoughts Long or short. And doubtless
those thoughts will be very contributory to all those concerned with Boards.
But if there were no Boards…if we could get beyond Boards… What
then? Ah yes, I know. Pollyannaish, Impractical, Dreamer. Guilty as charged.
But I am not sure it is all that impractical. Considering the massive
investment of time, energy and money in the business of boards, their
elimination could yield some very positive and practical results –
massive amounts of time, energy, and money available for other good causes. And
could you really go Boardless? Well that is exactly what we have done for the
past 25 years. And I would suggest that our efforts (collectively) have been
very practical, pragmatic and contributory. We also have a lot of fun –
which is a strict No/No on every board I have ever heard of. Having fun on a
Board produces a level of cognitive dissonance I can’t quite deal with. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Do I really think there would be a massive surge to
Boardlessness? Hardly – given the current level of investment
(psychological, professional and monetarily) in Boards. However as long as
there are no useful alternatives there can be no surge at all. Taking a different
tack – some folks have suggested becoming an Open Space Organization. I
have a little difficulty with the concept if only because I think we already
are open space organizations. We just don’t know it and/or are doing it
badly. But that is a different issue to be left aside for the moment. Point is –
if we had an Open Space Organization, what would the Board look like? I don’t
think it would look like anything. It wouldn’t exist. Can you imagine
having a Board for the ongoing Open Space Enterprise? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Harrison <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Harrison Owen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>7808 River Falls Dr.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Potomac, MD 20854<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>USA<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Phone 301-365-2093<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com">www.openspaceworld.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><a href="http://www.ho-image.com">www.ho-image.com</a> (Personal
Website)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;
color:#1F497D'>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the
archives of </span><a href="mailto:oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu"><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;color:blue'>oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu</span></a><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;color:#1F497D'>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html"><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:blue'>http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</span></a><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> OSLIST
[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Lisa Heft<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, October 11, 2010 3:07 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: Youth Leaders (on Boards)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Hello dear colleagues -<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>So here are my 2 cents / pesos / rubles to add, from my
experience on - and serving as facilitator-consultant to - youth and
youth-serving organizational Boards, where young people have been involved at
many levels. I am no expert - this is just what I have experienced and observed.
Just a few things I wish to share to keep in mind when thinking of
including young people on a Board of Directors<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>The intention, as I understand it, is to *not* simply place
young people on Boards (and other committees or volunteer or staff positions)
in a way that tokenizes them. <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>(For those of you for whom English is not a home language -
to tokenize someone means placing them in a symbolic role because of their
characteristic - often meant as a negative term because the whole person is not
being valued - they are just being used as an image)<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>And to me, it is important for the strength of an
organization to always seek Board members who have the <u>skills</u> the Board
needs - rather than just great people or public figures or charismatic people.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>To me, diversity is crucial - differences in culture and
experience enrich the inquiry, the product, the organization, the group
thinking...<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>But to me it would be tokenizing - and often I see it is
unfair to the individual - to seek and place a young person on a Board (or a
panel or a committee) if they are simply young (or female, or a former client
or whatever) - if they do not also have the skills or resources (financial,
participatory, knowledge) to strengthen the Board.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>There are amazing young people who are also incredible at
things that Boards need, if you wish that.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>And I have seen young people (and other community members)
on Boards placed there and then not listened to, or given training in
vocabulary, policy or other concepts crucial to their roles, or listened to
with less emphasis than the business people or the adult people. And that is
not diversity. It is not inclusion. And it wears on the individual and
they wonder why the heck they were chosen, if not for their full selves.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>Remember also that most Boards have a fiduciary (fiscal)
responsibility - if something goes wrong with the organization financially,
Board members' own personal finances can be at risk.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>Some Boards have Board insurance, some do not.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>Also many Boards have a requirement that Board Members
donate or raise a certain amount for fund-raising. Or buy lunch at the place
the Board meets. <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>Does the young person (or other community member) in mind
have the financial ability to do these things?<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>I have seen it play out as a class issue - a cultural
assumption on the part of very well-meaning, very nice fellow Board members.
Someone's financial level, or how much they understand a Board's existing
vocabulary, or assumptions about understanding of budgeting concepts - have in
my observation often put the young person (or other community member) at the
disadvantage for engaging equally in the conversations, decisions and other
work of the Board.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>Consider also the value of Advisory Boards - consisting
totally of an organization's client or community members. A very valuable
thing. So if the client or youth voice is important in the work of the
organization (and I hope it is) there are many different possibilities for
inclusion.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>And consider also that when we say 'young person' we may be
in our heads thinking of different ages - 12? 19? 26? 30? - so the inclusion of
'young people' on Boards may be very different depending on our definition for
that organization's specific purposes and interests.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;
font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:black'>So all I am saying is - if
you feel you can truly support the young people you wish to have join your
Board (so they can be equal, not a 'mascot' to the Board, not exhausted by
trying to keep up with the others who speak and afford things at a totally
different level), and if you can truly truly select a young person who has
knowledge, skills and abilities that your Board needs, if you can always be
learning about what that diverse individual may need in order to truly be an
equal player, then - if it fits their personality and their own learning /
professional / growth goals - being on a Board may enrich both the young person
and the work of the organization. Sure, Board meetings can be exceedingly
boring for most folks. But for some folks it is like participating in student
government - they love it.</span></span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;
font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:#9B2C01'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:#9B2C01'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;
font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:black'>I have seen Boards who
thoughtfully include the unique and skilled individual young person - and
provide them with ongoing support to equalize class and financial differences -
benefit from working with their younger partners. I have also seen really
well-intentioned inclusion of young people waste the time and good nature of
the young person. </span></span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:
"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:#9B2C01'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:#9B2C01'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;
color:black'>That's more than 2 cents ... thanks for your patience in reading
my longish thoughts...</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;
color:black'>Lisa</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;
font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:blue'>Lisa Heft</span></b></span><span
style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:#9B2C01'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:black'>Consultant, Facilitator, Educator<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:blue'>Opening Space</span></b></span><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:black'><a href="mailto:lisaheft@openingspace.net">lisaheft@openingspace.net</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:#0044FE'>Ask me about the </span></i><span
class=apple-style-span><i><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:#2E7B19'>Open Space Learning Workshops </span></i></span><span
class=apple-style-span><i><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:#0044FE'>- December 15-17, 2010 - San Francisco and in 2011 --
and the</span></i></span><span class=apple-style-span><i><span
style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:#2E7B19'> Power
of Pre-Work</span></i></span><span class=apple-style-span><i><span
style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:#0044FE'> in
2011</span></i></span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:#0044FE'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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