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Harrison,<br>
<br>
Having been on (and worked with) many boards, I couldn't agree with
you more. However, many organizations are required to have boards in
order to legally administer money and to receive grants and to be
able to issue tax receipts. Money, is unfortunately required for
most activities. And then there is the issue of limited liability,
i.e. if something goes wrong, no individual will be held liable.<br>
<br>
Then there is also the issue that any entity doing "good" works (for
the betterment of the community/world etc.) is expected to be
incorporated with a board of directors in order to get support from
others.<br>
<br>
So while many organization are legally required to have boards, I
also think many make the mistake of thinking that all the work has
to happen at the board level. It might be far more effective to
limit the board's role to only take care of the fiduciary duties
(approve budgets etc.) and let other people take care of the rest. I
have suggested this with some boards I've been on only to experience
huge resistance.<br>
<br>
My 2 cents.<br>
<br>
Bui<br>
<br>
On 11/10/2010 5:45 PM, Harrison Owen wrote:
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">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: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">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>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">Harrison <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;
font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";
color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Harrison Owen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;
font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";
color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">7808 River Falls Dr.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;
font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";
color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Potomac, MD 20854<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;
font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";
color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">USA<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;
font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";
color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Phone 301-365-2093<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;
font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";
color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.openspaceworld.com">www.openspaceworld.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;
font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";
color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
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: rgb(31, 73, 125);">To
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<div>
<div style="border-right: medium none; border-width: 1pt
medium medium; border-style: solid none none; border-color:
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;
font-family:
"Tahoma","sans-serif";">From:</span></b><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family:
"Tahoma","sans-serif";"> OSLIST
[<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a>] <b>On Behalf Of
</b>Lisa Heft<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, October 11, 2010 3:07 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: Youth Leaders (on Boards)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hello dear colleagues -<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<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>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<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>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<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>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<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>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<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>
</div>
<div>
<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>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<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>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<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>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<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>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Some Boards have Board insurance, some do
not.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<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>
</div>
<div>
<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>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<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>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<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>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<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>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<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: rgb(155, 44,
1);"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 7.5pt;
font-family: "Trebuchet
MS","sans-serif"; color: rgb(155, 44,
1);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<div>
<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: rgb(155, 44,
1);"><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: rgb(155, 44,
1);"><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>
</div>
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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>
</div>
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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: rgb(155, 44,
1);"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p
class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:
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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: 9pt; font-family:
"Trebuchet
MS","sans-serif";
color: blue;">Opening
Space</span></b></span><span
style="font-size:
8.5pt;
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MS","sans-serif";
color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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style="font-size:
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MS","sans-serif";
color: black;"><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:lisaheft@openingspace.net">lisaheft@openingspace.net</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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style="font-size:
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color: rgb(0,
68, 254);">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: rgb(46,
123, 25);">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: rgb(0,
68, 254);">-
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: rgb(46,
123, 25);"> 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: rgb(0,
68, 254);"> in
2011</span></i></span><span
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<p class="MsoNormal">* *
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To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist