A Direct Line Blog

By Donya Parrish, MCU VP Risk Management

Agatha Christie is credited with that title statement on making assumptions. It seems relevant when looking at adding new directors to your board. Regardless of a person’s level of knowledge and experience, there is a learning curve as a new board member. Assuming the person is up to speed may be a misassumption.

A recent CUSO Magazine article laid out some considerations if you have new board members, or are just joining the credit union’s board yourself. What I Learned After My First Credit Union Board Meeting lays out some excellent points about just assuming a person steps into that role and knows what expectations are.

The author noted that despite his experience with the credit union industry, he was not entirely sure what to expect stepping into his first board meeting. That is likely very common. Everyone brings a skillset and different level of experience to the role.

Here are his tips for what to expect and plan for:

• You are not expected to know everything
• But still do your homework
• Lean into your skills
• Understand the mission
• You represent more than yourself

As the author suggests, “Whatever your reason for joining, each of us chooses how meaningful the experience will be, and how much of an asset we will be to the board, to management, and to the membership at large.” That is solid advice, and I hope you’ll take the time to read his full article.