Board Meeting Boot Camp

I'm at the tail end of preparations for my first board meeting with the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association. To say I'm a little nervous is an understatement. I've been working with the organization for three months, but have not met the majority of the board yet. Not only will this meeting give me that opportunity, but it will also be their first chance to "test" my leadership skills. Yep, nerves are definitely surfacing.

I suppose I'm nervous because of my past experience with board meetings. I guess you could say I was trained in "board meeting boot camp." The organization I previously worked for closely evaluated their staff's work during board meetings. They watched you dot your "I's" and cross your "T's" and if one slipped by you, they were quick to point it out. It was tough getting through those board meetings, but I can guarantee I learned how to think on my feet and prepare for anything and everything. I'm grateful for the training I received during "boot camp," and am certain it will help me be successful with DCHA.

I'm also nervous because I have yet to meet the full board. One of my DrakeCo colleagues, Becky Hadley, wrote a blog earlier this month about working for individuals she's never met (http://blog.drakeco.com/2009/09/working-together-apart.html). The thoughts in her blog are probably shared with a majority of those working in association management. We often have to build relationships with people via phone or e-mail, and we rely on our relationship skills to build them successfully.

That's one more thing that I learned in "boot camp" - how to build a solid, professional relationship. I learned to base those relationships on honesty, creativity and integrity - core characteristics that I carry with me every day. So as exhausting and frustrating as "boot camp" may have been, I learned a great deal. Along with my leadership skills, the relationships I've built with the DCHA board will be tested in person at this first board meeting. And thanks to my "boot camp" training, I'm looking for it to be a success.