Nominees for becoming a director should be selected on the basis of experience, knowledge, skills, expertise, mature judgment, acumen, character, integrity, diversity, ability to make independent analytical inquires, understanding of the company's business environment and willingness to devote adequate time and effort to board responsibilities.
However, board nominating committees decisions are trumped by candidates who make an effort to insinuate (themselves) into the good graces or favor of key committee members.
Flattery will get you everywhere, including on the boards of publicly held companies. That's the major finding of a study of 760 outside directors published in the April-May 2007 issue of the Academy of Management Journal (AOM). The AOM, a group of management scholars, has about 18,000 members in 102 countries.
The authors of the study of board members at 300 large and midsize corporations, polled and interviewed from 2000 to 2003, were James Westphal, a professor at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, and Ithai Stern, assistant professor of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. Their questions focused on three activities: identifying with or flattering other board members; monitoring and controlling CEO behavior; and giving advice or information to management when asked.
"Ingratiation had the strongest effect," says Westphal, who adds that he was "surprised" it outranked advice and counsel as an influence. "We hypothesized that ingratiation would have some effect," he says, "but didn't think the magnitude would be as much as it was."
Bottom Line---To bag another board seat, do these things:
Confirm, Flatter and Do Favors: One good turn for a fellow director, combined with compliments, and few strategy disagreements, ups the odds of getting on a colleague's board by 70%
Give the CEO Advice, if Asked: Not as good as ingratiation, but it helps. Giving top managers pointers or information seven times a year rather than just twice means a 30% better shot at a second board appointment.
Note: If you are a female or minority, this approach may not work for you. Just 11 of 81 minority directors and 20 of 131 women got on a colleague's board...below-average numbers. And both groups are less likely to benefit from flattering.
Source: BusinessWeek, August 13, 2007
