Who is On Your Board?

Objective:

Launching an activity in which students will examine their lives from the perspective that their life is a corporation. Students will develop their own mission statement for life and identify individuals, beliefs and/or values to serve on their “Board of Directors”.

Description:

This activity is interactive and involves students filling out the worksheet.

        The worksheet represents an aerial view of a Board room. Students should list the names of the people and/or things currently holding a spot on their Board of Directors in the chairs provided. Encourage students to list each separately and be as specific as possible. In the center of the table, students should write their personal mission statement for life. Print one worksheet per student.

Resources/Materials:

        Worksheet (attached), printer, writing utensils (pens and/or pencils), coloring tools (optional)

Instruction:

1. Investigate

1. Introduce the activity: In this activity, each individual gets one worksheet.

1. Each student will receive one print out of the worksheet.
2. Taking this concept to a personal level, students should examine their life from an organizational perspective.
3. Ask students, “who is on your board?” “who do you rely upon for guidance, support or advice?” “who or what holds a chair of influence or control in your life and why?”
4. The activity is designed to assist in exploring lives from a Board perspective.
5. Option to fill out an example worksheet to demonstrate for the class.

2. Plan

1. Mission statement

1. A mission statement is defined as an action-based statement that declares the purpose of an organization and how they serve their customers.
2. Examples

1. JetBlue: “To inspire humanity -- both in the air and on the ground.”
2. LinkedIn: “To connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.”
3. Amazon: “To be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices.”
4. Patagonia: “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”
5. Magnified Giving: “To educate, inspire and engage students in philanthropy, and to touch the hearts and minds of teens, lighten the concern of others, and magnify the impact of philanthropy.”

3. Action

1. Students should list the names of the people or things currently holding a spot on their Board of Directors. In the center of the table, students should write their own personal mission statement.
2. Explain to students that the worksheet represents an aerial view of a Board meeting room.

4. Reflect

1. Debrief and share--ask large group to share or divide class into small groups

1. What was your mission statement?
2. How does this define you as a person?
3. What is unique about your mission statement?
4. Who did you choose to be a part of your Board?
5. Why did you choose these people and/or things to be a part of your Board?

Who’s on your Board of Directors?

Who influences you?

Whose perspectives do you value most?

Who has your back?

Who comes through with resources?

Me:

Board                                                                                           Board

Member:                                                                                   Member:

Board                                                                                           Board

Member:                                                                                   Member:

Board                                                                                           Board

Member:                                                                                   Member:

Board Chair: