My Board Journey.

DAPHNE E. JONES

DIRECTOR, AMN Healthcare, Barnes Group Inc., Destiny Transformations Group, Masonite International; author, Win When They Soy You Won't: Break Through Barriers and Keep Leveling Up Your Success

What was the first board you joined?

The first board I joined was the Francis Parker Memorial Home board in Piscataway, N.J. It is a not-for-profit, adult-aging organization that helps adults age in place. From assisted living to adult day care to nursing home, it gave me experience in governance. My first for-profit board was Masonite International, a large multinational designer, manufacturer and distributor of doors for homes and commercial buildings.

What do you look for in a board?

What I look for in a board centers on the company and the current board's culture and expectations. Questions I ask include:

* Is it an industry that I am interested in or interested in learning about?

* Does the company have values and reputation that are aligned with mine?

* Where and how will my specific skills and superpowers be useful? Can I identify that?

* At the end of two years, what will the board say they have achieved because I was on the board?

* Does the board know when to lead, when to partner and when to stay out of the way of operations?

* Does the board have an effective decision-making process?

* Does the board believe in board member continuing development/education?

* Are management/board relations strained, productive or hostile?

How does your professional experience inform your board service?

I started my postgraduate career as a technology/digital professional at IBM. At that time, technology was an up-and-coming area of specialty. It was not mainstream or democratized as it is now. But after over 30 years, my background enables me to ask questions, coach digital leaders and challenge thinking on a range of topics regarding business strategy, SEC regulatory requirements, digital investments and cybersecurity. Although I have the background of tech, I don't seek to be known as a technologist who understands business but rather to stay grounded as a business leader who knows about a range of topics, including technology.

Your book, Win When They Say You Won't: Break Through Barriers and Keep Leveling Up Your Success, talks about the possibility of achieving your career dreams by having a winning mindset. What steps can a board member take in their professional life to ensure they can maintain that winning mindset? What challenges...