13 | Member Connectivity and Meaningful Service: Creating Value in Board Service

In this episode of Build Better Boards, host Mitch Majeski is joined by Dr. Keri Jacobs and Richard Fagerlin to discuss how member engagement, employee satisfaction, and community reputation shape the future of cooperative boards. The conversation explores what makes board service meaningful and how co-ops can attract capable, committed directors in today’s environment.• Member and employee engagement directly affect a co-op’s reputation, which influences interest in board service.• Negative inertia—low engagement or poor perception—can make recruitment difficult, but the same inertia can work positively when culture and reputation improve.• There’s a strong link between engaged boards and engaged frontline employees, impacting how members perceive the co-op.• Boards should consider both the satisfiers and dissatisfiers of board service and proactively work to increase value for directors.• A key responsibility of current directors is identifying and preparing future leaders by understanding what makes service worthwhile to them.Follow Build Better Boards on LinkedIn for updates. Find show notes and transcripts at buildbetterboards.com/podcast.