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How language shapes the way we think

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There are about 7,000 languages spoken around the world — and they all have different sounds, vocabularies and structures. But do they shape the way we think? In this fascinating TED Talk, cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky shares examples of language — from an Aboriginal community in Australia that uses cardinal directions instead of left and right to the multiple words for blue in Russian — that suggest the answer is a resounding yes. It’s just 14 minutes long and worth every minute! Click the photo to view at TED.

Photo of Lera Boroditsky

Building Trust

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How do you run an organization without trust? How does a nonprofit board of directors fulfill its duties without trust? Not easily.

At a recent Spokes workshop, the presenters talked about the importance of trust in building a resilient and inclusive board culture, but they didn’t say much about how to build trust in the first place. Where does it come from?

So, I asked my new friend chatGPT to list the most crucial factors for building trust. Here is what I got:

  1. Sincerity – Honesty and authenticity in words and actions.
  2. Reliability – Consistently following through on commitments.
  3. Competence – Possessing the skills and abilities necessary to fulfill responsibilities.
  4. Care – Demonstrating concern for the well-being of others.

Considering my life’s experience, those make perfect sense to me. I also asked chatGPT to recommend a couple books on the subject of building trust. The Thin Book of Trust: An Essential Primer for Building Trust at Work by Charles Feltman appealed to me.

Feltman provides a framework for evaluating trustworthiness, helping readers identify areas where trust may falter. The book emphasizes that trust is dynamic, built through repeated interactions, and can be repaired when broken.

https://www.bkconnection.com/books/title/the-thin-book-of-trust-third-edition

Board Service 101

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Serving as a director on a nonprofit board offers valuable benefits to both you and your community. You’ll develop leadership skills, expand your network, and make a meaningful impact on a cause you care about. Your volunteer service ensures the organization stays mission-focused and effective, supporting positive change and enhancing the quality of life in your community.

Topics in this short introduction include:

Your responsibilities as a director
The three “duties” of a nonprofit director
Finding the right board for you
Typical time and financial commitment

Unconscious Bias

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What is unconscious bias, and what can I do about it?

Unconscious bias refers to the automatic, unintentional, and often subtle prejudices and stereotypes that influence our attitudes, actions, and decisions without our conscious awareness. These biases stem from our brain’s natural tendency to categorize and make quick judgments based on past experiences, cultural norms, and societal influences. While unconscious biases are a normal part of human cognition, they can lead to discriminatory behavior and perpetuate inequalities in various areas of life, including the work of our nonprofit staff and boards of directors.

What can I do?

Identifying unconscious biases is a crucial step towards fostering a more inclusive and equitable environment. One effective method is through implicit association tests (IATs), which measure the strength of associations between concepts (e.g., race, gender) and evaluations (e.g., good, bad) or stereotypes (e.g., athletic, intellectual). These tests can reveal hidden biases that might not be evident through self-reflection alone. One resource for such tests is Project Implicit.

Another useful strategy is to seek feedback from diverse groups. Engaging in open, honest conversations with individuals from different backgrounds can provide insights into how your behavior and decisions might be influenced by unconscious biases. Additionally, mindfulness practices, such as self-reflection and journaling, can help increase awareness of your thought patterns and challenge implicit assumptions. By recognizing and addressing unconscious biases, nonprofit leaders and board members can contribute to creating more fair and inclusive communities.

Board Recruitment

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What’s the best way to find new board members?

While there is rarely one best way to do anything, when it comes to finding new board members a great way to start is to know what you’re looking for. Create a concrete list of traits or attributes you need to have represented on your board. You need to be strategic. You’ll hear this referred to as a board matrix. List desired traits, skills, and characteristics down the left column. In the top row, give each of your current board members a column, then check off which attributes each brings to the table. Basically, you’re doing an inventory of what you currently have “in stock” and identifying what you need to go find.

Knowing what you need makes it so much easier to know where to look! Need a lawyer? Talk to lawyers. Talk to people who know lawyers. Contact the local bar association. Need someone with lots of community contacts? Get acquainted with a member of a local service club. That person may not be interested but may well know someone who is. Share your specific need with your friends. They’ll have ideas.

Be aware that you don’t need a separate person for each trait. Often, you can find someone who will fulfill more than one need. For example, one board I served on wanted to have a lawyer on the board. Also, the board was mostly male “baby boomers” and wanted a better balance of perspectives. Through sharing their vacancy with people in the community, they found a female, Gen X attorney!

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