could be considered as jovial, older members are aliena6ng younger members by indirectly de-‐valuing the younger leaders contribu6ons before they are even made. This also cuts off the lines of communica6on. Younger members who felt like they haven’t been heard will move on to other opportuni6es. It is valuable for organisa6ons to take a posi6ve stance in rela6on to young employees, who poten6ally could become future directors. If leaders in the organisa6on, including the board, do not see value in engaging with the poten6al of young people then it is difficult to expect others to do the same. Boards and senior leaders in organisa6ons need to take a posi6ve step in paving pathways for young individuals who demonstrate the necessary skill set to take on Director posi6ons. There may also be a lack of respect for academic training. Baby boomers, who ouen made change by working in the trenches, don’t always value the training, graduate degrees and cer6fica6ons that younger members may have. They value hands-‐on experience without realising that they are cu]ng off the younger members from gaining that experience by not giving them a voice on the board.
Board and senior leaders in organisations need to take a positive step n paving pathways for young individuals who demonstrate the necessary skill set to take on Director positions.
Closed Pipelines to Boards Access to Boards and their recruitment processes is also a barrier to engaging young Directors. Tradi6onally, pipelines may have included religious affilia6ons or community service clubs. The lack of variety in the pipelines or appointment processes ouen results in organisa6ons not considering a younger Board Director. Young people who are interested in such opportuni6es do not know where to go, how to access the process or even where to start. In these instances, organisa6ons are rendering themselves invisible to poten6al candidates that are passionate, ac6on-‐ oriented and that could provide a new perspec6ve.
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