Management experience
The board is the company's top management, which is why sitting on a board is of course a management job. It is therefore important that your board members have experience in managing. Not necessarily at senior management level, but they should have experience in making managerial decisions.

Time
It goes without saying that sitting on your board requires some time from the board member. And of course it must be present. Therefore, think about whether the person you are considering for a position has sufficient time to make a satisfactory effort. Too many board positions and a top management position are e.g. not always a good combination.

Interest in the company
In order to make the best effort, it almost goes without saying that the member must take an interest in the company. This means, for example, that he or she relates information and experiences to the company and shares these with the day-to-day management.

The ability to listen
As a board member, it is important that you know how to listen and be able to understand other people's attitudes and opinions. It is equally important that you clearly manage to communicate your own opinions and attitudes.

"Chemistry" with the rest of the board
A board is a team, and therefore it is of course important that all members "get along" with each other. If this is not the case, it is better to stop a collaboration.

Independence - must be able to live up to the other members
In a well-functioning board, the members are all on the same "level". Understood in the sense that no one is afraid to speak their mind. It is important that there is a feeling in the board that everyone is equal and that cliques therefore do not arise.

Result oriented
The board must contribute to realizing the company's goals. Long-term as well as short-term. The board must contribute to the formulation of clear and measurable goals and hold the management up to ensure that these are realized. It often requires a lot from a board to be able to see through the management's explanations and distinguish the bad from the good. However, this can be promoted by the fact that the board has actively participated in the formulation of the overall goals and has set requirements for the measurement systems to be used.

Expertise
Each board member must possess special expertise that has value for the company. Put together your board so that it contains different expertise. Each member does not necessarily have to be the "expert", but have enough knowledge of an area to be able to support the board and give the management sensible sparring.

Ability to abstract
Even if the board member has experience and knowledge, working in another company will require the ability to think differently and use his specific experiences on new issues.

Vision and foresight
The board must first of all concentrate on the company's overall management, strategy and objectives. It is therefore important that the board members manage to think long-term and at the same time understand a world that is changing rapidly.