Promoting excellence in voluntary and community governance and management

Does any organisation have a perfect board? Of course we’d like to say that the

answer is “Yes!” But I spend much of my professional life working with Boards, and

their senior staff and I must say I’m beginning to wonder.

We’ve all been to training sessions for trustees – indeed I often deliver them. They

are full of useful tips, processes, strategies, legal responsibilities, theories – you name

it, we cover it! But – and it’s a big but – the thing that is often overlooked is the

personality types round the board table, and the dynamics which inevitably result;

add in the way a Chair runs a meeting; add in the fact that trustees in general and

Chairs in particular, change at least every few years; add in staff whose relationship

with individual trustees and the board in general may be less than perfect and it’s not

surprising that meetings sometimes feel less than useful.

And, what happens between meetings? Are board members visible to the

organisation, or do they “just” turn up for meetings? Are they even involved in other

meetings apart from the board meeting? Is there a close working relationship

between some staff members and individual trustees? Should there be?

And why are people volunteering their precious time to be trustees anyway? There

are many reasons why those of us who are trustees have agreed to take on the

position – do we know what people’s motivations are and does it matter anyway?

Another BUT – we keep on trying – and surely that’s the important thing. I’ve been,

and continue to be, a trustee for several different organisations, sometimes chairing

the organisation. I keep learning – every new organisation, every new trustee brings

their own wisdom and experience and I try to learn from them all. You can too.

Sue Pearlman

October 2018

07973 254880

sue@pearlman.co.uk.