Governance: transparent, inclusive, robust and good ‘housekeeping’

When it works well, it can be a positive vehicle for progress and innovation.  When it doesn’t, it can hold organisations back, appear secretive and worse, perpetuate the ‘old boys’ club mentality.  How many of you have come into an established governance framework, full of enthusiasm, and have heard, ‘we have always done it this way…’.  Breaking through this is not an easy exercise but I believe it is essential to ensure an open, progressive, and sustainable culture that serves its members well.

This is true for self-governed professional bodies as well as associations that support firms. Though I do not want to use cliches, survival means having the ability to change. The world in which we work is changing so rapidly and if mechanisms are not in place to ensure that member-led organisations are able to respond and adapt, they will not last.

Structures in your association should reflect the rapidly changing landscape in which your members and their firms’ function. They should support you effectively and efficiently while still promoting community, identity and, very importantly, learning.

As a first step, let’s look at governance for member-led associations and whether you feel confident that yours is on the right path.

Volunteers are the foundation of member-led organisations.  Most of those who get involved do so to develop and offer skills that may be useful for their professional development and the good of the association. This is true from those creating research to those serving on the Boards. Through their work, they help develop and disseminate learning while fostering community. But it isn’t always understood what various Boards and committees do and why they do it. Questions to ask yourself:

• Do you know what your Board/committees do, and how successful they are? Are you able to celebrate the outcomes based on achieving or exceeding pre-defined plans? 
• Is there regular communication from the Board/committees and, crucially, do you know as a member what decisions are being made on your behalf? 
• Are there mechanisms to allow you, as a member, to ask questions easily, debate issues or provide feedback (when required)?
  

As a member-led organisation, the success or not, of a main Board, can determine the success or not of the entire organisation. Boards and committees should welcome fresh thinking; the ‘wise sage’ who has always done things the same way can prevent you from moving forward. Be wary of vested interest posing as good intentions.  Being inclusive also meets succession planning head on as it broadens the pool of people who can be involved. Questions to ask yourself: 

• Are all positions for committees/Boards advertised with clear terms of office and a short description of what is expected in terms of delivery? Is there a fair selection process in place?
  
• Is everyone made to feel that they can take part or get involved in some aspect of the governance, so diversity of thought is encouraged? 
• Is there conscious effort to ensure that the main Board is fully representative of the membership – in geography, gender, age (seniority) and skills? 
• If appropriate, are there opportunities for those with specialist technical skills to act as advisors or even full members of the Board?

It may seem obvious, but your strategy is best served if the governance and operational structures are aligned for delivery. Are you constantly improving, trying new initiatives, and improving your technology as outlined in your strategy? Questions to ask yourself:

• Has your governance been reviewed in the light of a strategy? 
• Can your Board make decisions in an agile way? 
• If applicable, are your regional groups unified with the centre and messages consistent? 
• Are your finances managed centrally by the CEO as part of a delegation of powers to ensure prudent expenditure? 
• Are your CEO and administration team supported and encouraged to put appropriate operational structures in place? 

This aspect has seen significant improvement over recent years with efficiencies and communication benefitting time constrained volunteers. 

• Are papers short and easy to understand? Do they follow a well-structured template so that Board/committee members know what they are being asked to do up front? Are members able to submit questions in advance to clarify any ambiguities that also may save time at the main meeting? 
• Are meeting agendas timed and concise to give time for debate and decision making? 
• Is everyone able to contribute? 
• Are actions highlighted and followed up by the executive in advance of a meeting so that everyone feels fully prepared? 
• Are reporting meetings (vs. strategy setting/workshop environments) kept short so that several-day, in-person meetings become rare?   
• Are the in-person meetings aligned with conferences etc to leverage travel and time out of the office?
  
  

It is clear to me that member-led organisations have so much to offer their members, from learning and community building to creating business networks and alliances that will help individuals as well as their firms to grow.  Putting mechanisms, such as good governance, in place can transform how organisations respond to this changing world and ensure a more confident future.

Memoria Lewis is a known senior leader and consultant to global not-for-profit membership organisations.  She has worked across several accounting associations as well as many professional bodies and learned societies as CEO, Director and consultant. Contact: memoria@mlconsultants.co.uk