Mission Accomplished ensuring good governance in challenging times

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Mission Accomplished ensuring good governance
in challenging times

• 10th October 2006

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Two Quotes

• Effective governance by a board of trustees is a
  relatively rare and unnatural act
• because the tides of trusteeship carry boards in
  the wrong direction from strategy towards
  operation, from long-term challenges towards
  immediate concerns, from collective action
  towards individual initiatives
• The three most important lessons focus on making
  sure a trustee truly understands the financial
  condition of the institution is not hesitant to
  ask tough, probing questions and is willing to
  challenge management when something does not make
  sense.
• many boards operate in such a collegial,
  consensus-driven manner that individuals are
  uncomfortable challenging management or
  questioning inconsistencies or the quality of
  information they receive
• you need a director on the board who will be a
  pleasant irritant, someone who will force people
  to think a little differently. Thats what a good
  board does.

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What is Governance?
The systems and procedures concerned with
ensuring overall direction, effectiveness,
supervision and accountability of an
organisation.

• Not just about how the Board works
• The whole organisation
• Internal
• External
• Executive
• Non-executive

MD/CEO Chair must learn to dance
together neither can stray far from each
others gaze or proceed independently
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What is MMM?
Mission, Models, Money (MMM) is a national action
research programme and a campaign for change
which aims to ensure that artistic and cultural
endeavour thrives in the UK at a time of
accelerating social, demographic, cultural and
economic change.

• MMMs mission
• Engaging leaders of the not for profit arts and
  cultural sector and their funders to address the
  challenges of developing mission-led, financially
  and organisationally sustainable businesses, by
  exploring and promoting a deeper understanding of
  the principal issues identified by MMM as
  enabling sustainability.

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Todays objectives

• Share actual experience and examples of
  governance
• Identify top quality and effective governance
• examine current changes and their impact and
  consequences
• highlight what is special to the arts/culture
  sector and what is universal
• note tips that may be useful to take home
• contribute to MMMs wider agenda
• establish/renew mutually useful links

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Today

• Share actual experience and examples of
  governance
• The Case Studies(to add source themes/issues
  they highlight)
• 3 Key Issues
• Supporting Artistic Risk(to add MMM oneliner
  description)
• Applying Appropriate Business Models (to add
  MMM oneliner description)
• Building Effective relationships between Board
  and Executive

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Todays agenda

• 1000 1015 Welcome Introduction
• 1015 1040 Starter Questions
• 1040 1120 The Case Studies
• 1120 1300 Key Governance Issues for the
  Sector
• 1300 1315 Conclusions next steps
• 1315 1400 Lunch Networking

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Todays agenda

• 1000 1015 Welcome Introduction
• 1015 1040 Starter Questions
• 1040 1120 The Case Studies
• 1120 1300 Key Governance Issues for the
  Sector
• 1300 1315 Conclusions next steps
• 1315 1400 Lunch Networking

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Starter Questions

• (CEO/Chair pairs)
• What really frustrates you about governance? In
  your organisation whats a specific obstacle to
  progress and high performance?
• 2. (in pair with a stranger)
• We got it Right share an example of good
  governanceof a high quality decisiona process
  that met every objective. Why did it work?

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Todays agenda

• 1000 1015 Welcome Introduction
• 1015 1040 Starter Questions
• 1040 1120 The Case Studies
• 1120 1300 Key Governance Issues for the
  Sector
• 1300 1315 Conclusions next steps
• 1315 1400 Lunch Networking

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The Case Studies

• Take 2 of the case studies
• From the issues raised - Make connections with
  your own organisation/experience
• How might these challenges be tackled/anticipated/
  avoided?
• Feedback from Group Discussion
• 2 Practical lessons
• key priorities that an organisations leadership
  must get right if it is to thrive

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Todays agenda

• 1000 1015 Welcome Introduction
• 1015 1040 Starter Questions
• 1040 1120 The Case Studies
• 1120 1300 Key Governance Issues for the
  Sector
• 1300 1315 Conclusions next steps
• 1315 1400 Lunch Networking

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Key Governance Issues

• Supporting Artistic Risk
• Applying Appropriate Business Models
• Building Effective Relationships between Board
  and Executive
• Activity
• Identify 3 Challenges
• Recommendations for Tackling those Challenges
• What would Help you do so with Confidence?
• Feedback
• 2 recommendations for internal action
• 2 proposals for external help

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Todays agenda

• 1000 1015 Welcome introductions
• 1015 1040 Starter Questions
• 1040 1120 The Case Studies
• 1120 1300 Key Governance Issues for the
  Sector
• 1300 1315 Conclusions next steps
• 1315 1400 Lunch Networking

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Conclusion?

• The future can't be predicted, but it can be
  envisioned and brought lovingly into being.
• Systems can't be controlled, but they can be
  designed and redesigned.
• We can't surge forward with certainty into a
  world of no surprises, but we can expect
  surprises and learn from them and even profit
  from them.
• We can't impose our will upon a system.
• We can listen to what the system tells us, and
  discover how its properties and our values can
  work together to bring forth something much
  better than could ever be produced by our will
  alone.
• Donella Meadows

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Todays agenda

• 1000 1015 Welcome Introduction
• 1015 1040 Starter Questions
• 1040 1120 The Case Studies
• 1120 1300 Key Governance Issues for the
  Sector
• 1300 1315 Conclusions and next steps
• 1315 1400 Lunch Networking