We are working our way through the top tips for good governance as provided by Dorothy Dalton, editor of Civil Society’s Governance magazine at a recent conference.
Dorothy’s final 2 tips are:
“Make identifying and managing strategic risk an important part of governance”
As an organisation you need to consider your risk appetite. What risks are you prepared to take? What areas are zero tolerance? Don’t only consider the immediate risks – but the knock-on risks too. What could be the unintended risks? Look for the events that would break the charity were they allowed to occur. Make regular risk assessments. At every board meeting, consider what are currently the biggest 2/3 risks – and plan to take action to minimise their effect.
“Even though being a Trustee is a very serious business, especially in such difficult economic times, have FUN and celebrate”
Celebrate the successes of the charity with the board, staff and supporters. Make time to have some fun together.
So there we have Dorothy’s 8 top tips for good governance!
“Understand the role, responsibilities and liabilities of board members and understand what governance is all about”
“Work hard to get the relationship between Trustee and Executive (staff) right i.e. partnership built on mutual respect, trust and confidence”
“Work hard to get the Board to stick to their governance role by careful planning and high quality Board papers”
“Get the tone at the top right”
“Understand the finances and get the money right, especially in such economically difficult times”
“Recognise the change isn’t easy”
“Make identifying and managing strategic risk an important part of governance”
“Even though being a Trustee is a very serious business, especially in such difficult economic times, have FUN and celebrate”
You would do well to take notice of each of these tips, and to take the action needed within your organisation to ensure that you are making the most of this advice. If you need any help in the area of governance, please give me a call.