FIVE TIPS FOR THINKING STRATEGICALLY AS A BOARD

28 JUNE 2016DAN FRANCIS

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WHAT DO WE MEAN BY ‘STRATEGIC’?

Strategy

A set of high level decisions about why your organisation exists, what it hopes to achieve in the next few years, how it wants to achieve it and how it will deal with the world around it.

Strategic Plan

A clear and coherent statement from the Trustees and senior managers about the organisation’s strategy over a particular period, usually 3-5 years.

NCVO Tools for Tomorrow

FIVE TIPS FOR THINKING STRATEGICALLY

1. Recruit people who think differently

2. Build trust between the board

3. Create space for generative thinking

4. Use staff expertise and time wisely 5. Get advice and external perspective

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1. RECRUIT PEOPLE WHO THINK DIFFERENTLY

BOARD COMPOSITIONEvidence suggests that boards recruit in their own image;

• 97% of trustee chairs are white and seven out of ten are men

• 43% women

• 0.5% of the trustee population is made up of 18-24 year olds

• 57 average age of trustees

• Disabled and black people are “scarce” on boards

• Over a quarter of charities feel that their leadership team lack sufficient diversity

This is about the calibre and perspective of the individuals which make up the board as a team

Image source: http://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2016/jan/04/charities-trustee-diversity-board

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HOW DIVERSITY HELPS YOU BE STRATEGIC • Drawing upon a range of experiences in understanding

opportunities, anticipating challenges and assessing risks

• Rarely does a right or wrong answer exist for strategic issues

• Multiple views on outcomes result in a more thoughtful decision-making

• Lived experience – how are we going to deliver for beneficiaries

• A board needs to challenge itself to keep pace with the changing world - through a robust dialogue of differing views

• Constructively challenging assumption and the status quo is healthy

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RECRUITING DIVERSITY • Use alternative methods of recruitment reach into communities not

currently represented • Use of specialist job boards targeted at local communities or minority

groups• Think about practicalities of board meeting times and locations • You should have a set policy in place for expenses such as travel and

childcare• Make sure the venue in which you hold your board meetings is in a

location which can be easily reached• Consider (and advertise) adjustments; interpreters, or provide audio,

Braille or large print versions of documents• Healthy level of board renewal • Celebrate trustees and raise the profile of the role

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2. BUILD TRUST BETWEEN THE BOARD

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“For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate”Margaret Heffernan

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BUILDING TRUST AND CONFIDENCE

Trust and confidence a key ‘behavioural driver’Board that trust each other are able to: • Discuss ideas which may not be fully formed• Challenge each other• Compromise on their views• Be themselves and be creative!

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BUILDING TRUST AND CONFIDENCE

How do we build trust? An example.• Get the basics right first. Trustees need confidence in

the structures and processes before they can build relationships

• Allow trustees to get to know each other outside the boardroom. Be confident in justifying this

• Meet in person and agree how to communicate between meetings

• Make an effort to understand each other motivations and personality types

• Ask how relationships can be improved. Undertake regular reviews e.g. board appraisal or 360

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3. CREATE SPACE FOR GENERATIVE THINKING

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GOVERNANCE AS LEADERSHIP

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BEING STRATEGIC AND GENERATIVE

• Important to strike a balance between modes of governing • Create space on agenda and cycle of business for strategic

discussion• A consent agenda for board items • Have dialogue between meetings • Away day and time outside of the board• Pose questions to board members for consideration• Theme meetings according to strategy

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BEING STRATEGIC AND GENERATIVE

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4. USE STAFF EXPERTISE AND TIME WISELY

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THE ROLE OF STAFF • As a key part of your internal analysis – A major stakeholder

group• Use staff time wisely and draw on expertise • Where senior staff are employed we expect them to have a

role in strategy development - more than just writing up the outputs of the board

• Other staff will also have valuable input – policy, service delivery

• How does do trustees want to know about this?

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INPUT FROM STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS• Invite staff to present to the board on particular strategic

themes or challenges• Canvass the opinion and input from of more junior staff

through surveys or staff days

Other things to think about doing… • Task teams to lead on particular themes• Present work in progress strategies for feedback• Not only will this improve the strategy and boards thinking

but it will also lead to buy-in• Don’t forget volunteers!

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5. KEEPING INFORMED: QUALITY INFORMATION AND EXTERNAL PERSPECTIVES

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INFORMATION AND EXTERNAL PERSPECTIVES• Trustees are often but not always subject matter experts• Boards often rely on those around them to remain informed• Trustees will have an interest and have a duty to keep up to

date• Provide them with quality information• Offer whole perspective so that the board can make rounded

and informed decision

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KEEPING THE BOARD INFORMED

• Invite trustees to meet with stakeholders

• Prepare additional wider reading in accessible format

• Bring external perspectives into meetings – even when you

may disagree with the point of view or approach!

• Consider what other organisations and bodies are doing

• Think about Political Economic Social and Technological

(PEST) factors which will help inform your board

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INFORMATION AND SUPPORT• NCVO training:

• Charities Trustees Induction and refresher course• The High Performance Board• Financial Intelligence for trustees

• www.ncvo.org.uk/training-and-events/training

• NCVO Trustee Conference – 7 November 2016• www.ncvo.org.uk/training-and-events/trustee-conference

NCVO champions the voluntary sector and volunteer movement to create a better society.We connect, represent and support over 11,500 voluntary sector member organisations, from the smallest community groups to the largest charities.

This helps our members and their millions of volunteers make the biggest difference to the causes they believe in.• Search for NCVO membership• Visit www.ncvo.org.uk/join• Email membership@ncvo.org.uk

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