Governance Corner

As we progress through term 3 I wanted to share some of the internal work the LESNW board have been doing over the past few months.

At the beginning of the year, I wanted to ensure that our board members had the opportunity to provide valuable and critical feedback on how they felt the LESNW board were performing. The feedback survey encompassed a number of areas of the board and governance. Some of the key areas are as follows:

• Defining governance roles
• Key board functions
• CEO and management team oversight
• Monitoring
• Compliance
• Risk Management
• Policy Framework
• Networking
• Stakeholder Communication
• Decision making
• Meeting processes
• Board effectiveness
• Board behavioural dynamics

Addition to this there was an opportunity for board members to provide their thoughts on:

• The strengths of the board
• What areas need to be addressed to improve performance
• General observations

As a board chair, I value feedback to ensure that our board is as effective as we can be to ensure that we have a healthy and vibrant organisation.

Some of the key outcomes of the feedback are as follows:

Strengths

• Clarity of roles
• Board dynamics – mutual respect
• Comon purpose and goals
• Passionate

Areas for Improvement

• Succession planning
• Professional Development
• Stakeholder communication
• Risk management – risk appetite, policy reviews

Based on this feedback, we have been working to address the key areas for improvement while capitalising on our areas of strength. Some of the outcomes that are being worked on are:

• The governance committee are reviewing LESNW policies to ensure they are up-to-date and relevant
• The engagement with imageseven to develop a comprehensive communication and marketing strategy for LESNW and its members
• Identifying professional development opportunities for our board members

We have also been working on our skills matrix to ensure we have a diverse board with a considered succession plan.

I have found the annual review a great opportunity to gain valuable insight to how our board is functioning and how we can be better. The key ingredients for this, I believe are:

• Provide an environment and culture where feedback is valued and encouraged
• Be prepared to listen to feedback, even when it may “sting” a little. This is not about me – this is about wanting the best for our organisation.

I would encourage all of our boards to consider having an annual review.

Yours in His service

Paul