Governance Today Summer 2021

The Governance Consultancy Team run a session on ‘Leadership of the Board’ and one of the stated objectives at the outset is to help chairs think about nurturing their successor. Chairs need to lead the board, but not take on responsibility for doing everything themselves. Delegation is key to ensuring that the workload is shared amongst board members in an equitable and effective way, allowing individuals to each play to their own strengths or interests and feel a real involvement in the work of the corporate board. If the chair does everything, or micro-manages, then other board members may start to feel disempowered and wonder what they are achieving for pupils through their involvement. We are often told that governors and trustees are volunteers, it would appear sometimes as an ‘excuse’ for not taking on work between committees, or leading on an aspect of the boards work to report back. Yes, board members are volunteers, but presumably willing ones, who have chosen to join the board and play their part in ensuring best outcomes for the children and young people within the school. If an individual’s circumstances change, meaning they can no longer commit sufficient time to the role, perhaps it is better to step aside sooner rather than later. Maybe boards themselves need to reflect. Are prospective governors or trustees given a clear understanding, before they join the board, about what the expectations are? Is the board honest regarding the time commitment expected, not just for the meetings themselves but also for training, visiting the school or holding remote monitoring meetings with staff, reading paperwork and preparing for meetings? When new members are recruited does the board nurture them and ensure that the experience they have is a good one? If individuals can feel truly involved in the work of the board and recognise the part they have played and the impact of their commitment they are more likely to remain engaged and be prepared to step up. There is an opportunity to share the load, by appointing co-chairs. The prospect of sharing the position, playing to the strengths of each of the co-chairs and knowing that there is someone else to share the load and the responsibility can make the job much more achievable for a greater range of people, including busy ‘professionals’. The DfE regulations, published in January 2014, allow for the appointment of co-chairs and a growing number of schools have adopted this way of working. Perhaps this is something to discuss at a board meeting, before the election rolls around, to start people thinking about how the chairs role can be made manageable, rather than assuming it is unmanageable. No-one will ever step forward if the existing chair does not take a step back. If you are a reluctant chair who would rather not be in that role for yet another year then be firm in your affirmation that you will not be standing for a further term as chair. It’s a scary moment when you first make that declaration, but if you show a sign of being able to be persuaded (or flattered) into staying before you know it you’ll be in post for another year! How would we adopt a co-chair model? Governing boards would first need to agree if they are happy to adopt the co-chair model and be sure that it would not lead to any loss of clarity in the leadership. For election purposes the two individuals put forward a joint nomination, so governors are voting for the pair, rather than separately for each person. Agree the parameters for how the model will work in your setting, making sure that the co-chairs, the clerk, headteacher and other governors are clear who is leading on which area and who they should contact. What about the vice chair? In terms of distribution of leadership and succession planning the vice chair most certainly has an important part to play. Even if the board do opt for a co-chair model the vice chair still has an important, often underutilised, role. Schools will conduct an election process for the chair and vice chair on a regular basis, for many governing boards this is an annual occurrence. What happens when everyone is suddenly very interested in the colour of their footwear and no-one dares to make eye contact in case they find themselves nominated? How about the succession planning that the Department for Education (DfE) promotes in the Governance Handbook, where are the next generation of chairs coming from? Could it be you? The next academic year will be upon us in no time, bringing with it, for many boards, the annual election process for the chair and vice chair. We need to acknowledge that volunteering to take on the role of the chair may be daunting, even scary, for many people and it can be difficult to find an individual who has not only the will and the skill, but also the time to commit to the role. The notion of taking on the chairing role is even harder if the outgoing chair has been seen to ‘do everything’. It is vital to remember that the position of chair is a role and can be shaped to suit the individual, rather than the individual having to conform to how the previous incumbent chose to work. The previous chair may have been able to visit school every week, attend every school event and seemingly have been ‘on call’ at a moment’s notice. There are very few individuals who are able to commit to this level of involvement, so not being able to emulate a previous way of working does not mean that you cannot be the next chair of the board! Succession planning is a key area for the board to consider; much is said about the importance of succession planning, but unless someone takes responsibility for this area it is unlikely to happen. Where are your next governors or trustees coming from; who will chair the resources committee when your current committee chair retires next year; who will have the knowledge and skills to interrogate data or finance if the current individual leaves the board? SUCCESSION PLANNING Remember, no one will step up unless someone steps back! “ Are prospective governors or trustees given a clear understanding, before they join the board, about what the expectations are? “ 2 Governance Today