Board Renewal - Relationship Development

The Client

The Chairman of the Board for a large not for profit organisation working in the community care sector and providing services throughout Queensland.

The Brief

The Board had recently undergone a renewal process which involved a change of some Directors and the succession of one Director into the role of Chairman.  The organisation is in a sector facing substantial changes led by Government policy and changes to funding arrangements.  A new Chief Executive had also recently been appointed.

We were asked to design a short, focused workshop for the Board and management to help forge positive working relationships within the context of changes to the Board composition and the appointment of a new Chief Executive as an early team building activity.

Our Response

We individually interviewed the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer to understand their context and objectives.

With limited time we were able to design and facilitate a highly interactive workshop.  This enabled newer and longer standing appointees to get to know each other and share relevant backgrounds and perspectives regarding strategic issues facing the sector and the organisation. 

The workshop also enabled Directors and management to explore key relationships and expectations as a basis for moving forward.  This included key relationships within the Board, between management and the Board, and between Directors and key stakeholders external to the organisation.

The Results

The workshop effectively accelerated the development of new dynamics for the Board and provided a shared basis of expectation for the Board and management working together. 

Participants were able to share important perspectives and reach agreement on key principles regarding how the Board and management should interact and regarding the role of Directors when interacting with key external stakeholders.

We received very favourable feedback.  Participants valued the time invested for the outcomes achieved, notwithstanding their many other competing professional commitments..