Eight things I learned from my first year as a Non-Executive Director

This time last year, I took on my first non-executive director role. Following a competitive recruitment process, I was co-opted to the UK River Restoration Centre (RRC) ’s Board of Directors in January 2022, and my membership of the Board was ratified by members of the organisation at the AGM later that summer. Since then I have taken part in six Board meetings (in person and online), judged the RRC “River Champions” awards twice, attended the RRC Annual Network Conference 2022 as a Board member and provided ad hoc support to the RRC on topics including succession planning and inclusivity.

Here are the eight biggest lessons I have learned so far:

1.??????Be yourself. It was clear when I started talking with members of the RRC Board and the Environment Agency 's Board that there are as many ways of being a Board member as there are Board members! The strength of a Board lies in its diversity, so think about where you fit in and can add value/ challenge/ insight that others can’t.

2.??????Understand the organisation and your role in it. Take full advantage of any mentoring and/or induction opportunities offered. I benefitted hugely from two half-day sessions with RRC staff to understand the governance, structure and function of the organisation, plus 1:1 mentoring with an existing Board member to discuss our role as non-executive directors. Physically visiting the office(s) of the organisation and chatting with the staff is an unbeatable way to explore how it really works, too.

3.??????Get to know your fellow Board members. As with any leadership role, building great relationships with the people you work with is crucial. And that is a lot easier done in person than online – so make the extra effort to attend meetings in person if you can and get chatting in the breaks. I found it particularly helpful to have extra 1:1 discussions with the Chair of the Board to understand her aims for the organisation and what improvements she would most like to see.

4.??????Make time to prepare for discussion. Block out time before each Board meeting to do the reading and have informed opinions on the information provided. Don’t be afraid to challenge if you don’t have enough information to make decisions – it is your right to ask for this (within reason).

5.??????Speak up. You don’t have to speak for the sake of it, but if you have something valuable to say then say it. And you do have a duty to speak up when you disagree. Be curious. Keep asking why things are done in a certain way (and why not). Which leads me on to…

6.??????Ask the big questions. Where is this organisation going? What is the medium/long term strategy – to grow, to shrink, to specialise, to generalise, to remain independent, to merge with others? Don’t forget what a Board is for – to guide overall governance and strategy (the “what” and “why” of the organisation). That is distinct from managing the organisation (“how” these things are delivered) – that’s the CEO or Managing Director’s job.

7.??????Keep learning. As in any role, seek feedback on how you’re doing. Reflect on how you can work best with the individuals around the Board to guide and support the work of the organisation. Share lessons from your own experience with the Board (that is what you’re there for) but also make time to reflect on the lessons you are learning as a non-executive director and how you can bring those back to your day job.?

8.??????Enjoy it! The best piece of advice I had was to look for an organisation whose work I admire and whose values I believe in (whether that’s in the same field as your day job or not). For me it was simple – I love leadership and I love rivers, and the RRC role brought those together with a brilliant and supportive group of people who I knew would make me feel welcome in this new role.

This is my personal advice based on my own experience as a Board member. But what do you think? If you’ve been doing this role for a while (and/or for several different organisations), what advice would you share with others who are just starting out ? If you are considering your first non-executive director role, what advice are you looking for to help you get started? Please let me know your thoughts below, and feel free to share this article with others who might find it helpful.

Finally, if you like the sound of the RRC Board of Directors, you can find out more about us here: https://www.therrc.co.uk/structure#board%20of%20directors (and keep your eyes open for Board vacancies here: https://www.therrc.co.uk/job-adverts )