Have I Got Anything To Say?

For the last year, those who know me know I have been working on "the book". A book about philanthropy, about leadership and connection. I have written, erased, re-written, re-erased. The book became a booklet as I stripped out acres of words that I felt didn't have sufficient weight to hold a place. Many of us have been there. More people still stand where I am, with the Imposter's Hat well and truly wedged on.

I fear that what I think are important lessons from 30 years of participating in governance simply do not add anything new. So, I thought I would test a few things here. Just to see... Just to take the first step out onto the frozen lake of publishing-land to see if the ice cracks and I fall through, or if anyone would like to hear more.

I need your feedback - either here or to me at [email protected]. Be honest. Be constructive and, of course, #BeKind.

So here we go - a snippet of the words that have been living in my head and on my laptop for too long. These are now yours to play with, laugh at or over, rebut or encourage. Let's roll.

....I started my Boardroom career in 1995, way back in the Cretaceous Period. I stumbled into it through an Executive Assistant role in a quango in Hounslow, and the subject, this strange artform that is governance, has had me hooked ever since.

I get it, I'm weird but... I really enjoy the skill and the practice of governance. I am fascinated by its richness – in terms of its personalities, its power games, its function and dysfunction. I am interested in the cadence of Board meetings and seeing how relationships are built or, sadly, broken by the people around the table who bring all manner of approaches, collaborative, exclusive, welcoming, chilled or chilling, to the work.

I have spent more time in charity Boardrooms, in sub-committees, in team-building and board effectiveness exercises than I care to remember. With fellow trustees and senior leadership teams, I have experienced all manner of successes, joy, failures, laughter, great and not-so-great chairing, conflicts, kindness and pretty much everything in between. ?

As with all companies, private, public and voluntary alike, the charity Boardroom is a place for debate, for challenge, for exploration, for disagreement, for bravery, creativity and those light-bulb moments when a chance remark or observation, can change everything in the twinkling of an eye. I have learned loads as I have clocked up this mileage, and now, through Ajaz.org, I consult with charity leaders on their governance, how it works and if it is doing the job that needs to be done. The good, the bad and the ugly? Yes -I have been there over the past 30 years or so and seen that, and so much more besides.

As I head into the last laps of my career, I wanted to share some of the elements that I have seen work really well and those that have caused real problems. The key point I hope to get across is that governance is not an exercise to be carried out in rooms with large tables where the door is always closed, where the debate is sealed off from the work of the organisation, its purpose and its people.

What I hope I might do is to provide some insight into why governance works best when Board members keep the door ajar, with a clear line of sight to the purpose of the ventures they oversee and the nuances of the eco-systems that grow up around them. I will argue, hopefully successfully, that if this is done well, charities deliver far more than units of output, rather, they create spaces and places for profound human interaction and meaning.

I have a collection of stories that show how people, encountering not-for-profit organisations for many reasons, have seen their lives change in ways that they did not expect – in terms of their perception of themselves, of others, of their lives and communities, of their careers and their personal development. In the spirit of leadership and with my heart in my mouth - I go first with my own experience of this in the first chunk of the text (chapter 1 sounds way too grand).

On the way through, I loop in how thoughtful, considerate governance is integral to making these connections happen - with the approach and values of those in leadership roles in these organisations a critical part, for magic like this does not happen through chance or goodwill alone.

The stories I share are drawn from conversations, meetings and moments of togetherness with people I have met through my work with Ajaz.org that show the connections I describe. These good people have generously opened up their time and experiences with me, and I have tried to capture the essence of the stories they have shared.?We see great vulnerability, candour, gentleness and enormous strength. We see people leading from where they are - as volunteers, service users, trustees and CEOs. We encounter, I hope, some lessons in governance practice that could enhance other organisations and other lives, too....

If this bite-sized snippet has interested you and you would like me to share the next part, please let me know.

We all have way too much information in our feeds here and everywhere, so I won't be offended if the overall vibe is "No Sale".

So that's the question - what do you think? Do I have anything to say?

Loads of love,

Nicola x