Stewarding with Credibility: Building Rapport with Your Governing Body

Taking on the role of project steward can be a bit intimidating. You might even experience a sense of isolation and disconnect when trying to build rapport with the governance group. You might find your confidence wavering and others’ confidence in you slipping away. Your governing body may more reluctant to support the initiatives you’re putting forward, give you timely feedback, or even make timely decisions.

While this could lead to a frustrating cycle, all is not lost.

Taking the time to build rapport with your governing body can make a huge difference. By understanding each person’s interests and concerns, you can create the space for more supportive and effective interactions. This is a game-changer for ensuring that your initiative continues to reflect, and can deliver on, the broader goals of the organisation.

What Spending Time with Your Governing Body Members Reveals

• Personal Priorities: When you interact one-on-one, you’ll begin to find out what their motivators are beyond their official roles. Through these interactions you’ll understand how your projects do or don’t fit with those interests and seek clarification or direction as a result.
• Concerns and Hurdles: Direct interaction will reveal if there are any underlying concerns that might not come out in a formal situation. This helps you address potential roadblocks before they become significant issues.
• Strategic Insight: Personal conversations provide deeper insights into how the members of your governing body view where the organisation’s headed. From this you confirm if your projects align appropriately or work towards closer alignment with their vision and objectives.

Why Asking for Guidance and Learning Perspectives Helps

• Shows Respect: Requesting input demonstrates that you value their expertise and perspective. This helps establish a collaborative atmosphere and goes a long way towards strengthening your relationships and credibility.
• Provides Clarity: Their guidance helps clarify and confirm how your projects fit within the wider organisational strategy. This alignment ensures that your initiatives are relevant and supported by the governing body.
• Builds Support: Actively engaging people in discussions about your projects ahead of formal interactions, helps secure their backing. Equally it lets you know when things need to change. This support is crucial for navigating challenges and achieving project outcomes.

Strategies for Building Rapport with Your Governing Body

• Interact Informally: Seek out members of the governing body away from formal meetings. Ask for guidance around your need to understand their interests and concerns. Approach one of the governing body for mentoring. If you’re interacting with the Corporate Governance Board, a relationship with the Company Secretary (or equivalent) will be of huge benefit. These conversations all build a foundation of trust, openness, and preparedness.
• Seek Early Feedback: Interacting with your governance body for early feedback on plans, directions, or problems, is essential. A no-surprises approach will increase both your rapport and credibility. It also shows respect for their insights and helps meet, or redirect, expectations.
• Update Regularly: Set a regular frequency for updates; progress, any emerging challenges, and successes. Bring the important things into sharp focus so attention is targeted where it’s most needed making the feedback loop and decision-making more timely and effective.
• Align with Vision: Presenting project information that reflects the strategic drivers demonstrates your understanding and alignment with the company’s overarching goals. As a friend of mine who is an expert in the field of corporate governance says – “provide show me’s not just tell me’s”. Providing context as well as content helps you demonstrate you and your information is aligned and your initiative is there to serve the organisation.

Building rapport with your governing body is important for every leader and project steward. By taking the time to understand individual motivations, concerns, and perspectives, you create a foundation of trust and mutual respect. This not only builds your credibility but also aligns your initiatives more closely with organisational goals. Remember, effective stewardship is as much about relationships as it is about managing projects.

As you move forward in you role of project steward, I encourage you to put these strategies into practice. Reach out to a member of your governing body this week. Request some time and gauge if mentoring would work for you.

Share your experiences in the comments below - what challenges have you faced in building rapport with your governing body? What strategies have worked for you? Let's learn from each other.

Having supported numerous leaders through similar challenges, I'm here to support you too. If you're seeking personalised assistance or curious about how my experience can benefit you and your projects, connect and let's start a conversation. Message me using the word 'Discovery'. It's that simple to move towards project excellence and leadership impact.