Their way of doing this was to read previous minutes with a view to what had been and what was to come. One trustee who used to frustrate me with their attention to grammatical detail in my draft minutes turned out to be exceptional at keeping track. Great trustees put additional time in to take notes and retain the key points and decisions from previous meetings. Many trustees find that the length of time between meetings can create a challenge of keeping track of previous information and conclusions. To be effective, they had to reframe their contribution and become accountable. Previously they had seen their role more as a consultant, standing on the outside advising and correcting, until an induction session on the role of a trustee had reminded them of their legal responsibility but more than that, it had reignited their passion for the purpose of the charity. One trustee recently talked about their breakthrough moment when they moved from ‘you’ to ‘we’ in a board discussion. The balance between being engaged and getting involved in operations can be tough to navigate. They take time to be clear on key messages and support content on social media. ![]() They know what the charity does and why, stay alert to internal and external news about the charity, make themselves available to senior staff as a sounding board and perhaps visit projects. The great trustees I’ve met engage thoughtfully beyond the board meeting. Many trustees attend board meetings and then disconnect for three months until the papers arrive for the next one. As I consider my next trustee application, I am thinking about how I plan in more time to role model that learning. I have learnt it takes a lot longer to prepare to be a great trustee for each meeting. An exceptional trustee reflects on how their personal perspective may help or hinder good decision making and is fully transparent about it. They understand how valuable meeting time is and ask questions before the meeting to check their understanding or to fill gaps in their understanding and in turn allow senior staff to prepare.Ī great trustee considers the aims of the charity, the content of the meeting, and the dynamics which might affect discussions. They think about how they need to contribute and what they and the board need to know to enable a decision to be made. ![]() Great trustees plan their input into the meeting. Good trustees read and re-read meeting papers. So what is it that sets a great trustee apart from other charity board members? Prepare A connection on Twitter considering becoming a trustee for the first time asked his community – ‘What qualities make a trustee shine?’ After some thought, I dived into five things that I think can turn a trustee into a pearl.
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