A strong governing group is critical in creating a successful Centre that is sustainable for the long-term. Often people join governing groups with no real understanding of what governance involves. If we want community board members to do their job well, we need to ensure we set them up for success through a great induction experience. New board members start evaluating their experience from their first contact. Your induction process is an opportunity to provide them with a great experience. Doing this well ensures your new team member is: ● Well informed about their role and has a top line understanding of how your Centre operates. ● Familiar with others in the team and their roles and feels part of the team. ● Ready to contribute from day one. ● Feeling valued and appreciated. ● Talking positively about their experience with other parents (a great recruiting tool!). Two important elements to ensure induction is successful are: Appointing a board member who is a guardian for your induction process They don’t have to be the person who does induction, they are the person who makes sure it happens. They are also responsible for regularly reviewing your process and improving with the feedback they gather. It can be a great role for a board member and can take a role off your plate as Centre Manager. Connect your new board member to a mentor If someone is new to the community board, mentorship by an experienced member can help them understand what to expect, answer their questions and help them get involved. Partnering with a buddy will be helpful for someone who already has governance experience as they navigate how things work specifically at your Centre. What is your process? Start as you mean to go on. Guide your board member through your induction process with the same passion and enthusiasm you want to see from them as they govern your Centre. Mix it up. Ensure it’s not all about reading. Use it to connect with a range of team members. Creating a process ensures each new team member receives the same experience. Step through each part of the process and put yourself in your new board member’s shoes. What do they need? ● How does the process of appointment work? ● What happens on successful appointment? � Who contacts them to let them know? How do they do that? � How are they connected with their mentor? � Follow up with written confirmation, including dates their term begins and ends. � Share information about the induction process so they know what to expect. � How is information about the new appointment shared with the staff team and parents? ● What is the plan for sharing information? They won’t need all the information at once, in fact that can sometimes feel overwhelming. What do they need to know and when? � What is best to do in-person? What will be provided as reading material in the welcome pack? Who do they need to meet? ● What is the follow up and feedback process? Induction toolkit Create your Centre’s induction toolkit. Assemble everything you might include in one place and make it easy for those doing the induction to pick the relevant elements to customise for your new person. The process stays the same, the content shared may change. You might include: Meet the team What can you do to help your new trustee seamlessly integrate into the team? At the very least, share brief information to get to know other board members – their role, their specific skills and expertise. What’s Welcome to the Community Board: Setting up for success By Megan Thorn - Exult June 2022 { 16 }
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