Daryl's Blog

I take great pleasure in talking to groups of trustees and leaders of charities and churches. The dynamics of each situation is unique but increasingly it's becoming clear what the really important issues are. I generally open by talking about accountabilities and legal responsibilities, which is usually why I'm there. Then we start to look at some real situations where things have gone badly or well, drawing a great deal on my own experiences. As we get more comfortable I can begin to dig into the real issues, which are almost always relational. Legal and professional advice can be bought in to help the processes along, but you can't buy trust, or laughter.

A few days ago I received Terry Virgo's newsletter (how does he keep this punishing schedule going? I suppose because it's his joy): in it he describes the New Frontiers core leaders and wives annual retreat as a time to, 'relax together, yet also make one another accountable in terms of care, enquiry, affection and openness'. If you are part of any group of people, these are the issues that matter: care, enquiry, affection, openness. If you don't have them, don't delay, deal with it. I get some interesting responses when I ask this kind of question, but generally the effectiveness or otherwise of the organisation they represent, will be determined by the health of the relationships of the core teams that will cascade down to all the other parts. You have only to look at the machinery of government right now to see how true this is. I'm now going to have to do yet more work on my governance notes.

Now, go back to that winsome TV quote and ask yourself how your team measures up.

Have a good week. Daryl