Before you go…. A blog from our Vice Chair, Alison Shipway

“Before you go….”

There is no roadmap for moving on from a board trustee role. The last thing on your mind when you take on such a role is leaving it.

Lengthy term times make that feel so far down the road!

But ‘leaving well’ by taking time to reflect when you do move on can add real value – to the trustee, the board and future trustees, providing them with insight straight from the horse’s mouth.

In my case, having decided not to stand for re-election for a third term on the Active Partnerships National Organisation board, where I have enjoyed roles as Vice Chair, Senior Independent Director, Chair of the National Development Group, Chair of the People SubCommittee and Interim Chair, it feels timely to reflect and share my learnings from my last six years.

A lot has been packed in. I’ve worked with three different Board Chairs and three CEO’s (one interim), seen 15 fellow trustees moving on or joining, overseen new articles of association, led on the development of our first ever strategy, ‘Creating Momentum’, supported two staff restructures, and said goodbye to and welcomed many different team members.

So, what are the planned and unplanned lessons I’ve learnt during this transformative time for the board, the National Team, Sport England, the Active Partnerships network and myself?

Well, plenty!

But these three lessons, shared in no particular order, stand out.

1. Change is a choice

Its common and easy to fall into routines which work well – for a period of time. Afterall, why fix what isn’t broken?

The substantial organisational review we undertook as a board in 2021 was a choice.  The organisation wasn’t failing.  It was financially sound with a skilled team recognised for building an organisation from its inception ten years prior. But the role of Active Partnerships had considerably evolved as they shifted and grew into highly regarded effective local system partners. Their needs looked different, so we chose to initiate change and acted on that choice.

Repositioning and restructuring took significant time, energy, capabilities and resource with board member’s consciously operating differently.

Taking that leap, which has been built on by new board members and the executive team, proved a substantial ‘moment’, pathing the way for a more purposeful, effective, credible and valued organisation.

1. Being a trustee isn’t all about attending board meetings

Working alongside many board members makes clear we have all fulfilled our duties differently.  Some are connected to valuable networks, helping us open new doors. Some contributed policy expertise and others have supported specific projects. Some represent us at events and I, as Senior Independent Director, spend time ensuring a connectivity with the team.

Not everyone can, nor should give the same.

We need diversity in our contributions as well as our lived experiences. It isn’t about turning up to a meeting four times a year but a commitment to constantly turn up to support and play an active role in the organisation.

My Board colleague Rob Purdie recently shared a quote which had in turn been shared with him “only busy people have the time to do good things”.  It’s so true because it’s often the busy people who make good trustees.

1. Ease off the packed agendas

The most effective board meetings are those which provide space for the important things to happen.  Whilst governance, policies, budgets and staff plans matter, they take up vital time in meetings which is better spent focusing on the game changing ideas, risk and investment appetites, succession needs, and strategic ambitions.

Coming off the treadmill of packed operationally focused agendas was our game changer.  It means the team can tell their stories of progress and impact in more engaging and insightful ways and we spend more meaningful time exploring our five strategic ambitions and challenging the team to talk about their work through the lens of the difference being made.

Work still needs to be done.

We need to ensure new members have a clarity about the contribution they can make.  Plus we need to ensure there is an understanding that our history matters because it reminds us of how far we’ve come and what choices need to be made moving forward.

There’s no perfect time to leave a board that I have been so connected with.

But stepping away will enable me to make more time to support the network and our partners in the areas that I feel matter most – purpose, people, leadership and culture.

I’m proud to have been a part of creating our history and building our future.  I titled this blog ‘Before you go…’ because it’s a line I’ve heard a lot recently asking me to support with something before my final board meeting in May. I’m grateful to still be able to connect, influence and support our collective work, albeit from a new perspective.  And I look forward with confidence to hearing about the continued great work of the Active Partnerships National Organisation and its board.

Oh and before I go, please always encourage your trustees to share their reflections and learnings of their experiences, so you can ensure that you enable them to ‘leave well’!