George Gawlinski and Lois Graessle believe the best way to renew the health and energy of an organisation is to take time out together.
A small community arts organisation under threat of closure because of funding cuts was shocked to discover on an awayday that board members, the director and staff all held conflicting views as to the best way of building a sustainable future. However, through wide-ranging conversations during walks and over good meals, an energising consensus emerged. The organisation is now set not just to survive but to thrive – despite a challenging financial environment.
So why take time out? Time away from the office – often a residential night or two, sometimes a half day – is a critical part of any organisation’s cycle of planning, implementation and review. It can help to reinvigorate your sense of purpose and review priorities, especially with new staff and board members, strengthening working relationships, co-operation, communication and respect. It can also enable you to develop unexpected solutions to challenges around cultural and artistic output, funding crises and strategic partnerships.
But awaydays can fall flat, and participants have been known to view awaydays as extended board meetings with a longer agenda. They want something different – a different place, a different face and a different pace. Outside facilitators can help to achieve this. They plan and facilitate the day so everyone can participate, whatever their day-to-day roles. They also help participants to acknowledge tricky issues and decide when and how to deal with them, and ensure clear conclusions and a commitment to follow through. It’s important to create a pampering environment to encourage significant conversations, however challenging they might be. Success depends on planning together, involving people with different roles and being clear about status.
An awayday is not for making decisions, but for making recommendations which can be taken forward and turned into decisions and action. It is the focus on a continuum that starts with the planning and finishes with the follow through. The event and its conclusions should be embedded in the work and governance of the organisation. Co-operation and clarity before, during and after between the chair of the board and the chief executive is critical to success. They have to be convinced of its value in order to convince others.
This is one of a series of articles commissioned by GOLD (Governance Organisational & Leadership Development), which promotes governance within the arts and cultural sector, as part of the Cultural Leadership Programme. Join the discussions, use the resources, and contribute to them. See www.goldnet.wikispaces.com. George Gawlinski and Lois Graessle are organisational consultants who have facilitated awaydays for a wide range of public and voluntary organisations. They are co-authors of ‘Meeting Together: How to transform your meetings, conferences and other gatherings’, and ‘Planning Together: The art of effective teamwork’.
w: http://www.planningtogether.com