Insight
Board members, it’s time to let go
If we want approaches to governance that help us act boldly with a focus on mission and impact, we need to look beyond the board much more systematically and radically. That means we don't just need diverse boards, we need permeable governance. Look into almost any governance guide for charities or social enterprises and they will be all…
August 19, 2019
Insight
Looking back, looking forwards
For those of us that believe in the case of placing more power in the hands of local communities, these are increasingly worrying times. In the face of massive political uncertainty, rising inequality, and a shrinking and centralising state, it is easy to feel our efforts will never be enough. In the communities I’ve been…
March 11, 2019
Insight
What a sofa outside a pub has to teach us about good governance
What can leaders in the social sector learn about governance from the story of sofa outside a local pub in Brighton? In the third instalment of his governance column, Bob Thust – a member of the Bevy Management Committee - brings to life some ideas and challenges for us all to consider, whether you’re a big charity or a…
March 11, 2019
Insight
The future is here and it is unevenly distributed
"Power, accountability, connection and trust resonate. They are the fundamental building blocks that will allow us to rise to the many challenges we face and we all have a responsibility to act." Bob Thust and Esther Foreman respond to the Civil Society futures report: The story of our future - shifting power, bridging divides, transforming…
November 21, 2018
Insight
They say culture and relationships eat strategy and process for breakfast
But why can't they all sit down over dinner and work it out? Why do we in the social sector continue to pit culture and relationships against strategy and process, as if the two aren't two sides of the same coin? Bob Thust asks us not just to understand the relationship between them, but to…
October 18, 2018
Community Leadership
Don’t sweat the small stuff (unless you give a shit)
I’m an AFC Wimbledon supporter, and when the club first became fan-owned in 2002 there was a debate about the sorts of decisions fans could and should be involved in, and the decisions best left to the staff (including the managers) and the Board. Throughout the debate, the spectre invoked by those in favour of…
October 4, 2018
Insight
Time to rip up the governance rulebook
We’re all guilty. Funders, commissioners, umbrella bodies, influencers continue to perpetuate boards who are shackling rather than liberating our social missions. Bob Thust calls on us to step back and apply some sanity. The proposal was signed off, but it was a hollow victory. This was the third time I’d had to bring this back to the board, and…
August 16, 2018
case study
From stormy seas to plain sailing: staying true to your mission
Little Green Pig asked Practical Governance to support them with an organisational review, which included facilitating a whole team away day on a barge in Brighton Marina. Director Ella Burns and Chair Pete Lawson shared with us their insights on the journey of Little Green Pig up to that day, as well as their hopes…
August 1, 2018